TEMPLE TERRACE | Downtown Revitalization | Several low rises | APR

[TamHavPolis]

Originally Posted by Jasonhouse

^It's not about what most people expect in Temple Terrace, it's about creating new opportunities for the city's residents. This plan will do that, but it will also waste a lot of money on huge sidewalks and relatively sparse density while doing it.

Yeah. The free market junkie in me says that the City of Temple Terrace should not be in the business of creating an urban center anyway. At most I think they should zone for certain types of development and let private developers decide whether the alloted development is worth the cost - rather than the city subsidizing and co-creating the project. I understand the counterarguments, I just think that city-manipulated development turns out badly from an expense standpoint. Take Centro Ybor, for instance. Despite Greco's good intentions and the fact that it is an interesting public space, it's bleeding cash.

[FlaNatv]

http://www.floridatrend.com/article.asp?aID=47949


After seeing this article about Maitland it just confirms to me again that the Orlando area is on the move and Tampa well....not so much

Maitland, BTW, is a suburb located about 6-7 miles north of Dtown Orlando. This is far from the tourist area.

Question is, why is Orlando progressive and Tampa is not?

They're both in Mid Florida, have major Universities, same weather, etc.

I guess it has a lot to do with leadership and priorities and better marketing.

How does Tampa present itself as progressive, hip, cutting edge and energetic? ...And disassociate with terms like grungy, blighted, redlight district and stuck in the past?

[Jasonhouse]

^The better quesiton is, what does comparing Orlando to Tampa have to do with Temple Terrace?


oh, and to answer your question, the difference is obvious... Leadership. Orlando's is generally unified and generally effective at guiding the city forward. The Tampa area, not so much.

[FlaNatv]

Maitland and Temple Terrace are comparable. But the broader issue relates...I think. It's a different mindset over there among the leaders and the population.

[FlaNatv]

On metro jacksonville.com they have occational articles called what Jax can learn from (spotlighted city). I wonder if that could be done here or if it's pointless.

[Jasonhouse]

^It's pointless.

Instead, they should run articles explaining the benefits of better urban planning than what we have now. That would also be pointless, but at least people couldn't say they didn't know any better.

[FloridaFuture]

Temple Terrace gives go-ahead on infrastructure
Thursday, March 6, 2008 - 2:54 PM EST
Tampa Bay Business Journal

An underground utilities project is expected to kick off Temple Terrace's long-delayed downtown redevelopment project. However, it won't get started until the actual redevelopment begins.

Temple Terrace city officials approved the construction project to install the infrastructure in the downtown redevelopment area east of 56th Street and south of Bullard Parkway. The $1 million project will be paid for using federal, state, county and municipal funds as well as grants and loans

City officials say they intend to invest another $5.7 million into corridor improvements that would include decorative lighting and crosswalks, safety enhancements, sidewalks, landscaping and other work with funding from federal, state and local grants.

The downtown redevelopment project has been ongoing for nearly seven years at the 20-acre site where two older shopping plazas currently exist. Plans are to build a $45 million development that would incorporate retail, residential, office, restaurant and civic/cultural components.

The city is still working to finalize a sales-purchase agreement with Ram Development Co. and Pinnacle Realty Advisors.

http://tampabay.bizjournals.com/tamp...ml?jst=b_ln_hl

[Jasonhouse]

So, $6.7m nets just $45m in redevelopment... And people bitch about the trolley?

[FloridaFuture]

Temple Terrace set to finalize land sale Tuesday
Thursday, March 27, 2008 - 2:41 PM EDT
Tampa Bay Business Journal - by Michael Hinman Staff Writer

Although there are still some kinks to be worked out, the Temple Terrace City Council is expected to finalize a land sales agreement with Pinnacle Realty Advisors and Ram Development Co. April 1 that could finally get that city's downtown redevelopment under way.

