Mayor: Let’s Move Redevelopment Forward

Despite downtown developer Vlass Temple Terrace’s statement last week that it wants to walk away from the city’s redevelopment project, Temple Terrace Mayor Frank Chillura said Monday that the city’s ultimate objective is to forge ahead.

“Our goal is to move the project forward and work with the developer if they want to continue to work together,” he said.

Last week, City Attorney Mark Connolly told the Temple Terrace City Council that the city had received a letter from Vlass’ attorney, David Smith, that cited a desire to terminate its part in the project, according to the Tampa Bay Times.

“Clearly it is time for Vlass and the city to arrive at a fair and reasonable parting of the ways that addresses the developer’s damages and leaves the redevelopment in the hands of the city staff or a new developer to complete,” the Times quoted the letter as saying.

But Chillura said the city wants to talk with the Vlass group before any final decisions are made. Once incoming City Manager Gerald Seeber begins working for the city, the city will contact the Vlass group to see if they would like to meet. Seeber may begin work by the end of April.

“I’m optimistic we can work things out,” he said.

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In 2009, Vlass signed on to the project, agreeing to build a $160 million complex on a 21-acre property that would include a residential area, retail, a cultural component and office space.

The conflict between the two sides began in February 2012 when the Vlass group proposed to build a 214-unit apartment complex at the northeast corner of the redevelopment site. The proposal required an estimated 25 waivers to the master development agreement (MDA), a contract that outlines what the developer can and can’t do.

A month later, the council denied the proposal but said it would work with Vlass to come to a compromise.

Over the next few months, both sides met to discuss their contentions, some of which included ceiling heights on the first floor and the amount of parking spaces at the site.

The major sticking point centered on putting retail on the first floor of the apartment buildings. Vlass said banks wouldn’t finance such multi-use structures and suggested temporarily putting retail on parts of the first floor. The city said retail on the first floor was necessary for a walk-able downtown. 

“We do not want to be walking down Main Street and looking in people’s living rooms,” Chillura, who was elected in November, summarized Monday.

In October, the council denied Vlass’ revised proposal as it still did not fit into the city’s vision.

Chillura said the city has made several compromises regarding the plan.

“The city certainly has done their part, and the city certainly has lots of skin in the game,” he said.

In December, Chillura had what he called a “productive” meeting with the Vlass group and made suggestions for what the city would like to see. He said he talked about putting permanent—not temporary—retail on the first floor of two of the three buildings that will make up the residences. The building in the middle could be used for the apartment complex’s business office, clubhouse and gym, and the other two could have glass storefronts with retail inside, he said he suggested.

“At the end of the day, it takes both sides to work together,” he said Monday.

“There has to be a fair balance,” he added.

He also addressed an accusation from the Vlass group that the city is trying to drive the company away from the project.

“We’re exclusively working with this developer,” he said. “…At least we’re going to give it every effort possible to try to make it successful.”

And if Vlass decides to call it quits, the city has the MDA to fall back on. It has been abiding by that contract since it was put in place in 2009.

“The developer’s the one that has come to us and said we want to change this, we want to change that,” Chillura said.

Ultimately, the project has to coincide with the citizens’ vision.

“We want to make sure that the end product is something the citizens will be proud of and something they will want,” he said.

See what Temple Terrace residents are saying about the Vlass group’s desire to bow out of the project here: Downtown Developer Calls it Quits: What’s Next?

Read more news about the downtown redevelopment project here.