FRANKLIN, OH ALONG THE GREAT MIAMI RIVER JONATHAN WESTENDORF CITY MANAGER WWW.FRANKLINOHIO.ORG
ALONG THE GRE MIAMI RIVER FRANKLIN, OH AT A GLANCE CITY OF FRANKLIN WHAT: A historic Ohio city of 10,600 residents undergoing major downtown revitalization with $14 million in infrastructure investments, 600 acres of vacant industrial land, and unique riverfront development opportunities WHERE: W arren County, Ohio WEBSITE: www.franklinohio.org WITH 600 ACRES OF PRIME INDUSTRIAL LAND AND THE ONLY ACCESSIBLE RIVERFRONT IN THE REGION, THIS WARREN COUNTY CITY TRANSFORMS CENTURIES-OLD INFRASTRUCTURE INTO AN ECONOMIC GOLDMINE 1 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 06, ISSUE 07
EAT In 1913, the Great Miami River devastated Ohio’s river towns with historic flooding. The disaster sparked construction of a massive levee system that saved communities but forever separated them from their waterways. More than a century later, Franklin discovered it holds the only exception to this rule along the entire 99-mile river corridor. This geographic advantage, combined with the city’s strategic location between Cincinnati and Dayton along Interstate 75, positions Franklin for a transformation that city leaders have envisioned for decades. The city’s east 2 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 06, ISSUE 07
bank sits naturally above flood elevation, creating development opportunities no other river community can match.The city also benefits from its position in Ohio’s third fastest growing county, which has seen a 14% population increase and now boasts a median household income of $107,843. “We are sandwiched between two international airports,” says Jonathan Westendorf, Franklin’s city manager who previously served as fire chief for 20 years. “We’re nestled very nicely along the Great Miami River, and we have two exits off of Interstate 75 and our downtown is about a mile from both.”The city maintains 600 acres of vacant industrial land, positioning it for significant economic growth while Warren County’s tourism sector generates more than $1 billion in annual economic impact. Westendorf’s unique path from emergency services to city administration has shaped Franklin’s approach to development.“I have been in homes in every aspect, every part of our entire community because of an emergency,” he explains. This intimate knowledge, combined with a firefighter’s problem-solving mindset, drives the city’s ambitious plans.“If there’s a fire, we put it out. If somebody’s trapped in a car, we get them out,”Westendorf says.“I’m not interested in easy work. I like challenging work.” His collaborative approach benefits from remarkable council stability, with members serving terms ranging from eight to 25 years. FRANKLIN’S STRATEGIC LOCATION AND COMMUNITY CHARACTER Warren County’s explosive growth hasn’t happened by accident. As the third fastest growing county in Ohio, it leverages a significant geographic advantage. “We’re right off of I-75, Interstate 70 is just to the north of us, and that basically puts us near the center for all of the eastern half of the United States,” Westendorf explains. Franklin sits within Warren County, which hosts over 6,500 businesses employing more than 105,000 people.“We happen to be located at that midway point between Cincinnati and Dayton.As those two communities join together, that’s happening right here, right now.” Founded in 1796, Franklin maintains its historic small-town atmosphere despite rapid regional 3 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 06, ISSUE 07 FRANKLIN, OH
development.The community’s character runs deep, built on traditions that predate Ohio’s statehood. “We were founded in 1796, and the community is supportive. They take care of one another, they look out for one another,” Westendorf notes. “But we are a stone’s throw away from all of the conveniences surrounding us.” The Great Miami River defines Franklin’s landscape and future potential. As part of Ohio’s only National Water Trail and the nation’s largest paved trail network, the river connects Franklin to a 99-mile corridor of communities. Warren County’s tourism infrastructure, branded as “Ohio’s Largest Playground,” attracts over 12 million visitors annually. Franklin’s 10,600 residents enjoy this unique position: small enough to know your neighbors yet connected to major metropolitan amenities and job markets that continue expanding across the region. BREATHING LIFE INTO HISTORIC BUILDINGS Across Ohio, small cities face a common challenge: downtown districts hollowed out by decades of suburban sprawl and highway development. Franklin’s story mirrors this pattern. “When I-75 was constructed in the late sixties, that started to pull traffic away from our downtown,” Westendorf explains. “There’s a long history of the decline as transportation shifted.” The city has invested $13.4 million in its Main Street streetscape project, but Westendorf emphasizes that successful revitalization starts underground.“Infrastructure is the thing that is most often forgotten, and it is the thing that will devastate projects like these.” Franklin partnered with Duke Energy to completely rebuild the downtown electrical grid, upgrading from a 4K to a 14K system. Water mains dating back 80 to 100 years have been replaced, and new 500,000-gallon ground storage tanks now serve both downtown and future industrial development. “Making sure the infrastructure is there and reliable is really important because that helps us set the stage to be an easy place for people to come and do business with,” Westendorf says. “Time is money for them and we are trying to move at the speed of business.” The approach mirrors lessons learned from decades 4 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 06, ISSUE 07
of planning. “The city has done very well over the years implementing downtown comprehensive planning, and they’ve updated that every 10 to 15 years,”Westendorf notes.“The problem is those plans did nothing but sit on shelves and collect dust.” Now, with infrastructure in place, Franklin’s historic buildings from the 1840s finally see renovation and reuse. THE RIVERFRONT ADVANTAGE: RECREATION, TRAILS, AND NEW DESTINATIONS Most Ohio river towns face an insurmountable barrier: the massive levee system built after the devastating 1913 flood. These protective walls separate downtowns from their rivers, creating dead zones where development cannot occur. Franklin discovered it holds a unique exception to this rule, opening possibilities no other community along the Great Miami River can pursue. “The great Miami River flooded and they created the Miami Conservancy District based on the peak of that flood plus 20% minimally,”Westendorf explains.“We are the only community that can pull the river into our downtown.” Franklin’s east bank sits naturally higher than the levee requirements, allowing direct 5 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 06, ISSUE 07 FRANKLIN, OH
