Quick answer: The Margin District is a $165 million project going up on the 700 and 800 blocks of Columbia Avenue, one block south of Five Points in downtown Franklin. NAI Nashville Stanton Group is developing it for owner Arlington Family Offices; Beacon Group of Tennessee at Fridrich & Clark Realty is the exclusive broker selling the 25 condo residences, not the developer. The building keeps and rebuilds the old Handy Hardware storefront and adds street-level retail, second-floor offices, and the condos on top, over underground parking. As of October 20, 2026, 13 of those 25 condos are active listings in Realtracs, priced from $2,490,000 to $4,375,000. The developer's early materials describe pricing "starting at just over $2 million," but every current list price sits above that. Groundbreaking was announced June 11, 2025. The developer's site says construction "starting in 2027"; the Williamson Herald reported in June 2026 that residents move in before the end of 2027, with a grand opening expected in the first quarter of 2028.
If you've driven down Columbia Avenue past Five Points lately, you've seen the construction fencing. Here's what's actually being built at 805 Columbia Ave, who's behind it, what the 25 condos cost today, and what it means if you live or own property nearby.
What's being built
The Margin District sits on 2.02 acres along the 700 and 800 blocks of Columbia Avenue, centered on Margin Street between Columbia Ave and Cummins Street, just outside Franklin's Historic Preservation Overlay. The city's site plan covers six buildings: 25 residential condo units and 117,060 square feet of nonresidential space. The developer describes the finished project at roughly 180,000 square feet total, with more than 50,000 square feet of street-level retail, about 50,000 square feet of second-floor office space (suites starting at 2,500 square feet), the 25 homes on the third floor, and parking below grade. A Williamson Herald report from May 2025 described the building as three stories above grade and three below; a June 2026 Herald story put the lower-level parking at 475 spaces, open to the public.
The project keeps and rebuilds the old Handy Hardware building rather than tearing it down. Per the Herald's June 2026 update, the back and side walls had to come down once the original stabilizers were removed, the front wall was propped up during construction, more than 60 pallets of the original brick were stored off site, and the rear is being rebuilt while the front returns to its original look. No new third floor was added to that structure.
Zoning is Central Commercial with the Columbia Avenue Overlay 1, which allows buildings up to 3.5 stories, with the upper half-story stepped back 10 feet from the street. The city approved the site plan in March 2025 (city records give two separate dates for that approval, March 7 and March 27, that haven't been reconciled). Demolition of the vacant buildings on the site began in March 2025, and the developer announced it had broken ground on June 11, 2025. The Herald reported a 30-month construction schedule as of May 2025.
One more change worth knowing if you're nearby: the city closed South Margin Street permanently between Columbia and Cummins to make room for the project, with Ninth Avenue planned to extend through the area after construction wraps.
Who's behind it
NAI Nashville Stanton Group, led by CEO Devin McClendon, is the developer, working in partnership with Arlington Family Offices, which owns the land. Arlington bought the old Handy Hardware property in 2020 and assembled six more Columbia Avenue parcels since. City records list the property owner as "AIG Franklin, LLC." Beacon Group of Tennessee at Fridrich & Clark Realty, led by Leah Crutchfield, is the exclusive sales broker for the 25 condo residences. Beacon and Fridrich & Clark are marketing the homes; they are not the developer.
The design and build team includes Studio 8 Design as lead architect, Nequette Architecture & Design on the residential side, H+B Land Design on landscaping, Enfinity Engineering and EMC Structural Engineers, Dale & Associates, TerraCon, American Constructors as general contractor, and Davis Properties handling residential construction. The project's total cost is reported at $165 million.
The 25 condos: size and current pricing
The developer describes the condos running from about 2,000 to just over 3,000 square feet, each with a private terrace, two secured spaces in a gated section of the garage, roughly 100 square feet of storage, and elevator access to the residential level. A developer statement from May 2025 described a wider range, 1,800 to 4,000 square feet, and an October 2025 WKRN report put it at 2,000 to 3,500 square feet.
Here's what Realtracs shows today. On October 20, 2026, 13 of the 25 residences at 805 Columbia Ave were active listings, with three or four bedrooms each.
| Measure | Active listings, October 20, 2026 |
|---|---|
| Listings | 13 |
| List price range | $2,490,000 to $4,375,000 |
| Median list price | $3,450,000 |
| Size range | 2,210 to 3,491 sq ft |
| Price per square foot | about $1,127 to $1,258 (median about $1,209) |
| Bedrooms | 3 to 4 |
Based on information from Realtracs® for the period October 20, 2026 through October 20, 2026.
The developer's earlier materials, going back to the November 2024 announcement, described pricing as "starting at just over $2 million." Every unit currently listed in Realtracs is priced above that figure. McClendon has also described the condos as among the more expensive in Franklin. Earlier reporting put the project at 10 of 25 units presold as of May 2025, and the developer's own June 2025 release said 13 of 25 presold with 12 available. Both are dated figures from early in construction, and a current sold count hasn't been published. The 13 listings above are what Realtracs shows as active today.
