The Journal Sentinel is reporting that yesterday a fire killed Gerald Mahr, a Franklin farmer who lived on a jewel of land along Loomis Road near the "Loomis Triangle" of Loomis, Rawson and 76th Street. Mahr's death is news because of past interest in developing the land by both developers and the City of Franklin. In 2005, the Journal Sentinel broke the news about how the city was going to rezone Mahr's land for developer interests despite his intentions on staying put in his home.
Since that 2005 story, it doesn't sound like things were well with Mr. Mahr, with the Journal Sentinel offering a bleak glimpse into his situation up until death:
In recent years, the home had broken windows and no heat; animals, including his beloved stray cats, moved in and out freely. Mahr, who suffered from numerous health problems could barely care for himself but refused to leave, and often heated the home with space heaters.
Due to the land being extremely valuable, the state fire marshal has been brought in to review the blaze and the Franklin Police Department is promising a very thorough investigation. Once the investigations are done, the land will likely be on the market, which will be in addition to the 51 acres of land for sale next door. Combining both properties, whatever development occurs could be directly linked to the Franklin Centre strip mall on Rawson Avenue, and would definitely highlight something Franklin residents have wanted for a very long time - a strong central business district.
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