Franklin Foundation Hospital begins new chapter

FRANKLIN — A historic Franklin landmark is beginning a new chapter as construction gets underway on The Avenue Apartments, a planned senior community serving residents of Franklin and St. Mary Parish.
A groundbreaking ceremony was held Thursday, Aug. 20 at the former Franklin Foundation Hospital building, marking a significant step forward in the long-discussed redevelopment project. The development is being undertaken by New Orleans Restoration Properties.
The project represents years of planning and collaboration among local officials, community organizations, health care partners and state leaders.
According to the city administration, the effort began with a phone call from Beverly Domangeaux, executive director of the St. Mary Parish Council on Aging, to the mayor’s office. From there, city officials began working with New Orleans Restoration Properties and a group of community partners to move the project forward.
Those involved included the Community Action Agency, Teche Health, Willie Rack, a board member of the Louisiana Housing Corporation, Bayou Bend Health Systems, St. Mary Parish Economic Development, State Rep. Vinney St. Blanc, former State Sen. Bret Allain, State Sen. Robert Allain and the Franklin City Council.
Community input was also an important part of the process, with meetings held at the Teche Theatre to hear residents’ thoughts and gauge support for the development.
The former hospital property holds a special place in the history of Franklin and surrounding communities. For years, Franklin Foundation Hospital served local families before the property eventually became vacant.
The Avenue Apartments will give the historic building a new purpose as a senior living community.
“Projects like this don’t happen overnight,” Mayor Eugene Foulcard said. “They take time, persistence, and a whole lot of collaboration before you ever see construction begin.”
The redevelopment also reflects Franklin’s broader revitalization efforts. Since 2018, the city administration has focused on revitalizing the community’s central business district while also addressing vacant, underutilized and blighted properties throughout the city.
City officials said more than 67 blighted structures have been demolished or rehabilitated since 2018, while approximately 30 additional properties are currently being addressed.
The former hospital is viewed as another example of that revitalization strategy: taking a property that had been vacant and deteriorating and transforming it into a productive community asset.
City officials credited the renewed activity in Franklin’s downtown and business community with helping attract the attention of outside investors.
“We are seeing it given a new purpose that will once again allow it to serve our people,” Foulcard said of the hospital property.
Construction has now begun, but prospective residents will have to wait for further information about applications. Officials said the application process for The Avenue Apartments has not yet opened and the details will be announced when they become available.
The project is being welcomed as an important investment in Franklin and as part of the community’s continuing effort to preserve its past while creating new opportunities for its residents.
“This is exactly the type of investment we have worked to encourage in Franklin,” the administration said, thanking New Orleans Restoration Properties and the many community partners who helped bring the project to the construction stage.
For Franklin, the former hospital’s transformation is more than a construction project. It is another sign of a historic property being brought back into service — this time with a mission focused on providing a safe, vibrant community for local seniors.