Timeline
| Date | What happened | Source |
|---|---|---|
| December 2023 to May 2024 | Envision Franklin amended, then the zoning ordinance amended, to allow the project's footprint | Williamson Scene |
| June 25, 2024 | Third and final reading moves a Cummins Street parcel into the Columbia Avenue Overlay 1 | BOMA agenda |
| November 12, 2024 | Project unveiled: $165 million, 25 condos, retail and office space, pricing described as starting just over $2 million | Williamson Chamber press release |
| February 11, 2025 | South Margin Street and an adjoining alley declared surplus; road impact fee offset agreement approved | BOMA minutes |
| March 2025 | Site plan approved (city Development Report lists March 7; the Planning Commission packet is dated March 27) | City of Franklin |
| March 20, 2025 | Demolition of vacant buildings on the site begins | Williamson Herald |
| May 2, 2025 | Herald update: 10 of 25 presold, 30-month construction schedule, three stories above grade and three below | Williamson Herald |
| June 11, 2025 | Developer announces groundbreaking; release states 13 of 25 presold, 12 available | Developer groundbreaking release |
| October 2, 2025 | South Margin Street closure covered; condo sizes reported at 2,000 to 3,500 square feet | WKRN |
| June 2, 2026 | Handy Hardware preservation detailed; residents expected before end of 2027, grand opening Q1 2028; 475-space public parking deck | Williamson Herald |
| October 14, 2026 | Retail construction described as underway, completion expected 2027 | Tennessean (via AOL) |
| Ongoing (checked October 20, 2026) | Developer's own site still states construction "starting in 2027" | margindistrict.com |
The 2027 completion and the "residents before end of 2027, grand opening Q1 2028" timeline both come from real sources and haven't been reconciled publicly. I'll update this page as the developer or the city narrows it down.
What it means if you own property nearby
If you're in Five Points or anywhere along Columbia Avenue near downtown, this project changes your block in a few concrete ways. South Margin Street is permanently closed between Columbia and Cummins, with Ninth Avenue planned to extend through once construction is done. The 475-space parking deck described in the Herald's June 2026 report is built to be open to the public, which could ease some of downtown Franklin's parking crunch once it opens. And more than 50,000 square feet of street-level retail is coming to that block, though no tenants have been named as of this writing.
If you've been wondering what your place near downtown is worth with new retail, office space, and $3 million-plus condos going in a block away, that's a real question with a real answer. My free Franklin home value estimate uses actual closed sales, not a guess.
Header photo: Main Street in downtown Franklin, by Kimo Quance. It shows downtown, not the Margin District site.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is developing the Margin District?
NAI Nashville Stanton Group, led by CEO Devin McClendon, is the developer, in partnership with Arlington Family Offices, which owns the land. City records list the property owner as "AIG Franklin, LLC."
Is Beacon Group the developer of the Margin District?
No. Beacon Group of Tennessee at Fridrich & Clark Realty, led by Leah Crutchfield, is the exclusive sales broker for the project's 25 condo residences. They market and sell the homes; NAI Nashville Stanton Group is the developer.
Where is the Margin District?
805 Columbia Avenue, Franklin, TN 37064, on the 700 and 800 blocks of Columbia Avenue, one block south of Five Points.
How many condos are at the Margin District, and what do they cost?
25 condo residences. As of October 20, 2026, 13 are active listings in Realtracs, priced from $2,490,000 to $4,375,000, with a median list price of $3,450,000. Sizes run from 2,210 to 3,491 square feet. The developer's early materials described pricing starting just over $2 million, but every unit currently listed is priced above that.
What else is being built besides the condos?
More than 50,000 square feet of street-level retail and about 50,000 square feet of second-floor office space, plus underground parking with 475 spaces reported as open to the public. The project also preserves and rebuilds the historic Handy Hardware building on the site.
When will the Margin District be finished?
The developer's own site says construction is "starting in 2027." The Williamson Herald reported in June 2026 that residents are expected to move in before the end of 2027, with a grand opening in the first quarter of 2028. Groundbreaking was announced June 11, 2025, with a 30-month construction schedule reported in May 2025.
Are any retailers or office tenants confirmed yet?
Not as of this writing. The developer said in June 2026 that NAI plans to soon announce a community gathering space user and additional local and national tenants.
Looking at downtown Franklin, or wondering what your place nearby is worth?
Whether you're drawn to a low-maintenance condo a block from Five Points or you own property near downtown and want to know what projects like this mean for your value, I can walk you through what's actually on the record. For a wider look at homes and condos on the market right now, start with my Franklin condo and townhome search, or see how I work with buyers across Franklin on my buyer page. Franklin has another major project underway worth knowing about too: Asbury, formerly Harlin, 311 acres in south Franklin. Reach out by DM, text, or call me at 615-392-1186.
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