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Health & Fitness

Temple Terrace Redevelopment Redevelops Questions

I didn't attend the special meeting Feb. 16, but I am a citizen who has redeveloped more than a few questions about the downtown redevelopment area.

I am not one of the 200 plus residents who attended the four and a half hour long Temple Terrace Council Meeting on February 16th, 2012  as I had an important class at my church that I could not miss.

However, I am one of those other 20,000 plus local citizens who is concerned about the future of this ever changing project. It seems that all this Downtown Redevelopment is doing is just redeveloping more questions.

First of all, I grew up in Houston, Texas, so I truly comprehend the meaning of redevelopment and I accept it is vital to the local economy and that change is inevitable and necessary. But how we embrace and empower and control that change is what really makes the difference in the end result. This is where we must and we should ask each and every question that comes to mind and continue to hold the developers accountable for each and every action they take. I am proud that Temple Terrace citizens, my neighbors, are asking questions, getting involved and holding both Mr. Vlass's company and our local government accountable.

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I realize when the economy fluctuates that businesses must adjust their business plan just as the developers are syncing theirs to the current fiscal situation. However, when a community votes for a major structural change in their neighborhood whose main objective is to promote local businesses and provide tax revenues and have been sold a bill of goods based on that vision, then it is somewhat along the lines of a very gray area when the very foundation of that agreement is altered in such a viable fashion.

For instance, I understood that the chain retail stores were being put in to draw shoppers to the local businesses that would exist in the new development area. Much like anchor stores at a mall work to draw consumers to their smaller retail stores. So, where did all of the small local businesses go? It seems to me that this part of the agreement should be resolved in a huge way before any decision about building or not building rental apartments or owner occupied condos should even be discussed.

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I took a gander at Uptown Altamonte Springs gorgeous website, Vlass's very successful urban redevelopment project, and the first thing that I thought was, "Hey, I wanna go there!" If this is what we are going for, then we need to figure out how to compromise this effort. But we are not Altamonte Springs, we are Temple Terrace. We must manifest our vision for our town, not the vision from a company or other town.

I also heard from several sources who attended the meeting that it was mentioned that Starbucks said they would lease the Burger King spot on the corner. Hey, I love my Vente Cafe' Mocha as much as the next coffee addicted consumer, but we do not need another Starbucks just down the street from the one on Fowler. (Interesting to note that one of the redevelopment partners has a history with Starbucks.)

Mr. Vlass, how about approaching Cafe Kili, a locally owned Temple Terrace Chamber member who gives back to the local community and provides a performing arts creative outlet, the business opportunity to move to the new development area? If they had such a highly visible spot, just imagine how their amazing business would grow!

This is the kind of vision I thought this development would bring to our community. Maybe Mr. Vlass needs to spend a few hours of his time visiting a show at Masque Community Theatre, singing a karaoke song at Gaspar's Patio Bar & Grille while holding a Bud in his hand, watching an Open Mic on Thursday nights at Cafe Kili, having a delicious piece of red velvet cake from Emma's Cakes while watching the local kids play baseball or soccer in one of our local parks, attending a religious service at one of our numerous local churches that feed us spiritually or buying numerous gifts for the women in his life at Lady Ashley Designs to get to know the very people for which he is redeveloping these very empty buildings.

These are the questions redeveloping in my mind about the Downtown Redevelopment. What kind of questions are redeveloping in your mind?

Email your local government with the questions and comments redeveloping in your mind before a decision is made. Remember, it's only the future of your and your children's Temple Terrace at stake.

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