New Church, ‘Green’ Homes Form Unique Development Project

It seems the development rage these days has been mixed-use residential and retail. Outdoor malls are popping up all over the country with shops, condominiums and even small houses intertwined, all within walking distance. But what if retail were replaced with religion? One Franklin, Tenn., church and developing company want to find out if mixed-use can work for them.

According to the Nashville Business Journal, Parish Presbyterian Church has partnered with Parkside Homes for a $20-million project, called “Parish Park,” that would build a church in the center of 52 LEED-certified homes. Prayer gardens and small parks would occupy the space in between the buildings.

The project is the vision of Pastor George Grant and the church’s members, who currently worship in a rented chapel in the center of Franklin that was built in 1849. They have outgrown it, and many members have gone so far as to say they would like to live right next to the church.

Church member and developer Joey Smith reviewed more than 100 sites before buying acres that are only two miles from the town’s downtown for $1.4 million in April. Then, he solicited the help of Randy Chastain, the president of Parkside Homes. Chastain hopes that buyers will pay extra upfront for an energy-efficient, sustainable home that will save them money over time. According to the report, Chastain is the first developer in Middle Tennessee to build a community of affordably priced homes with the goal of LEED certification.

“This will be the first time a church will be built inside a neighborhood in Franklin since before World War II, we're told,” Grant told the Business Journal. “What we're trying to do is resurrect what was a really, really good idea.”

The homes will range from the mid $200,000s to the mid $300,000s. Though some members intend to buy homes next to the church, the houses will be open to all buyers.

Before proceeding, the church and planners are awaiting a final approval vote from the city council. Franklin, with a population slightly more than 40,000, is located about 20 miles south of Nashville.