by Beth Kassab | Nov 26, 2024 | City Commission, Library, News, Uncategorized, Zoning and Development
City lets go of Post Office dream and will spend dollars elsewhere
The new spending plan for the Community Redevelopment Agency will focus on infrastructure that could help lure workforce housing near Interstate 4
Nov. 26, 2024
By Beth Kassab
After years of hoping the federal government would sell the land for the Winter Park Post Office on New York Avenue so that the city could expand Central Park, commissioners decided to use the money they saved for the purchase on other projects.
The nearly $7 million set aside in the Community Redevelopment Agency budget for the post office land will be used instead to help pay for a number of other needs such as intersection improvements at West Fairbanks Avenue and Denning Drive, new restrooms in the West Meadows and more.
Mayor Sheila DeCiccio noted in the meeting of the CRA board earlier this month that if the federal government ever does decide to sell the land, the city could finance the acquisition in other ways such as floating bonds.
She referenced how the Public Art Advisory Board is currently seeking permission to restore the historic mural on the side of the post office building — yet another project that will require the hard-to-comeby cooperation from the federal agency.
“The arts board is trying to clean up the mural and they will have to deal with them so good luck to them,” DeCiccio said.
With the reallocation of the post office funds and expected additional dollars as a result of the new expanded boundaries of the CRA down Fairbanks to Interstate 4, the board approved the outline of a new spending plan. The agency’s revenue is projected to be $9.1 million this year and grow to $10.4 million by 2029, according to city documents.
The spending plan includes:
- $10 million in 2028 and 2029 on U.S. 17-92 streetscape enhancements
- $5.1 million for MLK Park Improvements
- About $14 million on a variety of drainage, stormwater and other infrastructure improvements highlighted by recent studies to prevent flooding. The projects include MLK Park, West Fairbanks, Canton Avenue and Killarney Estates.
- $4.5 million for the intersection at Fairbanks and Denning, including the recently approved acquisition of land there.
- $1.2 million to add surface parking for the Library and Events Center.
- $1 million for a “Park Avenue Refresh.” The city is currently asking residents to fill out a survey that asks about satisfaction with landscaping, lighting, shade and other features.
- $1.2 million on construction of restrooms in the West Meadow of Central Park
City Manager Randy Knight said the improvements on West Fairbanks near I-4 in the newest area of the CRA have the potential to lead to big changes there.
“They lack the infrastructure for a serious redevelopment because of the flooding and septic there,” he said.
The work planned by the city along with potential new zoning will pave the way for more sweeping changes to the corridor and “we hope some workforce-type housing” in the area, Knight said.
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by Beth Kassab | Aug 9, 2024 | City Commission, Library, News, Uncategorized, Zoning and Development
Old library undergoing rezoning for Blue Bamboo
The performing arts center’s director said construction could begin as soon as November
Aug. 9, 2024
By Zoey Thomas
Blue Bamboo Center for the Arts is a step closer to opening in the old Winter Park Public Library building.
Planning and Zoning board members approved changing the property’s classification from residential to PQP, or “public, quasi-public,” at a meeting on Aug. 6. The City Commission already voiced their approval of the change and is scheduled to formally vote on the matter on Wednesday.
“Functionally, it’s kind of a box check,” said Alex Stringfellow, a Planning and Zoning board member, at the meeting.
In order for Blue Bamboo to function as a public property, the board also had to approve changing the definition of a PQP itself to include “performance art venues together with ancillary gallery, educational, rehearsal, recording studios and offices to support the like, within a city- owned building.”
All members voted in favor of the changes except Bill Segal, who said he voted against it for “technical” reasons — he didn’t appreciate the way the issue came before the board, he said.
The zoning change will come back to city commissioners for final approval and public comment before Blue Bamboo can submit its official drawings for the building and get things “up and running,” said Chris Cortez, the center’s director.
Cortez told the Voice he feels confident the final steps will go “according to plan.” Two commissioners would have to flip their votes to block the zoning change from passing, which he said he doesn’t anticipate.
“No one has expressed to me that we’ve lost any of their support for this project,” he said. “There is a long shot chance that everything could change, and we would all feel like we wasted a lot of time, but it doesn’t seem very likely.”
Rather than losing support, Cortez said the monthslong process of winning the building over Rollins College, hammering out the lease and navigating zoning changes has only drawn more support from the community.
That includes from sponsors who have reached out to Cortez about offering the center money in exchange for advertisements and promotion, he said.
If the zoning vote at the City Commission on Wednesday turns out in Blue Bamboo’s favor, Cortez predicts construction will begin in November at the earliest.
Commissioners were initially hesitant to take away the property’s residential zoning classification for fear of setting a precedent that could upset people living in the area.
One person, Jess Bailes, spoke against the change at the planning and zoning meeting. He said his neighborhood near the library building already faces traffic and parking issues stemming from the Alfond Inn, which will only be made worse once Blue Bamboo, which he called was “almost a bar,” opens.
