Franklin.

• Author: Cole, Stacy
• Position: Spotlight

Keeping a city's small-town feel doesn't mean it has to lose its potential for growth.

"The city is a conservative town and we believe seriously that economic development and growth is a good thing, as long as it is quality economic development and growth," says Norman P. Blankenship Jr., mayor of the seat of Johnson County, a city of just under 20,000. "And diversification of our commercial and industrial base is a concern."

Last year, the city reported a total commercial investment of $6.6 million--down from approximately $13.5 million the previous year. However, the city expects a rebound this year with several major projects obtaining approval in 2001. The South Central Surgery Center, opened early this year, was the largest investor at $2.3 million in 2001.

Although commercial investment dipped, industrial construction projects more than doubled compared with the previous year--from $1.6 million to $3.5 million, The majority of the city's investment was the construction of the new Quality Mills facility, an industrial redistributor of cutting tools, at $1.2 million.

Franklin has been taking steps to improve its appeal to new investors by offering competitive tax-abatement packages as well as simply trying to make potential investors at ease in the town.

"The bottom line is that we want investors to feel comfortable in coming to us and saying, 'We'd like to sit down and talk to you," Blankenship says.

Financial incentives are one major way Franklin hopes to attract new business. For projects of 100,000 square feet or more, the city is offering a 10-year tax abatement. It also is allowing abatements for manufacturing equipment that qualifies. The city has tried to simplify the abatement process, designating certain regions as economic revitalization areas.

"We have already cleared one of the hurdles you have to go through to get abatement--all you have to do is request your abatement," says David Weir, planning director for the Department of Planning and Economic Development for the City of Franklin.

Several recent projects have put Franklin on-track for high-quality, including the Franklin Tech Park, a new business park being established just southeast of Interstate 65 and State Road 44. The 260-acre tech park is still in its initial stages. Developer Denison Properties Inc. is preparing marketing strategies as well as laying the foundation for infrastructure.

"The essence of what we're about here is to create a high-quality business...