Shopping ‘Magnet’ Proposal in Temple City

The City Council on Tuesday directed its staff to investigate steps to draw up plans for a large-scale business development on a 3 1/4-acre site considered key to downtown revitalization plans.

Economic Development Director Luke A. Sims informed the council that the city would have to dedicate some financial resources to develop the property, at Las Tunas Drive and Temple City Boulevard, into a “magnet” for shoppers. The center could include sit-down restaurants, a multiplex cinema or a large retailer. The council is expected to decide in a couple of months how great a commitment it will make.

Several residents expressed concern about the possible loss of public parking lots on the parcels, but city staff members assured them that the city would require any developer to maintain the same number of parking spaces.