Ram/Pinnacle is looking to buy 18 acres near the intersection of Bullard Parkway and North 56th Street for $14.9 million for a mixed-use project proposed to replace two aging strip malls. Executives with Ram/Pinnacle skipped a meeting last week that would've pushed to finalize the contract by its April 1 deadline, saying that some key points of the agreement still had to be worked out, including how escrow funds paid by Ram/Pinnacle would be used.

However, a workshop to address the sales agreement is on Tuesday's city council agenda, and it does appear that both sides should be ready to sign on the dotted line by then, said city spokesman Michael Dunn.

In the meantime, city has implemented a commercial façade grant program for the redevelopment area within the project's general vicinity. The city earmarked $50,000 it says could assist between 10 and 15 businesses each year in Temple Terrace for structural improvements, façade visual treatments like painting and siding, awning maintenance and other improvements.

Qualified businesses could receive up to $5,000 in reimbursements for improvements, as long as the improvements aren't meant to bring a property up to code. More information is available by calling (813) 989-7130.

http://tampabay.bizjournals.com/tamp...l?surround=lfn

[FloridaFuture]

Temple Terrace finalizes land sale agreement for downtown
Wednesday, April 16, 2008 - 2:31 PM EDT

After months of negotiation, the Temple Terrace City Council has approved a $14.9 million purchase-sale agreement designed to rebuild its downtown corridor.

The agreement was reached with the chosen master developer of the mixed-use project. The partnership of Ram Development Co. and Pinnacle Realty Advisors will buy 20.4 acres of land southeast of Bullard Parkway and North 56th Street.

The purchase agreement calls for $730,000 per acre. That's below the $15.3 million the city paid for the property over the last several years, which represented $750,00 per acre, said city spokesman Michael Dunn.

Plans call for a $45 million redevelopment on the site that will include retail, residential, office, restaurant and civic components like a 30,000-square-foot community arts and education center.

"It's a huge first step," Mayor Joe Affronti said in a release. "We're on our way to making downtown redevelopment a reality. This is something that's going to benefit all the residents of Temple Terrace."

The city plans to spend $5.7 million to landscape North 56th Street that would include decorative lighting, benches and other safety enhancements. Temple Terrace also has committed to spend $1 million toward the installation of underground utilities in the area.

The majority of road and utilities improvements will be funded from federal, state and local grants.

A final site plan from Ram/Pinnacle should be submitted next week. A construction timetable has yet to be finalized.

http://tampabay.bizjournals.com/tamp...l?surround=lfn

[Jasonhouse]

It's awesome to see something happen. I just don't understand why they went with such a low intensity, almost sparse development.

[FloridaFuture]

Temple Terrace project still no go
By Robbyn Mitchell, Times Staff Writer
In print: Friday, August 15, 2008

TEMPLE TERRACE — Once again, the seven-years-in-the-making downtown redevelopment has been delayed.

This time, the scheduled July 1 closing date for the $14.9-million sale of the land on 56th Street and Bullard Parkway has been pushed to no later than Sept. 30.

"If we go beyond Sept. 30, we're going to have to regroup and come up with another plan to get this deal done," said Mike Marshall, redevelopment director for Temple Terrace.

The buyer, Ram Development and Pinnacle Realty, told City Council members at the Aug. 9 meeting that a junior anchor tenant had pulled out because of market conditions. The purchase agreement says two junior anchors must be committed before closing.

Marshall said another speed bump for closing is Temple Terrace's completion of the median improvements, which have already been submitted to the Florida Department of Transportation for approval.

"We're already trying to set aside funding for that part of the project just in case the entire 56th Street project doesn't get completed," he said. "We're looking at possibly breaking ground on that next summer."

As for the closing, Marshall said he hopes the problems will be solved before the contract expiration date of Sept. 30. After that he would need council approval to amend it and continue negotiating.

The council, he added, "seemed tentative about it."

