Franklin parks unveil Bicentennial site work, Liberty Park upgrades and master plans for Roper’s Knob and Creekside

Parks Director Lisa Clayton and Assistant Director Paige Cruz briefed the Budget & Finance Committee on March 20 on capital work, maintenance and program priorities for FY26.

Clayton said the city has continued an active park acquisition and activation strategy. Recent projects include Thompson Alley neighborhood park and improvements at Harlinsdale; Bicentennial park construction is underway with landscaping and a main barn scheduled to open this year. Clayton said the Heritage Ball will be held at Bicentennial this year and that completing public infrastructure there will also spur private investment in nearby parcels.

Clayton outlined conceptual planning for Roper’s Knob (including the recently acquired 14‑acre Hill Haven parcel that abuts the site) and for the 45‑acre Creekside property; she said staff will bring a consultant’s conceptual master plan for Creekside to the board in April for feedback. The intent is to study multi‑use trails, mountain biking connections and ways to integrate those parks with Liberty Park and Cool Springs.

Park capital requests in the FY26 packet include LED lighting for Jim Warren Park fields 5–8 and batting cages (a phase 2 following completed work on fields 1–4); playground resurfacing and added shelters at Liberty Park (the playground dates to around 2008); replacement skid steer and mowers; and a mini skid steer to support tree work and tight‑space operations for an expanding urban forestry crew.

Clayton said athletic field lights are near or beyond expected life (many fixtures date to the late 1990s) and that LED replacements improve reliability and allow remote control of lights for tournament play — an important point for fields that host multi‑state tournaments. She said five tournaments used the site recently and one event produced about 250 hotel room nights.

Clayton reported about $135,000 in pavilion and event revenue for the prior year and said high demand fills pavilion availability quickly in spring and summer. She suggested the city consider fees to offset costs when parks are closed for large events that reduce public access for extended periods (for example, multi‑week closures for large festivals) and said staff will present fee options when new facilities such as the main barn come online.

"As we activate a site, it also activates the private sector in that area," Clayton said, describing Bicentennial as a catalytic project that may encourage adjacent private development.

Clayton and Cruz said they will present the Creekside conceptual master plan with cost and activation scenarios at the April meeting and continue to refine operational and revenue estimates for new facilities.