I was recently at 2 events at the Factory at Franklin in one day. But there was so much more going on there that day than just the 2 events I was attending! I went to the Factory to attend the Franklin Green Expo. Local businesses are showing their benefits to help Franklin folks save money, and live with better air, or water, or food, etc. It was an excellent exhibit. Lots of great folks there, including the ecology club from Centennial High School who are learning about getting out and communicating with the public. There were water purifiers, solar panels, "green" cosmetics, :-), and so much more. Anyway, I digress. I drove around the parking lot for 15 minutes trying to find a parking spot. And then I went around back and still couldn't find one. Finally, my perseverance paid off and it was my turn to get the spot someone was pulling out of. Is Green that popular? Why were there so many people at the Factory?
The Farmer's Market. And Happy Tales Pet Rescue Adoption Days. And the terrific restaurants. And the dozens of shops, salons and artists who do business there. There was lots of business going on at the Factory. And all different kinds. I was so happy to see it.
When Calvin Lehew was awarded the contract to build out and develop the Factory at Franklin in the late 1990's, everyone was so hopeful that his vision would come to pass. You can read about Calvin and his vision here. He wanted to create an artistic mixed use community. And boy, has he succeeded. There are so many creative shops, from pure art, to furniture, to interesting clothing and antiques. It is a wonderful place to visit so many interesting stores in one place. 4 banks turned him down before finally securing a loan from First Tennessee to work on the build out. He has been working on it all these years and it has only recently been all finished. (Though I wonder if old places like that are ever finished.) There is also a church called The Journey, a satellite of the O'More School of Design, and some residential units. This is the main rental space for large events in Franklin. There are two large rental venues, but they accommodate smaller events too. The Journey church also rents out its space.
That helps me transition to the other reason I was at the Factory last week. There was a fundraising party there for Bridges Domestic Violence Shelter. It was held in one of the large rental venues. And it was a great party, in a great location. And then, Sunday morning, there I was at church, in the same room I had been in for the party the night before.
So, I had to write to say Kudos to Calvin Lehew. Not only has this dream become a wonderful reality for the city and folks of Franklin, but Calvin has been nice through the whole business. Combination good businessman and generous citizen, he has succeeded in building a real treasure for the city of Franklin.
You can visit their website at www.FactoryatFranklin.com
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