Robbyn Mitchell

[Last modified: Aug 14, 2008 04:30 AM]

http://www.tampabay.com/news/localgo...icle769496.ece

[FloridaFuture]

Developer gets more time to close Temple Terrace deal
By Robbyn Mitchell, Times Staff Writer
In print: Thursday, September 4, 2008

TEMPLE TERRACE — For the fourth time in 2008, the Temple Terrace City Council has granted a contract extension to the developer of their downtown redevelopment project.

Ram Development representative Bob Skinner asked the council for another nine months to close on the $14.9-million sale of city-owned land at 56th Street and Bullard Parkway.

The developer and city have been negotiating for two years.

"With the market how it is now, I can't make any guarantees that we'll close," Skinner said.

He offered to pay up to $25,000 a month, part of the interest on the land, as a sign of good faith.

In the end, all council members but Ken Halloway voted to give the developer the extension, with the provision that he would have to give 90 days' notice if he terminates the sale.

Skinner said he would have to take that up with the development company executives, and if they say no, the deal is off.

http://www.tampabay.com/news/localgo...icle795536.ece

[FloridaFuture]

Temple Terrace may sit on redevelopment land until market recovers
Friday, September 12, 2008 - 2:55 PM EDT | Modified: Friday, September 12, 2008 - 3:01 PM
Tampa Bay Business Journal - by Michael Hinman Staff Writer

Ram Development Corp. and the former Pinnacle Realty Advisors may feel they still could be a part of Temple Terrace’s downtown redevelopment team, but as far as the city council is concerned, it’s time to move along.

The council, meeting as the Community Redevelopment Agency, decided Friday to explore options beyond the Ram/Pinnacle team – options that could include sitting on some 38 acres of land south of the North 56th Street and Busch Boulevard intersection for the next three years waiting for the market to rebound.

“I don’t want the city to be a victim of opportunity,” said Councilman Frank Chillura, himself a developer who recently opened Terrace Piazza on 56th Street. “I want to see something happen [in the redevelopment], but you have to draw a line and say enough is enough. I don’t want to fire sell the property and hand all these benefits out.”

Ram Development sent a letter to city officials Tuesday evening asking to have its purchase agreement of part of the shopping center property be terminated, and to have an immediate refund of its $400,000 escrow deposit. However, Bob Skinner, senior vice president of development for Ram, told the Tampa Bay Business Journal Wednesday that just because they asked out of the contract doesn’t mean they want to go away.

“We did this termination to protect our deposit,” Skinner said. “It’s an amendment to an agreement. Nothing happens overnight.”

Going from here
No one from the Ram/Pinnacle team was present at Friday morning’s meeting, but council members said they lost faith in the development team when they seemed to balk over a $75,000 penalty if they were to cancel the project after the initial $14.9 million sale was finalized.

“I think that $75,000 on a $15 million deal is extremely reasonable,” said Chillura, who added if the city moved forward with the deal they would suffer a $6 million loss.

Councilman Ron Govin, who has been acting as a liaison between the development negotiations and the city council, said he felt Ram/Pinnacle should be given another chance, and that there was still a chance to keep the developers on the project.

“Each one of us reads the newspaper and understands that, economically, we are challenged right now,” Govin said. “I’m disappointed that the time frame is having to be altered and that we’re having to push back. But … we certainly are not the only project that is being pushed back. I think if we stepped out of this project completely at this point, we are going to have a very difficult time getting back into it.”

Mayor Joe Affronti, who can only vote if there’s a tie, cited that the price Ram/Pinnacle was paying for the first 20.4 acres, $14.9 million, may be lower than what the city paid, but it’s actually ahead of the assessed value of the land, which stands at $12 million, according to the city’s accounting office.

“We either start from scratch again and do whatever we can in the redevelopment area, or we try to sell it, and if we did that we would be going against everybody in our community,” Affronti said.

City Manager Kim Leinbach said he would work with the city’s staff to develop some options and bring them back to the table. Those options could include beginning a third search for a developer or waiting for the market to rebound.

