Franklin building getting facelift

Work is expected to begin soon on a long-discussed project to renovate the front of a downtown Franklin building.

The project to the former Frechette Eye Clinic building at 89 E. Jefferson St. would update the exterior and windows to make it blend better with the other buildings in the area.

The eye clinic moved to another location on Main Street in anticipation of the work being done, and now the owner, Linda Frechette, is looking at different options for how to use the building next.

[sc:text-divider text-divider-title=”Story continues below gallery” ]

More than two years ago, Frechette and city officials began looking into the possibility of making the building two stories, but the cost of the project was significant — about $1.5 million.

Now, they have settled on a plan that would update the exterior of the building at its current size.

Frechette asked the city redevelopment commission for a $257,000 grant to pay for the work, which was approved with a 3-0 vote. Members B.J. Deppe and Keith Fox were absent from the meeting this week.

The project will complete the redevelopment of the downtown area along Water Street that was started years ago. The Frechette building, at the southwest corner of Jefferson and Water streets, is the final piece of that project, said Bob Heuchan, redevelopment commission president.

The city has invested a significant amount of money into the facades of downtown buildings, and this project is the last big piece to make it all match, Franklin Mayor Steve Barnett said.

Outside of a few other smaller projects in the downtown area, this building is the last big piece that still needs to be done, he said.

Local developer Mike Duke, whose company is doing the project, said the goal is to make the building blend in with others downtown.

Frechette moved her eye clinic out of the building this year, in anticipation of the renovations, since the sensitive equipment they use would not react well to dust from a construction project, she said.

She was unable to find anything to rent, and instead decided to buy a building at 951 N. Main St., and move her clinic there, she said.

She is considering moving some operations back to the Jefferson Street property once renovations are done, such as a sunglasses shop. Her son is a chiropractor and could open an office there, or she could rent the building to another business, she said. Frechette had invested more than $100,000 on interior work to the building, she said.

City officials are looking into whether they can require Frechette to sign an agreement to have to repay at least some of the grant if she were to sell the building within a certain period of time.

Work is set to begin on the building as soon as this fall.