A Closer Look from Franklin College President Kerry N. Prather - May 15, 2026

Greetings Franklin College alumni and friends! Last month, Franklin College received approval from the City of Franklin to rezone the 250 acres east of the campus as a planned unit development, enabling us to move forward with Innovation Park at Franklin College. This transformational project will expand the campus, create new opportunities for our students and fuel economic growth in the city, county and region. The approval allows us to accelerate the next phase of implementation, including project planning, industry partner engagement and infrastructure construction. The future home of Innovation Park is a portion of real estate purchased by the College in 2006, now widely recognized as one of the most valuable and pivotal parcels of undeveloped property in the city and county. Phase One of the development of this real estate will include approximately 40 acres dedicated to Innovation Park itself as well as a section of single-family residences along the northern property line. The development will ultimately also include multifamily residential, commercial and retail space as the project unfolds. Innovation Park will offer our students unique opportunities for on-site experiential learning with high-tech industry partners through class projects, internships, fellowships and co-op programs, providing practical applications of their knowledge without ever leaving campus. Employers will benefit from the talent pipeline of Franklin College graduates in many different academic majors. We believe Innovation Park can be the match that lights the tech fire on Indy’s southside, attracting high-tech, highsalary employment opportunities in this growing and vibrant college town. We are eager to embark on this journey alongside our partners in the city administration. We will update you on project developments moving forward, including an anticipated groundbreaking ceremony sometime this fall. In the meantime, thank you for your support of all the exciting initiatives underway at Franklin College.