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Temple City council selects park‑focused plan for former chamber site, directs staff to issue RFP
Summary
After reviewing four concepts for the former chamber site on Los/Las Tunis Drive, the City Council directed staff to pursue Concept 4 — a park‑focused design with an enlarged play area and central plaza — and to issue an RFP for design services.
Temple City’s council voted unanimously Feb. 18 to pursue a park‑focused reuse of the former Chamber of Commerce site on Los/Las Tunis Drive and to direct staff to issue a request for proposals for design services.
Staff summarized four concepts developed with consultants (RSG and RRM): (1) adaptively reusing the existing building as a community room and plaza; (2) a ghost‑kitchen concept to spur downtown activation; (3) a community hub with relocated building and food‑truck plaza; and (4) a park‑focused option emphasizing an enlarged play area, central plaza and creative, nature‑based play elements. Consultants and an ad hoc committee recommended Concept 4 as the preferred approach after evaluating financing gaps and neighborhood impacts.
Site and costs: staff said the site is approximately 22,000 sq. ft (similar in footprint to Primrose Park), currently contains about 39 parking spaces and an existing ~1,500 sq. ft. house. Staff cautioned that full costs vary by design and that Primrose Park construction earlier cost roughly $2.5–$2.9 million — a benchmark council members used to estimate likely outlays for a park‑level project.
Community concerns and clarifications: speakers raised circulation and safety concerns, particularly illegal left turns into the site from Los/Las Tunis, and asked whether the site could support a senior center; staff responded that the building is relatively small and retrofitting for a senior center would be cost‑prohibitive under current constraints. City Attorney and staff noted that a formal park dedication can limit future uses, so the council considered open‑space versus park designation tradeoffs and funding availability (county Prop A and other grants were mentioned).
Decision and next steps: the council’s motion directs staff to pursue Concept 4, prepare an RFP for design services (anticipated release within roughly 1½–2 months), conduct community engagement and return with developed concept designs and construction documents. Staff emphasized community outreach, Parks & Recreation Commission review and subsequent council review before construction bidding.
What’s next: staff will draft the RFP, initiate community outreach and return with design options for council and commission review; funding strategies (grants and county Prop A) will be explored before committing general fund resources.
