harpeth-square-leasee
By businesswillco

PHOTO: From left: Marie Parks, Danny Anderson, Bob Parks, Steve Bacon, Rod Heller and Russ Haynes take part in an official signing of lease agreements for Harpeth Square on Thursday, May 31, 2018. / Brooke Wanser

By BROOKE WANSER

On Thursday morning, Bob Parks, owner and founder of Parks Realty, signed an agreement for a ten-year lease in developer Rod Heller’s new Harpeth Square facility.

Parks, his wife, Marie, and Danny Anderson, the managing broker in Parks’ downtown Franklin office, met Heller, COO Steve Bacon and CFO Russ Haynes outside their office at the Landmark Community Bank building to sign the papers.

Parks founded the largest residential real estate company in the Middle Tennessee region in 1975, moving into their downtown Franklin, first on the town square, in 1996. They are now located at 415 Main Street.

Heller, the CEO of the $105 million Harpeth Square project, met Parks over five years ago during a function at his home in Franklin.

Parks and Heller bonded over a shared interest in Civil War history: Parks’ uncle Joseph Parks penned the first biography of Southern historic figure Felix Grundy, while Heller penned the third.

“It was a wonderful tie, and Bob and I have been friends ever since,” Heller said, noting he also bought the bank building from Parks’, whose office was in that space for a decade.

Parks said he would move his Franklin office from the 3,000 square foot space they currently occupy to the 4,200 square foot space in the fall of 2019.

“We just think this end of Franklin is really going to blow up,” he said. “We were interested from the first day.”

In addition to the increase in space, Parks said other draws were traffic from the hotel and apartments and the ability to take advantage of the hotel’s atrium space for entertaining.

Philanthropy, a boutique across Main Street, will take over the Parks office and the space vacated by the Shoppes on Main earlier this year.

Heller said he approached Parks about leasing office space in his mixed-use project, which includes a parking garage, boutique Hilton-brand Curio hotel, restaurant, high-end apartments and other office and retail space.

The parking garage, hotel and apartments will be completed and ready for move in by next summer.

After the signing, the group migrated south to Parks Realty’s office for a celebratory champagne toast.