Representatives of the non-profit Friends of Franklin Parks, the City of Franklin’s Parks Department and other key partners unveiled a vision for the future at Saturday’s “Raise the Roofs,” the organization’s annual fundraiser. As a public-private partnership, the group laid out its focus not only on future projects at the Park at Harlinsdale Farm and elsewhere across the City’s 16-park system, but also on connecting the dots between existing public open spaces.
“We’re here to celebrate the community’s success in raising more than $1.2 million to build the Tractor Supply Co. Arena at Harlinsdale, but also to talk about other opportunities to work with the City on the big picture, which is connectivity,” said Dr. Monty McInturff, president of Friends of Franklin Parks. “In partnership with organizations like the Heritage Foundation and Franklin’s amazing Parks Department, we have the bandwidth to make this happen for the good of the community.”
McInturff said the the 200-acre Harlinsdale Farm has become Franklin’s “Central Park,” and initiatives to complete the main barn, restore other historic structures, create a state horse museum and public meeting space within the old power station, and cultivate a thriving multi-purpose equestrian facility are still top-of-mind. The organization also hopes to restore the Hayes Home at Harlinsdale and establish a permanent headquarters. But the larger objective is to bridge from that center out to the rest of the park system.
“We’re excited to announce that, working together, our goal is to build a bridge from the western edge of Harlinsdale Park, connecting to Bicentennial Park and the existing public trail system in Chestnut Bend. Then we’ll pivot to connecting Bicentennial Park with Pinkerton Park, collaborating with the City, other non-profits and private supporters to leverage what’s already there,” McInturff said. “All of a sudden, we’ve connected Franklin Road and Murfreesboro Road to Downtown Franklin, out to Franklin High School and the Williamson County Rec Center. From there, it’s easy to see how one day we can connect to Cool Springs and back to Eastern Flank through both sidewalks and greenways.”
City of Franklin Parks Director Lisa Clayton said that the fingers of the trail system already in place or on the drawing board make it possible, without imposing on private landowners.
“The more we studied it, it became clear that the infrastructure is largely in place. A bridge from Harlinsdale to downtown and the work currently being done with Bicentennial Park actually will connect several city parks,” Clayton said. “The sidewalks offer a lot of connectivity already. It’s an opportunity for a win-win without affecting existing trails and walkways.”
McInturff cited the success of the new Arena at Harlinsdale as the proof of concept.
“This facility happened because the community wanted it to — city, non-profits, businesses and individuals all working together toward a common purpose,” he said. “Now we’re hosting major events, generating revenue to invest back in to public spaces and tapping in to the potential both from an educational and a historical standpoint. The next step for a sustainable city is to make it all walkable, and the opportunity lies right in front of us.”
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