Franklin Housing Authority proposes 91‑unit Natchez Place redevelopment; neighbors raise traffic and parking concerns

The Franklin Housing Authority on Thursday presented an early concept to replace the aging Natchez Place development with a 91‑unit, affordable housing project and said the plan will be submitted to the city for review on Monday, May 11.

"This meeting is really about one specific place, this block, this site," said Matt Huff, a landscape architect and planner on the Natchez Place project, opening the presentation and outlining the team working with FHA. Huff said the concept prioritizes circulation, landscaping and a height transition that keeps two‑and‑a‑half‑story buildings along Natchez Street while stepping to three stories on the side facing the former HG Hill parcel.

Why it matters: Natchez Place is an older public‑housing community the authority says is reaching the end of its practical lifespan. The project team described the plan as part of the FHA's long‑range master plan to increase and modernize affordable housing on land the authority already owns. Neighbors, however, said the proposed density and on‑street parking shown in renderings could strain narrow neighborhood streets and the area's historic character.

Derwin Jackson, president…