river access. “You can’t put steps on the levee. You can’t put a flagpole on the levee because it’s protecting the entire community. Because of this natural elevation, the east side of this bank is higher than that elevation, it was never designated.” The $14 million streetscape project transforms this advantage into reality. Plans include laying back the current steep riverbank to create two canoe and kayak access points, with one being ADA accessible. “We plan on having canoe and kayak lockers. If you’re canoeing down the river, you can pull off, secure it, have a place to clean up and go in and have dinner downtown,”Westendorf says.The vision includes outdoor entertainment, with concert venues viewable from the water. Franklin’s position on the Great Miami River Trail, named Ohio’s Best Bike Trail in 2019, connects it to 99 miles of paved paths. The Slipcast Brewery, a $5 million project at Sixth and Riley, will anchor the northern edge of downtown. “Light means life,” Westendorf emphasizes, describing color-changing lighting installations that will create Instagramworthy backdrops while extending downtown activity into evening hours. 6 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 06, ISSUE 07
a mechanism for communities to take a targeted geographical area and make investments,”Westendorf explains. NCAs levy voluntary property tax charges of five to 10 mills per parcel, with revenues funding infrastructure and services. “We wrote ours, and I think we’re the only one in Ohio to do this. We wrote the entire jurisdictional boundary of the city of Franklin into the NCA.” This approach means every new development contributes to Franklin’s transformation. The timing coincides with significant residential expansion. Shaker Meadows adds 119 single-family homes to HOUSING GROWTH AND THE NEW COMMUNITY AUTHORITY Ohio communities face a delicate balance: attracting development while funding the infrastructure to support it. Franklin approaches this challenge through an innovative use of the New Community Authority (NCA), a financing tool that most Ohio municipalities haven’t discovered. While NCAs traditionally transform farmland into subdivisions, Franklin reimagined the concept for comprehensive city development. “The New Community Authority in Ohio is basically 7 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 06, ISSUE 07 FRANKLIN, OH
housing and neighboring Springboro’s luxury market. The NCA ensures these developments generate ongoing revenue. “All new development in the city becomes a participant. Whether it’s the Sheets gas station, the new residential homes, the 600 acres of vacant industrial land, all of that growth can help support this downtown revitalization effort.” BUILDING FOR GENERATIONS Economic development often focuses on ribbon cuttings and grand openings, but sustainable growth requires thinking beyond immediate returns. Franklin embraces what Westendorf calls “cathedral thinking,” a long-term vision that shapes every infrastructure decision, from electric vehicle charging stations to comprehensive planning documents. “My police chief introduced me to this theory called cathedral thinking, where craftsmen way back in Europe would start a project knowing they will never see the finished product,” Westendorf explains. “I have a very similar mindset. We are complete a development stalled 15 years ago. Dr. Horton’s Shaker Farms brings 284 units on 100 acres of newly annexed land, including 40 townhomes. Additional projects could add 1,000 more residential units. “As a community of 10,600 people, we’ve got some challenges, especially since we’re at the lower end of the socioeconomic scale,” Westendorf acknowledges. “We actually are lacking the other side. We don’t have the higher scale residential within our community.” New homes target the $350,000 to $500,000 range, filling a gap between Franklin’s existing affordable 8 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 06, ISSUE 07
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PREFERRED VENDOR/PARTNER n People’s Bank www.peoplesbancorp.com Peoples Bank combines the sophistication of a large institution with the heart of a community bank, pursuing its vision to be the Best Community Bank in America. With 7 branches in Warren County, we proudly live, work, and invest in the same communities Peoples Bank serves. building generational change right now.” The city’s infrastructure investments exemplify this philosophy. Electric vehicle charging stations, initially limited by outdated electrical systems, can now expand following the downtown grid upgrade. Franklin’s comprehensive plan, updated before the downtown master plan, ensures coordinated development across the city. “Those two together fit like a puzzle piece. It’s that one last missing piece that snaps it all together,” Westendorf says. The downtown master plan sets high standards for future development, recognizing that each project must enhance what comes next. “We want it to be a destination of choice, and we want to make sure that whatever development comes in is helping the next development grow even nicer.” The approach acknowledges uncomfortable realities. Success could disqualify Franklin from community development block grants and other aid programs the city has relied on for generations.“We’re basically disqualifying ourselves from some of those programs that we have come to live on,” Westendorf admits. “We have to be wise and smart about the moves that we’re making.” For Franklin, preserving historic buildings while building modern infrastructure, leveraging unique riverfront access, and creating sustainable funding mechanisms positions the city for another 228 years of growth.The firefighter-turned-city-manager who once saved lives now works to save his community’s future, one infrastructure project at a time. 10 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 06, ISSUE 07
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