Friday, July 17, 2009 by Upasana Pandya
The Tennessean
Faux house restores Third Ave.'s original look

Bernie Butler of D9 Development spotted the location in March 2005: an 8,000-square-foot concrete block commercial building on one of downtown Franklin's most prominent streets.

"I wanted to redevelop the site of this ugly building that was sitting between two of the oldest homes in Franklin," Butler said.

Butler, developer of The Brownstones on Second Avenue South, bought the building, demolished it and set to work on a plan for an 18,000-square-foot building that would fit in perfectly with the appeal of Downtown Franklin.

As many grand homes in downtown Franklin have been converted into businesses, the plan envisioned a commercial building that looked like a grand, old home.

And now it is there: only half a block from the public square, at 131 Third Ave. N., blending in with the rest of the buildings on the street. It offers historic finishes, custom office layouts, private balconies, a fireplace in almost every suite and the first and only underground parking complex in Franklin.

"This property features an underground parking facility for 27 cars, which is an unprecedented amenity in downtown Franklin," said Rick Helton part owner of the property and managing director of ProVenture Commercial Real Estate.

Butler, Helton and the construction professionals began showing off the building last week.

Mike Tanner started construction on the project a year ago.

"It was a meticulous job because of the setting of the historic street," Tanner said.

In addition, the city embarked on street-scape improvements and repaving on Third Avenue during the project.

But there were things that were easier than expected.

"We were told we would hit rock at 3 feet, but surprisingly we did not hit rock at all," said Jim Clark, project manager.

All they got was soil and dirt, which made the construction process easy, and rain was the only trouble while building the underground parking garage.

The commercial units offered at this location are between 800 square feet and 18,000 square feet. The building could be configured for a single tenant or several.

The unit controls an additional parking lot of 53 spaces behind the Shuff's Music building across the street. One parking spot is given with every 1,000 square feet of office space.

The building at 131 Third Ave. N. is ideal for tenants planning to be close to Main Street. A large brick-paved terrace at the rear of the building is an additional incentive and has an outdoor patio feel with a centrally positioned waterfall.