Ceremony marks new town center

What began as a topic of casual conversation among neighbors nearly a decade ago has evolved into the largest municipal-improvement project in the city's history.

At 2 p.m. Friday, groundbreaking ceremonies will take place for a new town center on 29 acres at the southeast corner of 56th Street and Bullard Parkway. The project is considered a dream come true by residents who have worked to eliminate the blight of two aging shopping centers on the property in Temple Terrace's business core.

With gold shovels in hand, Mayor Joe Affronti, city council members and representatives from the Vlass Temple Terrace LLC team - a joint venture involving the Vlass Group of Atlanta, MJ Lant Developments Inc. and MTS Advisors Inc. - ceremoniously will scoop up some dirt.

It will mark the end of an era when buildings were erected with minimal foresight and the beginning of an age when complexes within Temple Terrace are built to conform to strict design standards.

From within a large tent intended to shield guests and residents from sun and possible showers, the Rev. Wally Meyer, pastor of Christ Our Redeemer Lutheran Church in Temple Terrace will offer an invocation, and Ken Hagan, chairman of the Hillsborough County Commission, will speak.

Mike Vlass, a principal with the Vlass Group, is said to be renting a wrecking ball for the occasion to demolish the former Regions Bank building while community members sip wine, beer, soda or water and nibble hors 'd oeuvres and sandwiches.

The festivities are the prelude to a $160-million, multi-phase project that will have shops, restaurants, housing, offices, and civic and cultural buildings. The first phase will entail exterior renovations to a Sweetbay Supermarket and a building that now houses Masque Community Theatre and the rehearsal site for Toast of Tampa, a 150-member women's a cappella chorus. Both groups are seeking other spaces within the community.

Developers hope to have the first segment of the project completed before the December holidays. At that point, according to the city's projections, Sweetbay will have undergone a $3-million interior makeover and a new U.S. Post Office will occupy most of the current theater building.

Temple Terrace resident Patrick Finelli remembers the redevelopment advocates' first get-together at Jeanne O'Neil's home on July 11, 2001. About 100 residents showed up to discuss how the city might improve the property. Their efforts centered on applying the principles of "new urbanism," a nationally-heralded concept meant to end suburban sprawl by designing centers in which people can live, work and play.

City officials bought into the idea. In February 2002 they approved formation of the Strategic Teamwork and Redevelopment (STAR) committee, comprised of a core group of residents who offered ideas for the plan.

"There was really a groundswell of citizens' interest back then," said Finelli, who served as the STAR committee chairman.

City officials hosted sessions at which they encouraged people to offer ideas for the project. Andres Duany, a leader in urban planning, came as a guest to explain the benefits of new urbanism, a concept he had helped found.

Setbacks, perseverance

Under the leadership of two mayors, three city council terms, two redevelopment directors and three developers - two of whom signed on and later backed out - the city persevered.

On June 30, 2009, the city council approved a redevelopment agreement with Vlass, who earlier this year enlisted Inland Diversified Real Estate Trust as the project's master developer.

I think we all feel a sense of pride that we'll finally see something concrete, and we're glad the city persevered," Finelli said.

Affronti said although the city had to scale several hurdles, it was worth the work and the wait.

"I think everything happens for a reason and that the good Lord guided us along the way," he said. "Here we are. We have a good developer and we're looking forward to a wonderful development."

City Manager Kim Leinbach commended Temple Terrace's elected officials for listening to what residents wanted, even though a sagging economy squelched some of those visions.

"It's taken the cooperation of many, many people, our residents who have worked so diligently and our elected officials who had the courage to make this happen," Leinbach said.

Temple Terrace resident and architect Grant Rimbey, who has been involved in the project since its conception, said the city finally is waking up to the value of its many distinctive assets.

"I think the downtown redevelopment effort is seizing a unique opportunity to better reflect the community vision our forefathers had for Temple Terrace when they created the 1920 master plan," Rimbey said.