As a resident of Franklin since 1976, and a member of the Board of Directors of the Franklin Opera House for over 20 years, I thank the current City Council, Mayor Brown and, mostly, the citizens of Franklin, for being willing to tackle what former administrations have neglected. The revitalization of our beautiful City Hall/Franklin Opera House is the perfect way to enhance the efforts already underway to bring more life and energy to our community. 

While much needs to be done, the Opera House has taken many steps to improve the theater.  We replaced the stage curtains with new, permanent, fire-retardant curtains; improved the structure of the stage extension, duplicating the original decorative woodwork, and made it semi-permanent, plus we added a set of handrails on the balcony stairs.  Having secured grant funding, our next big improvement is the installation of an emergency smoke ventilation system above the stage and to remodel and improve the dressing room areas.  Plans are being made to allow us to continue to give our patrons entertainment to look forward to during the renovation period.

This building truly is an anchor for our downtown. I have every confidence that the City of Franklin, the Franklin Opera House, and the wider community will come together to bridge whatever gaps occur during the construction phase.