Reporters had been told to expect a special surprise, but that was the only information anyone had been given.
At a in the downtown redevelopment area Dec. 1, an object shrouded in a black cloth was uncovered to reveal a statue of Temple Terrace Mayor Joe Affronti.
Before the statue was unveiled, Mike Vlass, of Vlass Temple Terrace, the developer of the project, announced that Main Street will actually be called “Arts Center Drive” to reflect the Arts and Education Center that is planned between the road and 56th Street. He also said the 1-acre park will be called “Civic Park.”
After city officials and dignitaries cut the ceremonial ribbon for the park and gazebo, Vlass and his partners, Mike Lant and Mark Sneed, pulled the cloth off the statue.
Affronti’s jaw dropped, and those around him gave him hugs and handshakes. Affronti teared up as Vlass read a plaque at the base of the statue.
“We Italians get a little emotional,” Affronti said later.
The statue was designed by Jordon Rose of The Randolph Rose Collection and pays homage to Affronti’s support of the redevelopment initiative, according to a press release. The statue was created from photographs provided to Rose. It weighs 300 pounds.
“This tribute recognizes Mayor Affronti for his abiding commitment and dedication to the City of Temple Terrace and its citizens and his solidifying vision and unwavering pursuit of the redevelopment of this site and the creation of a true downtown for Temple Terrace—its ‘Place,’” Vlass said in the release.
Affronti said he was shocked when he saw his likeness.
“It was just a big surprise, and I am deeply honored and humbled by it,” he said.
The park and gazebo are meant to be a place where Temple Terrace residents and visitors can gather, relax and have events.
The park was designed by Site Solutions, which is based in Atlanta, the release states. The gazebo is 540 square feet in size and has a tiled roof. The park also features a mosaic-tiled fountain, live oak trees, shade trellises and outdoor seating. The design reflects the city’s 1920s Mediterranean Revival architecture.
“The park and gazebo reflect the quality and attention to detail inherent in the city’s vision for downtown Temple Terrace,” Vlass said in the release.
Redevelopment is an age old tool for cities to rejuvenate (what is the alternative?, abandon and continually move further out to former pastures and fields?), just because y'all have never seen this doesn't make it infeasible. Please offer your alternative to the cities current redevelopment direction. I am highly suspicious of anyone who throws around words like "never" so easily.....:) "It wasn't the vision of the citizenry", Rollo, you simply do not understand the history of this project. Did we see you at the charrettes/workshops?
The redevelopment will be what we make of it. If the citizens continue to support it with their presence and their purchases, then it can only succeed.
Appreciate the input, Steven.
What you can do about teh situation now is try your best to use your contacts, creativity, and resourcefulness to make the redevelopment work. To sit here and slam the project is easy. Why not figure out ways to get businesses to move into the new buildings, or better yet, simply go down there now and buy things in the stores that have already moved into the new spaces. I do not buy the attitude that the "core" of TT residents will not shop or go to a new restaurant thee. What are you going to do, drive past the new downtown Radio Shack and drive 20 miles to another one in a supposedly "safer" area when you need a computer cable? We already have some great restaurants that are very popular all around that area. I can see some really fantastic business opps for relocating or starting a restaurant, bookstore, cafe, or shop in what will soon be a fantastic venue. People will drive from New Tampa and SOHO to come see our downtown. It will make our property values go up for sure.
Mr. Tomasi, if I am a candidate, I have been one for the last ten years. (I still await your alternate downtown redevelopment strategy for Temple Terrace via steps 1,2,3) :) Give me a call if you don't want to post it here.
I was not crazy about the deal, but because the city and the citizenry took so long to act we ended up having to negotiate entering a second economic depression and a real estate free fall after paying for assets at the top of a market bubble. I was actually surprised, even given the sweetheart deal, a developer could be found given our future outlook. I am also smart enough to know that we now need a success of the project, more than ever! Creating animosity amongst those involved in project and between fellow citizens will only hinder that success. That is the way they do things in Washington. I would hope at the local level we can come together and face our challenges rather than obscure them with after the fact petty bickering.