As the executive vice president of ABC Fine Wine & Spirits, the Florida-based alcohol chain store that originally opened as a bar, Bailes said he understood the problems that could be caused by serving liquor.
“I had a hundred bars at one point, and we have zero now for a reason,” he said.
Cortez said he wants to be a “good neighbor” to residents living near the building. He hopes to look into options to reduce traffic flow, including offering discounts to visitors who use ride share platforms like Lyft or letting Alfond Inn use his parking lot for overflow parking during Blue Bamboo’s off hours, he said.
“I really want to be given an opportunity to be a man of my word,” he said. “I say I’m going to address parking concerns and traffic, I really intend to do that. So I’m going to have to get in there and prove myself to these people.”
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by Beth Kassab | Jun 19, 2024 | City Commission, Library, News, Zoning and Development
Performing arts center wins old library building lease over Rollins museum
Blue Bamboo Center for the Arts looks to fill Winter Park’s lack of live music venues
June 19, 2024
By Zoey Thomas
The Winter Park City Commission approved a proposal to turn the former public library building into a multi-cultural performing arts venue in a 4-1 vote last week. Blue Bamboo Center for the Arts won over a competing bid from Rollins College, which hoped to use the space for a new art museum.
Mayor Sheila DeCiccio cast the lone vote for Rollins – the latest twist in a more than two-year saga over the fate of the old library that has seen multiple proposals fizzle from several community groups.
Winter Park already has 18 visual arts museums, said Blue Bamboo managing director Chris Cortez in his presentation to the commissioners. But Blue Bamboo is just the second performing arts venue in the city, alongside the Winter Park Playhouse, he said.
“Our city’s presence in the performing arts is small and shrinking,” Cortez said. “Not only will citizens of Winter Park pay to see live entertainment, if they don’t have it in Winter Park, they will go to Orlando, and they will give money to the Orlando businesses.”
Cortez founded Blue Bamboo alongside his wife, Melody Cortez, in 2016. For seven years, the nonprofit hosted local and touring performers in a 100-seat converted warehouse on Kentucky Avenue. Blue Bamboo closed the Kentucky Avenue space in December due to rent increases and has been looking for a new building for the past six months.
Blue Bamboo first expressed an interest in the old library building to the City Commission in late May as Rollins came forward with details for the museum plan. Last week, Cortez expanded on his two-phase plan for the building.
In phase one, lasting until August 2027, Blue Bamboo plans to open the first floor for concert events, meetings, rehearsals and recording space. Blue Bamboo would then kick off phase two by opening the remaining two floors.
Plans for the second floor include seven teaching studios. Central Florida Vocal Arts and Winter Park Chamber Music Academy have both expressed interest in leasing space, Cortez said.
Blue Bamboo also plans to share the space with other organizations. The third floor would be mostly leasable office, rehearsal and meeting spaces. Both floors would include galleries to hang visual art.
“The tiny irony of this is not lost on me — according to our proposal, our opponents, Rollins, could apply to use the space for a nominal fee anytime they wanted,” Cortez said. “Any arts organization could. Any artist could.”
During its proposed 40-year lease, Blue Bamboo suggested paying $132,000 in annual rent during phase one and $276,000 during phase two — with a 2% increase every five years.
Before last week, Rollins College appeared as the frontrunner to secure the building lease. Rollins proposed a $275,000 annual rent with an increase every 10 years based on the average increase during the prior lease period.
Rollins has been looking to expand its art museum for several years. Previously, the college planned to build a new Rollins Museum of Art on the Lawrence Center Property down the street from the Alfond Inn. But the college hasn’t been able to raise enough money for the pricey Lawrence Center project, and moving into the old library would be a cheaper option.
“Rollins is looking at this after three and a half, four years of screwing around trying to build a building that this council approved,” said Allen Ginsburg, a former Rollins trustee who gave a presentation to the commissioners on the college’s behalf. “They don’t have the money for it. They can’t raise the money, they’ve raised about half the money.”
Moving into the old library building might be Rollins’ only option to get out of its current space, and it would be a shame to deny them that opportunity, he said.
Unlike Blue Bamboo, Rollins proposed undertaking all renovations in one phase. It would also build a one-story gallery annex between the Alfond Inn and library building, architect Rob Schaeffer told the Commission.
Rollins Vice President for Communications Sam Stark said the college would now continue to pursue its original plan to build a new museum.
“We felt obliged to honor the request of the city to submit a proposal for the old library,” he said in an email. “Though our proposal was a better financial offering, the City Commission chose to pursue another route. We hope it goes well for all parties. We are laser-focused on raising the funds to proceed with our approved project on the Lawrence Center property.”
After the most recent attempt by the city to solicit proposals for the old building failed, DeCiccio said she approached Rollins about the art museum concept.
She was the only vote in support of the plan last week, arguing it was more financially feasible, is less likely to cause parking headaches and would attract more daytime business for nearby retail shops.
A rendering shows how the old Winter Park Library could be converted into an art museum for Rollins College.
DeCiccio expressed doubts Blue Bamboo had enough funds to address renovations needed to the old library building.
