The site of the old Angel Hospital facility on Riverview Street in Franklin could eventually become the location for affordable housing, conveyed Town of Franklin Council Vice Mayor Stacy Guffey.
“This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to double the size of our downtown,” said Guffey. “Most towns never have that chance. This could be transformative for Franklin.”
He explained that the parcels could add 12 to 16 acres of new property within the Town of Franklin limits.
Currently, individuals driving by the property on Riverside Street will see construction equipment and piles of debris where the site of the original hospital in Macon County once loomed large. Angel Hospital at this site evolved over many decades through expansions and renovations to meet various and changing health needs. The new Angel Medical Center opened in September 2022.
Guffey noted the tremendous potential to turn the site into a new component of downtown Franklin. He believes adding more affordable housing would be beneficial for local businesses, which sometimes have trouble finding reliable employees since people cannot find housing in the area.
Helping out the town’s local businesses is a priority since “the money stays in town, unlike a lot of the chains,” Guffey said. He is hoping the Angel property can be turned into a mixed development featuring housing and possibly some new retail, acting as an addition to the core of downtown, primarily on Main and Palmer streets just a few blocks away.
“If you compare the size, it’s the same as the core of downtown,” said Guffey. “It’s a relatively large parcel.”
Last year, the Town of Franklin requested help from the UNC Chapel Hill Development Finance Initiative (DFI), which assists local governments with real estate and development goals.
A feasibility study will look into whether Franklin will benefit from purchasing some of the property from HCA (Hospital Corporation of America). Evaluated will be housing needs, relevant market data for things like sales trends, and federal assistance options for the project.
Guffey explained that the study’s first phase will likely take about five months, with a second phase following.
The Town of Franklin has been in talks with HCA, according to Guffey; HCA has expressed it is interested in selling some parts of the land. Guffey shared that additional communication with HCA, along with outside developers, is expected.
Nancy Lindell, spokesperson for HCA, stated, “Discussions around this property are continuing, but there are no concrete plans to share at this time.”
“[HCA has] told us all along that they would like to partner with us on redevelopment of the property, which could mean a number of things,” said Guffey. “It could mean we, as a town, purchase the property at a reduced price, do the redevelopment plan, then turn around and sell it to private developers.”
Guffey further clarified that the town’s conditional zoning “gives the town a lot of control over what can be built on the property.”
Housing woes
A housing study conducted by Bowen National Research and funded by Dogwood Health Trust last year looked at the housing challenges in the area, concluding that Macon County faced uniquely difficult housing troubles, stemming from high housing costs as well as steep competition due to many people trying to relocate in the Western North Carolina region. In addition, with the area’s focus on tourism, many jobs in the county are service-oriented or hospitality-focused. Workers then have trouble affording often higher priced housing.
And, while federally-subsidized options are available for individuals who cannot afford higher-priced homes, many middle-class workers make too much money to qualify.
“You’ve got two ends of the housing issue,” said Guffey. “The market rate housing, which a lot of working people can’t afford. Then on the other end, there’s the federally subsidized housing. And you know, families have to qualify for that type of housing. The problem is the housing in-between, for families who don’t qualify for subsidized housing.”
He added that the project involving the old Angel hospital property would be a way to “take a bite” out of the area’s tumultuous housing situation, with potential to address several concerns.
“The housing study tells us how many units we lack in Macon County for working families and seniors,” concluded Guffey. “The housing shortage isn’t just affecting working folks, there are a lot of our seniors who are struggling to find housing.”