The city of Temple Terrace will consider a proposal this week to jump-start the redevelopment of its business district. Aside from being the sole surviving bid, the proposal is neither generous nor inspiring, and the City Council, which will vet the plan at a public meeting Monday, should tamp down any clamor to move ahead after an agonizing wait and consider the bigger picture: How would this project reshape the city’s look, economics and appeal?
The city has tried for years to develop the Downtown Temple Terrace project at the southeast corner of Bullard Parkway and 56th Street, an intersection that hosts the main business district in this Tampa suburb. It has been a frustrating process, as the city has tried to navigate the sluggish economic recovery and a civic debate over the ideal character for a quiet but growing bedroom community nestled under oaks along the Hillsborough River.
The proposal targets a small out-parcel at the project site. Eriksson Technologies would build a six-story office building on the 1.5-acre lot, with ground-floor retail and food outlets. The building would allow Eriksson to consolidate its offices in Temple Terrace. Florida Hospital submitted an alternative proposal to use 3 acres to build a stand-alone emergency care facility and a medical office building, but the hospital dropped out last week.