Franklin Advances Plan to Revitalize Downtown

Downtown Franklin. Photo by J. Stephen Conn/Flickr Creative Commons.

 Franklin, a city working to turn itself around and combat a poor reputation due to below-average schools, drug problems and a spate of home arsons, received a $30,000 investment into its downtown.

Franklin Savings Bank donated the money to PermaCityLife, a nonprofit formed in 2014 to focus on redeveloping Franklin’s downtown. According to PermaCityLife, investment in Franklin’s downtown began to decline in the 1970s when the city’s mills began to close. Todd Workman, executive director, says that while there’s been longtime interest in redeveloping Franklin, there hasn’t been a redevelopment authority until this point to initiate and oversee such a project.

Workman describes Franklin as “better positioned than other small New Hampshire towns” for this type of wide-scale redevelopment, citing Franklin’s compact, walkable downtown and existing industrial park. PermaCityLife’s goal is to transform Franklin into a place for “living, working and recreating where all ages and income levels have their needs satisfied within the town,” Workman says.

PermaCityLife’s plans include preserving Franklin’s historic storefronts and mill buildings, enhancing transportation options and focusing on environmental sustainability. The last of these projects includes plans for a large-scale community garden and protecting Franklin’s drinking water. Workman describes the water supply as Franklin’s “best asset 50 years from now.”

As part of its downtown redevelopment plan, PermaCityLife is partnering with Franklin Industrial Park, city government, private investors and philanthropists. The nonprofit is also working with Colby-Sawyer College in New London to develop a program for students to live and learn in Franklin.

PermaCityLife acquired seven large block buildings and three of the mills, all located along Franklin’s Main Street. It is working with 12 small companies to relocate to Franklin. The businesses include software, sporting goods and mushroom farming.

Workman says that PermaCityLife is working in phases to acquire real estate, cover bills and repair or renovate existing buildings. It is partnering with Franklin Savings Bank to help fund the downtown development, which requires $1.3 million in financing.

“Within the last two years, we have seen progress in downtown Franklin with the revival of two buildings and a storefront—all within a few steps of our main office,” says Ron Magoon, president and COO of Franklin Savings Bank.