Williamson AM
Heather Donahoe

FRANKLIN — The elaborate McEwen Drive interchange has been open since the fall, standing as a gateway to destinations not yet built.

But plans abound for a slew of retail, restaurant and commercial developments west of the interchange, where Mallory Lane and McEwen Drive intersect. Each of the four corners at this junction will eventually be home to projects that will likely transform the area that until recently was little more than pastoral landscape beyond Cool Springs.

"I think it's going to be a wonderful gateway to Franklin," said auto dealer R.C. Alexander, who plans to move his Toyota and Dodge/Chrysler showrooms to the northeast corner of the intersection, beside Kohl's department store.

Not only does this area stand to be an entry point to the city, it also signifies a likely boost to Franklin's tax base and a reinforcement of the area's position as a growing regional activity center, said Franklin planning director Jaime Groce.

Plans for this intersection are reminiscent of those in the early days of Cool Springs' birth.

"The retail, possible hotel and the car dealerships reflect the same development patterns that made the I-65 corridor an economic growth engine for Franklin, while McEwen Place will be a demonstration that new town centers can be created in our community," Groce said in a statement. "As our city and region tries to get its arms around the concept of more-sustainable forms of development, mixed-use projects like McEwen have promise because of the walkable urban streets they are built upon, much like downtown Franklin."

New places on board
When McEwen, Southern Land Co.'s mixed-use community, is finished, the development will include 950 town homes, condominiums and apartments and more than a million square feet of retail, restaurant and office space, along with a 140-room hotel.

McEwen's first committed retail tenant, Whole Foods Market, is tentatively expected to break ground at the southwest corner of the intersection this fall and open next fall. Behind the grocery, four as yet unnamed restaurants are planned at the intersection of McEwen and Aspen Grove Drive.

"The coolest part about these restaurants is that people can anticipate easy access from the interstate but also access from the office buildings in Town Center," Southern Land spokesman Jim Cheney said. "(The restaurants) we've talked with do not have a current presence here. We're looking forward to bringing something that's a departure from what's currently offered here in Cool Springs."

At the southeast corner of the Mallory/McEwen intersection, north of Centennial High School, Spring Creek Centre's earliest proposals include a 97,800-square-foot retail development, possibly including a Best Buy, and a 7,000-square-foot restaurant located along McEwen.

Meanwhile, Franklin aldermen have approved the first of three readings to create restrictions on the height of buildings on the 13.87 acres of land at that site. As part of discussions, Drury Development Corp. provided an artist's drawing of a hotel, though site plans have not been finalized.

Clyde Barnhill, who is a Franklin planning commissioner and alderman, said he is encouraged by the city's development pace amid economic downturn elsewhere.

He cited not only growth near McEwen but also development in the Goose Creek area.

"I don't see much change on the Planning Commission in the number of these requests," Barnhill said. "Things are still popping out left and right, and I consider that a sign of economic health in this area."

Kevin Walters contributed to this story. Contact Heather Donahoe at 771-5477 or hdonahoe@tennessean.com.