Commissioner asks if Playhouse could build in new park's surface lot
In an attempt to find a new home for the beloved Winter Park theater, Todd Weaver proposes park could be the answer without eating away greenspace
Intense debate erupted earlier this month when the operators of Winter Park Playhouse announced they were losing their lease and asked the City Commission if the small theater could find a home in the new Seven Oaks Park at the corner of Orange Avenue and Denning Drive.
Some argued the playhouse needs to remain in Winter Park, which is a challenge because of high commercial rents and land prices, and suggested there would be room to build a theater in the area already set aside for a building at the under-construction park. But critics of that plan countered that the theater would subtract from the park’s long-desired greenspace and worsen parking and traffic problems for nearby businesses and residents.
On Wednesday, Commissioner Todd Weaver proposed a meet-in-the-middle solution, though a number of questions remain. He presented PowerPoint slides that showed how the playhouse could construct a 12,000-square-foot theater by elevating it above the 36,000-square-foot parking lot already planned for the park. There is also enough space for solar awnings to help power the theater and park, he said.
Under that concept, Weaver said, none of the planned greenspace or any of the 91 parking spaces on the site formerly known as Progress Point would disappear to accommodate the theater. (Commissioners officially named the new park Seven Oaks on Wednesday after an online public vote.)
“Time is of the essence,” Weaver said, noting that the playhouse has 18 months to find a new space and he’s heard from a number of residents who want to keep the theater in the city.
He also said an earlier suggestion to reuse the old Winter Park Library for the theater likely would not work because the ceiling heights are too low.
Under Weaver’s proposal, the city would negotiate a land lease with Winter Park Playhouse, but the nonprofit operators would be responsible for raising the money to build the new theater as well as maintain and operate the building.
Heather Alexander, founder of the playhouse, along with Mayor Phil Anderson and Commissioner Sheila DeCiccio expressed support for the concept.
“We never got into this request to start a fight,” Alexander said. “This would solve certainly our problems and allow us to go forward with a capital campaign.”
The concept will likely be evaluated in more detail at a meeting next month.
“This wouldn’t impact any of the greenspace,” Weaver said. “The parking lot can be shaded, which I love.”
While that plan would not decrease the number of parking spots already planned for the site, it would prevent a future parking garage from being built there. Parking is a sore spot among businesses along Orange Avenue, which have been looking forward to relief for their patrons from a surface lot at the new park.
Construction on Seven Oaks Park is set to break ground next month.
The Playhouse is a Winter Park institution. The talent and productions are first-rate. Patrons frequent local restaurants before and after the shows. Every effort should be made to assist the playhouse in securing a new Winter Park location.
Heather and Roy will be able to find another cost effective location to rent. There is no rush for the city to consider this.
There will never be a justification for the city subsidizing one particular non-profit with a building at the expense of others, and the residents.
Heather and Roy will not be running their theater forever but the city will have to subsidize a building forever if this goes forward. The relevant question here is whether the city needs to build and subsidize another bricks and mortar venue.
The answer is NO.
Tell the commission to move on.
“There will never be a justification for the city subsidizing one particular non-profit with a building at the expense of others, and the residents.”
These words coming from the man who approved “The Monstrosity On Morse” for another non-profit, Winter Park Library, while he sat on the City Commission only a few years ago.
This shows that even the most ardent of anti-resident politicians can be rehabilitated and turned into good neighbors for all residents after following a regimen of mental conditioning that includes regular reading of The Voice.
And even if Pete’s opposition to the theater building at Progress Point is only because his former arch political nemesis Todd Weaver is in favor of it, it still shows that Pete is at least open to the idea of taking the residents’ side on occasion such as this.
Welcome to the neighborhood, Pete!
The issue was decided before he was elected to city commission. They approved the Martin Luther King Jr. Park location and the library referendum language in the Fall of 2015. As a candidate, he did not speak for or against the library referendum. Who knows if he voted for or against in the referendum. But he respected the outcome.
Weldon did vote to allow the new library to move forward. Refer to the minutes from Sept 24, 2018. This was the meeting where conditional use approval to build the new library was given. Without a yes vote from the commission on the conditional use, the library could not have been built.
