For over two decades, the city of Temple Terrace has stood at the edge of something—something that’s felt so close, so possible, and yet, for reasons too tangled to explain in one breath, just out of reach. But now, on the heels of renewed discussion and vivid new visions, Temple Terrace leaders are once again peering into the shadows of what could be… and daring to drag a dream into the daylight.
A Patch of Dirt and a City’s Dream
At the heart of this story is a 1.75-acre piece of barren land on 56th Street, directly south of the Temple Terrace Fountain Shoppes. For years, it has sat like a forgotten relic, its $2 million price tag gathering dust, its potential whispering only to those who still believe.
On Tuesday, at the city’s next Community Redevelopment Agency meeting, that whisper might become a roar.
Council member Alison Fernandez has thrown a spark into the mix—a vision inspired by the electric hum of Sparkman Wharf, the soul of Fort Myers, and the glowing edges of Hollywood’s urban evolution. “If you look at the examples, you see how active they are, and just teeming with people,” she said. Her proposal? A multiuse outdoor space—a vibrant stage for music, food, culture, and community.
And just like that, what was once just grass and silence could become the heartbeat of a new Temple Terrace.
The Ghost of Missed Opportunities
Of course, not everyone sees a phoenix rising from the dirt.
Council member Gil Schisler warned of moving too fast, too soon. “I think it’s a little too early to give up on it,” he said, echoing the doubts of a city long burdened by half-starts and unfulfilled potential.
But the biggest chill came from City Manager Carlos Baia, who reminded the council of the golden rule from his redevelopment past: “Government should never build anything that’s not a government building.” He painted a cautionary tale—where cities step too far into unfamiliar territory and leave only disappointment behind.
Instead, Baia proposed something else. Something shrewd. Something alive.
Reframing the Future: Flexibility is Key
What if the city didn’t build it… but simply invited the right people to?
With Florida ROI Commercial Brokerage in their corner, Temple Terrace is now considering repackaging the property, relaxing restrictions, and finally giving developers something they can actually work with. Think flexibility, not rigidity. Think potential, not limits.
“(Developers) don’t want to pay $2 million for a 2-acre site because they don’t need the 2 acres,” Baia noted. “Maybe… they can tie in and actually build the public venue space as part of that development.”
It’s a shift. A dangerous one, perhaps. But it’s a way forward.
Pieces of a Puzzle: Partnerships and Parcels
And then, there’s the layout—13 platted parcels along 56th Street, each one brimming with possibilities. According to Greg Pauley, the city’s business relations manager, the land’s structure could allow for a mixed-use dream—a boutique restaurant here, an open-air event space there. It doesn’t have to be all or nothing.
The inspiration? Real examples where public-private partnerships didn’t just work… they thrived. As Leisure Services Director Karl Langefeld pointed out, many of the active spaces Fernandez cited were born from cooperation, not isolation.
Temple Terrace doesn’t need to build it all. It just needs to invite the right partners to start.
What They Don’t Want: Protecting the Vision
Of course, with new life comes new risk. The council is adamant: this won’t become another strip of smoke shops and fast-food chains.
“We need to find something that’s a little bit more original,” said Baia. Something that pulls visitors from South Tampa, not just services the local crowd. “People from South Tampa aren’t going to come to Temple Terrace to go to Chipotle,” he said bluntly. “But if there’s something cool and unique, they will make that trip.”
Temple Terrace is done playing it safe. It wants soul. Uniqueness. Purpose.
Parking Puzzles and Phantom Lots
But in this vision, there’s a haunting question lurking in the background—parking.
If the site becomes a local version of Sparkman Wharf, where will all the visitors go?
There’s a possible answer in another forgotten place: 8447 N. 56th St., the empty ghost of the old Steak & Ale, later an Indian restaurant, now just dirt and memories. That 1.74-acre patch, just north of Riverhills Drive, could become the parking solution Temple Terrace desperately needs.
Still, others imagine something different—maybe a restaurant, maybe a shaded park. But whatever rises from that land must feed into the soul of the downtown’s new identity.
One Last Push: A City on the Brink
Mayor Andy Ross has been in this game a long time. For more than twenty years, he’s watched ideas come and go, proposals rise and fall. But this latest workshop—this spark from Fernandez, this vision of a destination, this city no longer content to wait—might just be the breakthrough they’ve been waiting for.
They’ve built the pedestrian plans. They’re finalizing Riverside Park designs. And now, they’re daring to dream bigger.
At Tuesday’s meeting, the council won’t just be discussing land. They’ll be deciding whether to breathe life into the core of Temple Terrace once and for all.
Could this finally be the spark Temple Terrace has waited a generation to ignite? Stay tuned as a forgotten patch of dirt threatens to become the city’s most important heartbeat yet.
Are you on social media? Check out our profile for more local news! Follow @TampaLatest for up-to-the-minute updates in Tampa, Florida.