New Franklin Development Proposed for Land Owned by TobyMac

The Middle Eight

Franklin’s Historic Zoning Commission (HZC) voted this week to support a preliminary recommendation for a new multifamily residential project for the city’s emerging Factory District called The Middle Eight. A final Certificate of Appropriateness will come later in the process.

Longtime Franklin residents Toby and Amanda McKeehan, along with their business partner, Charles Rulick, are seeking to develop the 7.1-acre property behind the McKeehan’s historic home on the corner of Franklin Road and Liberty Pike directly across the street from The Factory. As proposed, The Middle Eight will provide 275 housing units to Franklin’s growing, vibrant arts and entertainment district through a combination of single-family homes, townhomes, duplexes, and apartments.

“For 30 years, we’ve dreamed of what this property could be, how it could build upon and enhance Franklin’s unique charm, generous spirit and creative core,” said Toby McKeehan following the vote. “We’re thrilled to share our vision for The Middle Eight with the greater community and excited to welcome more people to our little corner of downtown.”

The drive to develop this property was spurred by the release of Envision Franklin in 2017. This planning document articulated the long-term vision to direct development in a way that would strengthen the city and create exceptional places for citizens. The McKeehans’ land was specifically identified in Envision Franklin as a prime in-fill location for multifamily housing.

“Before Envision Franklin was released, we had a steady stream of developers knocking on our door,” said Toby McKeehan. “After its release, they were beating it down. We explored our options and even considered selling it to a few developers. However, as stewards of this property and it being in our own backyard, we felt that no one was proposing a project that was the right fit for our neighborhood and greater Franklin.”

So, the McKeehans and Rulick joined together to form their own company, Truland Development, to oversee the potential project themselves. For the past year and a half, the team has worked closely with city staff to create a vision for a development that could fit within Franklin’s standards while also helping to meet the housing demand created by the area’s explosive growth.

Working with a team of local and national experts in project brand and visioning, market analysis, land planning, architecture and engineering, Truland presented a concept that includes 21 townhomes and single-family homes, 45 large apartment units and penthouses, 103 mid-size apartments and 106 smaller apartments.

“Our desire was to create a truly diverse neighborhood that would encompass not only those with significant resources but also the young professionals and creatives who want to live in the walkable community of downtown Franklin,” said Amanda McKeehan. “It was very important to me, Toby and Charles that we have smaller units that could be priced attainably for those who previously had no options in the core of our downtown. With the new sidewalks linking us to Main Street and the exciting redevelopment of The Factory, we truly believe the time is finally right for this land to be developed.”

The Middle Eight will primarily front Liberty Pike across from The Factory and Daniels Drive across from Jamison Station. The property sits behind the McKeehans’ home, the Truett House, which is on the National Historic Register. The house will be separated from The Middle Eight by a 75-foot buffer. In order to provide an amazing 50% of open space within the development, Truland will be significantly investing in a two-floor underground parking garage for residents and their visitors. The property will feature multiple gathering places and parks to be enjoyed by the entire community.

The development’s name, The Middle Eight, reflects Truland’s vision for the property. A songwriting term, The Middle Eight refers to the often eight bar moment within a song where the arrangement changes introducing a new melody, tempo or lyrical approach that enriches the greater whole.

“We named our project The Middle Eight because we deeply love the song that Franklin has already written,” Amanda McKeehan said. “We aspire for our project to respect the song that has come before it and continues around us while offering a new expression of the same open-hearted theme: a song within the song of Franklin.”

That’s also why the Truland Team is fully supportive of the Factory District concept which is being championed by Franklin Aldermen Patrick Baggett and Matt Brown. This district would create a defined area around The Factory, including The Middle Eight, with an emphasis on arts and entertainment.

“The revitalization of The Factory and the swell of support behind the creation of a ‘Factory District’ just reinforces the need for density in this area,” said Rulick. “The restaurants and businesses, including Studio Tenn, coming into The Factory need residents’ support to be successful. The Middle Eight will provide a thriving community just across the street to do just that.”

Over the past few months, Truland has engaged with neighbors, elected officials and downtown residents to review their vision and gain critical feedback. Many of them shared their support for the project at the HZC meeting.

“We are so excited for this convergence of the unique and interesting projects being added to our neighborhood; the gift of Harlinsdale Park, the new Franklin Road streetscape, the redevelopment of The Factory, and the vision for the Middle Eight are all projects that have value in their own right,” said Jamison Station resident Jennifer Morrison. “However, as a collaboration, they have the potential to create something so much richer and more beautiful for our entire community: the newly imagined arts and entertainment center: The Factory District.”

The HZC’s approval was the first in several approvals, including rezoning, the project must receive to move forward. When fully approved, Truland expects The Middle Eight to break ground in the summer of 2024, with expected completion in mid to late 2026.

About Truland Development
Formed in 2022, Truland Development is a team of real estate owners and developers rooted in authentic, true design and development, striving to create spaces that reflect the history, people and innate qualities of a place. Led by Toby and Amanda McKeehan and Charles Rulick, Truland brings together seasoned real estate experience with a longtime commitment to helping people and communities reach their true potential. Since 2003, the three Truland partners have nurtured a working friendship focused on developing authentic places based on an informed vision that creates lasting value for all. Their work includes multifamily and mixed-use projects as well as lake houses, private residences, luxury rental villas, and private offices.