As Mr. Rimbey mentioned, if the naysayers had a viable alternate plan for Temple Terrace redevelopment we would have seen it long ago. Talk is indeed, cheap.
I am not a self appointed speaker of truth. I don't know Grant, never met him. Don't know Affronti, nor anybody else on city council and I'm not a member of the country club. I didn't support the Town Center program. However, we are now stuck with it. You can spout truth until your dead, it does no good. I look at it like this, you have 4 choices before you, because I had to make the same 4 choices. 1.You can continue to deride and lambaste the project, only reeking further harm on an already troubled idea to no ones benefit but your own ego. 2. You can become quiet on the whole subject and simply go away, but your ego will never allow that. A personal ego with the need to be right is a difficult to suppress, for adults as for children. 3. You can move out of the taxing district, thereby removing the direct risk of the project from your person and family. Perhaps Washington DC or Tallahassee where egos run wild and leaving ruin in their path. 4. Or you redirect the energy of your ego, dropping the need to be the voice of the lost side of the cause to fuel your need to be right, helping do whatever it takes to assure the project is a success, even a marginal success, to protect our city and the investment. If it fails, your ego will be happy, you were right, but to what end? I would hope you choice is the adult one. I will place my doubts about that on the back burner, in the same place I have had to place my doubts about the Town Center.
As some have figured out, sheep need herding. If you are loud and act like you know what you are doing most sheep will follow you. But in direct response to you, You also do not know me so you are in error as to trying to direct my activities. This IS my responsibility A dissenting view always allows for a clearer analysis of a subject. So you give up and fall into line like most of the sheep I choose not to. I am left with only clear comment on the issue and will continue to make such comments. When there are snake oil salesmen stating how they have the cure all in a little bottle and to step up and buy some!, I choose to question. you may go now citizen nothing for you to see here.
As you yourself say: " I only am pointing out obvious truths." The only reason an obvious truth would need to be pointed out by anyone is for self-aggrandizing support of the ego. If you see a tree on the corner, do you point to everyone and say tree? An obvious truth, by its very definition, is already apparent. What I did was nothing more than point out my own thought process concerning the town center and suggest, albeit in a somewhat implied fashion, that it may help you resolve some of your internal anguish. As far as directing your own personal activities, nothing could be further from my intent. Your activities can only be directed by yourself guided only by your own feelings of self worth and personal value, which is then reflected in your approach to dealing with others. There is nothing presumptuous in this statement. This is how we all self validate, myself included. I clearly stated that those 4 options where ones I myself had considered. Having made my choice I moved on. Alas, it is clear, as I had feared it would be, which option you have chosen.
One way or another, the debate over the redevelopment is water under the bridge. JW is right on when reminding us to figure out how to pull together toward success. It is important for all of us citizens of Temple Terrace to remember that other views make us stronger, BUT we also need to understand that not everyone benefits from in the same way or values the benefits of improvements to the city. There may be fears from businesses in the older parts of our community that the newer redeveloped area will pull customers away, etc. The best approach is NOT to look at it as a zero-sum game. One does not have to take away from the other. Customers and new residents WILL come in from outside the city AND current residents who must drive outside TT for many services/products/fun experiences will shop locally - both ultimately result in better economic times ahead.
There really is only one way to finish a conversation of this nature in a form that someone of your demeanor can understand and fully comprehend: "Sticks and stones my break my bones, but names can never hurt me.' And in response to your next forthcoming personal attack poorly disguised as pithy comment: " I know you are but what am I." Tag, your it.
Rollo Tomasi 12:29 pm on Friday, December 9, 2011 Theo. it is a nom de plume or a stage name... The comments are true and someone has to speak the truth other than the self appointed "bringer of truth" Rimbey