Franklin homes to be torn down after training

Four homes just south of downtown Franklin soon will be torn down to make way for a new events venue, marketplace and condominiums.

The homes along Wayne Street were first purchased by the Bemis Group, which is renovating the former garment factory and properties around it for an event center, retail space and condominiums. Developers said the homes would need to come down to make way for parking.

As part of an agreement with the Franklin Redevelopment Commission for a total of $1.4 million in incentives, the city board agreed to purchase the properties and build a parking lot.

Now, the city board is allowing Habitat for Humanity and Franklin Heritage, a nonprofit that rehabilitates historic homes, to come in and salvage what they can.

Then, the Franklin Fire Department will do training in two homes, and the Franklin Police Department and Johnson County Sheriff’s Office and their SWAT teams will do training in the other two homes.

The dates of the fire and police department training have not been set.

Once that training is complete, the homes will be demolished.