Leinbach also said he would explore the possibility of asking the Hillsborough County Commission to either extend or even postpone revenue streams from a tax incremental finance plan set up in 2003 to help finance the overall project, that at the time was said to be as high as $300 million

http://tampabay.bizjournals.com/tamp...8/daily62.html

[FloridaFuture]

Temple Terrace redevelopment director resigns
By Times Staff Writer
In print: Friday, October 24, 2008

TEMPLE TERRACE — The city's redevelopment director, Michael Marshall, resigned Monday, effective immediately.
Hired in May, Marshall oversaw Temple Terrace's downtown redevelopment, a multimillion-dollar project.

He cited "differences in personalities and business philosophies as factors in his decision," according to a news release.

City Manager Kim Leinbach will serve as interim redevelopment director until the city decides what will become of the position.

[Last modified: Oct 22, 2008 12:29 PM]

http://www.tampabay.com/news/localgo...icle866290.ece

[Robert.Maddrey]

There is allot that needs to be fixed in Temple Terrace other than that redevelopment program. Other than along the river's edge its been on a downward slide for the past 30 years or more.

[JBrisco]

I still think Tampa should just take over Temple Terrace

[Jasonhouse]

So do I. It's devolved into an unrecognizable suburb anyways. This silly project wasn't going to be of sufficient scale or impact to change that reality either.

Hopefully, whoever is in charge of this project will either bring it back with about 5x the scale of redevelopment and 3x the density, or won't even bother wasting taxpayers' time and money.

[Robert.Maddrey]

Well said. There will need to be a large demographic change in the community before any real change is going to take place. The hood has been enveloping it for years Sulfur Springs style.

Originally Posted by Jasonhouse

So do I. It's devolved into an unrecognizable suburb anyways. This silly project wasn't going to be of sufficient scale or impact to change that reality either.

Hopefully, whoever is in charge of this project will either bring it back with about 5x the scale of redevelopment and 3x the density, or won't even bother wasting taxpayers' time and money.

[FloridaFuture]

Temple Terrace considers new redevelop deal for downtown shopping district
By Jared Leone, Times Staff Writer
In Print: Friday, June 26, 2009

TEMPLE TERRACE — The city's seven-years-in-the-making, multimillion-dollar plan to redevelop a downtown strip mall into a walkable, mixed-use shopping district may inch forward this month.

The Community Redevelopment Agency will vote Tuesday on the latest proposed agreement with Vlass Group. Members of the public will also get a chance to voice their opinion and ask questions.

Vlass is the third developer to sign on to tackle the project. Based in Atlanta, it follows developers Ram Pinnacle and Orlando-based Unicorp., both of which backed out of the project.

"We are hoping the meeting on the 30th will shed some light on what happens next," said Mike Dunn, the city spokesman.

The city has worked for more than seven years on plans to redevelop its shopping core on 16.9 acres near N 56th Street and Bullard Parkway.

Plans for the project call for a $150 million, 350,000-square-foot mixed-use development designed in a Mediterranean style.

If the agreement is approved Tuesday, it won't signal the start of construction, but will bring plans to build one step closer. The agreement gives Vlass two years to submit site plans for the project. Before that, though, the developer will have to line up tenants.

City manager Kim Leinbach took over as interim director of redevelopment in October after Mike Marshall, the city's director for redevelopment, resigned after six months on the job.

Leinbach said the shovels can be stowed — for now.

"It still is paperwork at this point but it will be the foundation of which the project will develop," said Leinbach. "But they (the developer) are as anxious as we are to get going," Leinbach said.

Jared Leone can be reached at (813) 269-5314 or jleone@sptimes.com.


If you go

What: Community Redevelopment Agency meeting to discuss a proposed development agreement

When: The Temple Terrace City Council will have its regular meeting at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday; the CRA will meet directly afterward.

Where: City Hall, 11250 N 56th St. Call (813) 506-6400.


[Last modified: Jun 25, 2009 04:30 AM]

http://www.tampabay.com/news/growth/article1012993.ece