COMMUNITY
A Little Something Extra
THE FACTORY A REDEMPTION STORY BY CLAIRE PAGE
A
llen Arender, Executive Vice President of Development for Holladay Properties, will lead the renovation of The Factory at Franklin, recently purchased by Holladay. The property, purchased for $56 million; will be an investment of time and money - which Arender says is a true redemption story.
into what people already see in these amazing buildings. “There is a great opportunity to redevelop and add new life to a building which is unlike anything else you can build today. You cannot recreate the character here,” he explains.
Allen has a lot of big plans for The Factory, and “over the next few years, the experience here One of Allen’s main drives to invest in this at the factory will be unlike anything you have property was because “everyone loves seen in Franklin or Nashville,” he says. With The redemption stories, and that is what you have Factory having close to 300,000 square feet, in old buildings like this; stories of rising, falling, there are endless opportunities and rising again. “That is what The for the building. Within Factory is,” he says: “Redemption.” Everyone loves the square footage, Liberty Hall and Jamison redemption Allen is no newbie when it comes to stories, and Theatre are just two of the restoring older historical properties. that is what spaces for entertainment While working towards his and events. Allen is you have in engineering degree from Mississippi old buildings, anticipating continuing with the history of State, he started flipping houses stories of with a friend. Later, he got his MBA community involvement at Notre Dame. Since moving to rising, falling, and events he says. “The and rising Nashville, fifteen years ago, Allen has event space here is a big again; that accomplished a lot of restorations part of what drives the rest of the is what the and remodeling of buildings in the activity. Liberty Hall can hold 1200 factory is – middle Tennessee area, including; people, while Jamison Theatre holds The Sawtooth Building, The Guest redemption. close to 450 people. He would like to Building, and the BowTruss Building. see those spaces being utilized 350 days a year. Allen had been looking for a redevelopment opportunity in Franklin for a while now, so when Along with the event space, three other a mutual friend contacted him to purchase The main components will make up The Factory: Factory, it was an opportunity he could not Office, restaurant, and retail space. After the last year and a half of COVID, Allen pass up. One of Allen’s goals is to bring new life 74 NOVEMBER 2021
Celebrating 10 Years
hopes people will want to show up and be a part of this community treasure. Whether people are coming to work in an office, dine in a restaurant, shop in retail shops, or attend an event, The Factory’s space will offer opportunities to be entertained and involved with the space, twenty-four seven hours a day. One goal he has in mind is to offer something at The Factory that is unique and special and open businesses that do not exist in any other part of middle Tennessee. While much attention will be paid to the interior of the building Allen says he wants to see activity outside of the building as well. “We want to activate the outdoors, for example, with a restaurant underneath the water tower,” he says. Allen and his team are currently working with the city to restore the water tower and have new paint and a signage . Along with the water tower being restored, Allen is working with the farmers market to expand along Liberty Pike. Even though this is a long process, Allen is excited about “when we get it done, people are going to come in and realize that this is somewhere different.” The Factory is ready for its next redemption story, and Allen is excited to make that happen for the community of Franklin.