His votes and vocal support were based (according to his commentary at winterparkperspective.com) on the transparent process and the results of the voter referendum for bonds. He clearly states: “As your commissioner I voted against the selected architect (the only member of the architect selection committee and city commission to do so). But, unlike some, I accept and respect the process and am in full support of the project, even to the point of spending substantial CRA dollars to make certain the end result meets Winter Park standards. If it takes even $5,000,000 more dollars from CRA funds to make this project the best it can be, let’s do it! Making this project the best it can be is in the long term interest of every resident.”
Voting against the project after his election, and at any later time during the process, he seems to me to be saying would be a dereliction of his duty. Who knows? I didn’t ask him. I just read his posts. The bonds paid for the buildings. The CRA paid for some extras and the TDT paid for the rest.
There were many opportunities for Commissioners to stop the library and events center boondoggle even after the referendum and City Commission votes prior to Weldon’s tenure on the Commission. Weldon clearly supported the library and events center project moving forward as evidenced by every vote that came before the Commission, his public comments, and he even attended the Orange County meeting that sealed the deal with a $6 million in government “pork” spending for the tourism the venue is expected to bring to Orange County. Interesting, now that it has been built, and everyone hates it, that those supporters of it prior to construction can’t seem to recall ever advocating for it. Hmmm. Interesting.
Hello! “As an impartial citizen observing the process leading up to the referendum over several years, I know the process was fully public, and that the referendum (approved by unanimous vote of the city commission) was based on sound judgment in the best interest of the city. That is, there was nothing deceptive about either the process or the referendum. The list of facts detailed in the judge’s order independently confirms this reality.”
And he didn’t want to flush $10,000,000 down the drain. Compare new library/events center results with the OAO debacle. Success was based on truth.
Here is Weldon on video at a public meeting sitting in the front row telling Adjaye how impressed he is with the new library and events center design.
See Weldon’s remarks beginning at the 37 minute point on the video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SfTD5wFyLrY
So how anybody can say Weldon didn’t have anything to with the library and events center being constructed has a very short memory.
Weldon supported it 100% – at least publicly.
The cost analysis and the massive fundraising estimate needs to be considered. I don’t think putting a huge fundraising challenge on a small 501 (c)(3) organization with only a few dollars in the bank is prudent. Building a theatre on an 8′ raised roof is unusual and likely very expensive. I hope WP Playhouse can stay in WP but I think WP taxpayers have been very generous to them over the years ($40,000+ per year for many years). Let commissioners and mayor know your thoughts. This could set a very bad, discriminatory precedent, IMO.
Perhaps the first serious step is a solid fiscal note examination of true taxpayer costs. Who pays for the water, sewer, infrastructure (which would not normally be needed), building pad/elevated infrastructure? Will all maintenance costs, ie utilities, be born solely by the tenant? Speaking of maintenance, the city commission has approved $30,000 in window tinting for the new library: Is that a taxpayer expense? Blue Bamboo is also looking for a new home. Should they be allowed consideration as another city nonprofit. If the city invests in this project, what are the “opportunity costs” lost for other projects down the pike? Finally, is an elevated theater project even within the budgetary reach of area nonprofits—in a 2-3 year fundraising sprint? I say keep looking for existing space. Parks just want to be parks.
Logical and reasonable. This “concept” is a time waster. Likely DOA.
My husband and I have known Heather and Roy since they began offering dance and music lessons in the late 90s at their current location. The playhouse opened in 2002 in the back of the performing arts school where we took tap dancing lessons. We have watched them convert their studio into the theatre we enjoy today and have supported their efforts all along. We encourage the City to do all they can to help Winter Park Playhouse remain in Winter Park.
Has anyone approached the Mayflower’s board of directors? The entertainment that WPP produces is clearly designed to please people of a certain age. Last time i visited the Playhouse (3/23/23) I was the youngest person in the audience and I’m 70. The Mayflower property on Aloma is huge with plenty of parking and a small theater on site would make perfect sense. Also the facility is expanding so what better time to ask.
Where did the Playhouse article go?
It disappeared from winterparkvoice dot com front page.
Look in the right-hand column under “Recent Articles” — it’s there.