The Tennessean / Williamson AM October 1st, 2014
Chris Gero, a filmmaker and producer, often travels to Los Angeles, London and New York. He has developed an affinity for an urban, cosmopolitan lifestyle and digs; he and his wife, Virginia, found all of that in their Jamison Station home, which they purchased in 2012.
They’ve just had a new baby; they have two additional children, one of whom is just a year old.
“We must move to a real house with a yard, but I’ve been so reluctant to leave this fantastic space we’ve created here in downtown Franklin,” he said. “It’s like living in Chicago or New York … so urban and convenient. We absolutely love it.”
They listed the almost 3,000-square-foot home a month ago. They’ve had several offers.
Lisa Culp Taylor with Bob Parks is the listing agent. The asking price is $700,000.
“We even had offers before we listed it,” Gero said. “We decided that if we must leave this home, we’re going to get what we want for it. There’s just nothing else like this, urban lifestyle-wise, in downtown Franklin.”
Taylor says this is one of the larger homes in Jamison Station and one of the most spectacular.
“It’s the best of the best,” she said. “The finishes are top of the line, the kitchen is all Viking appliances, the decor is sheer perfection. It has an interior elevator that reaches all three floors. Some of the homes at Jamison do not have elevators, but this building does. There’s gated underground parking with reserved spaces, additional locked storage space in the garage and incredibly versatile interior and exterior living spaces.”
The main living space is on the first level, bedrooms on the second and then utility space on the third level. Outdoors on that level is a fine big-city rooftop terrace, part of which is covered.
“Our rooftop terrace area is a spectacular space,” Gero said. “It’s wonderful for entertaining. The entire home is wonderfully designed for entertaining.”
Taylor says the covered portion of the rooftop terrace measures 16 feet by 28 feet; the noncovered space is 15 feet by 25 feet.
“It’s an incredible space with a wonderful view,” she said. “And that’s not the only outside living space. The main level has a wonderful deck overlooking a tree line; it’s spacious enough for a seating area and also a dining area. You have another room there outside.”
Before becoming a downtown Franklin urbanite, Gero lived about three miles outside the heart of Leiper’s Fork.
“It was an entirely different life, with tractors and satellite Internet and TV, of driving to do anything. I loved it at the time, but once I moved to downtown Franklin, I was in love. I could have cried the first time we had pizza delivery in our new home, not to mention turning the Internet on and it immediately working. I think I did cry,” he said with a laugh.
The two-bedroom home worked well for him, his wife and one child. The addition of two other young children is not working so well in the space, he said.
“We converted a space on the second floor, just outside the master bedroom, to a nursery, and that is working well. That space could be an office or library. The home is just versatile as to how it’s configured. Mostly, professionals live here — doctors, lawyers and people without young children. It is very bittersweet to leave here, but we will find something else more suited to family living; we intend to do that in downtown Franklin,” he said.
He says they’ve looked at probably 40 homes; nothing has clicked.
“The truth is, we just love this place,” he said.
Taylor says it is urban living in downtown Franklin at its best, with soaring ceilings and sophisticated interiors and outside living spaces.
“This is an incredible home,” she said.
The details
Address: 320 Liberty Pike, Unit 204
Asking price: $700,000
Square feet: 2,970
Notable: Home has versatile floor plan, fine finishes, fabulous kitchen, incredible outdoor living spaces and an elevator that serves all three floors. It is a quick walk or bike ride to the heart of downtown Franklin, across Liberty Pike from The Factory at Franklin.