The library needs to replace two of its four air-conditioning units, which would take $211,000 to address on the first and second floors alone, said DeCiccio, citing a city report. The elevator also needs a full replacement, she said.
“Blue Bamboo has no consistent funding source,” she said. “The city contributes $11,000 to them every year, which they still need … I’m concerned about the long-term maintenance of the building.”
Blue Bamboo’s expenses exceeded its income by over $170,000 in 2022, according to its tax filings.
The deficit occurred after Blue Bamboo received a $240,000 Shuttered Venue Operators Grant halfway through 2021 to help out after the pandemic, said Cortez. Blue Bamboo had to spend the money received by the end of 2022.
The venue spent all its grant money to pay performers by the end of the year, before the money could be revoked, he said. The funding saved the business, but it also had the unintended consequence of leaving “red ink” in the budget. Blue Bamboo posted over $166,000 in positive net income the year prior — 2021, when the grant was received.
DeCiccio also said Blue Bamboo would draw large, late-night crowds and parking issues that could deter the nearby residential area. Blue Bamboo, for its part, emphasized its shows will end by 10 p.m. and building usage will be scheduled around parking capacity.
Vice Mayor Todd Weaver gave a more optimistic picture of Blue Bamboo’s financial necessities. As an engineer with a general contractor license, Weaver assessed the library building over several visits, including some with the fire marshall, he said. He presented his findings to the commission in an inspection report.
“Normally what I would do is, I would take pictures of defects and show it to the client, but there are so few defects in this building that I didn’t really think it was necessary,” he said.
The building is generally in good shape, with no observable plumbing or electrical defects, and the elevator could be rehauled fairly cheaply, he said, estimating the cost at $175,000. Weaver expressed confidence Blue Bamboo had the overhead necessary to complete the renovations.
Cortez said Blue Bamboo has access to up to $800,000 for first-floor renovations alone.
Funding comes from a mixture of pledged donations from a private donor and several board members, said Cortez.
Performing Arts Matter, a Maitland-based performing arts non-profit, is listed as a co-tenant alongside Blue Bamboo. Its president, Jeff Flowers, is a board member of Blue Bamboo and pledged $100,000 for the project.
More than 20 people spoke at the meeting, most in favor of Blue Bamboo. Jack Graham, a Winter Park resident who performed frequently at Blue Bamboo with his group Jack Graham & Friends, fought tears while praising the venue.
“In my time at the Blue Bamboo, I saw, not customers or patrons at a venue, I saw a family and a home,” he said. “A little venue created at a street behind the Lombardi’s … think of the power and the contribution that could be made in the library location by a venue with that much to share.”
The lease is expected to go before the City Commission for approval next week.
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Zoey Thomas is a rising junior at the University of Florida and a graduate of Winter Park High School. She is studying media production and statistics and her work has been published in The Independent Florida Alligator. When in her hometown of Maitland, Zoey enjoys catching up with her pets and visiting her favorite sushi restaurant. Please welcome Zoey as the Voice’s summer reporting intern.
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by Beth Kassab | May 23, 2024 | City Commission, Library, News, Uncategorized, Zoning and Development
Rollins makes pitch to turn old library into art museum
The college wants to add 5,000 square feet to the building rather than pursue earlier plans for new construction
May 23, 2024
By Beth Kassab
Officials from Rollins College along with developer and philanthropist Alan Ginsburg made a pitch on Thursday to take over the old city library building and turn it into the college’s art museum complete with an auditorium, educational space and a 5,000-square-foot addition.
The conversation took place Thursday at a work session among city commissioners, who have tried for years to find a suitable use for the old brick building, including two failed requests for proposals.
Rollins President Grant Cornwell, who announced his retirement earlier this year, said the college was willing to shelve more expensive plans for new construction, the latest version of which were approved by the commission last year.
Cornwell said encouragement from Mayor Sheila DeCiccio and Ginsburg as well as a fundraising shortfall toward the $30 million for the new construction all weighed into the college’s decision to consider the old building.
“The first reason we’re here is because the mayor asked us,” he said. “… If this all came together and we could repurpose the building, that’s something we have to take seriously.”
He said donors have committed about $18 million to the project, which may cover the cost of renovating the old library and would allow a new museum to open much sooner than if the college pursued all new construction.
Ginsburg, a former Rollins trustee who has helped the college develop several projects, called himself a “pro bono developer” on the proposal and pushed for the change in plans after he was approached to help finish fundraising for the more expensive version of the project.
City commissioners appeared largely open to the idea and agreed to allow City Manager Randy Knight to begin negotiations with Rollins, which would prefer to buy the land from the city, along with several other groups that have recently expressed interest in the building.
The concept will appear for more formal discussion at the next City Commission meeting in June.
The Blue Bamboo Center for the Arts, a nonprofit music venue, recently lost its lease in Winter Park and also expressed interest in repurposing the old library into a music venue and teaching space. Jeff Flowers, a former Maitland city commissioner and chairman of the Blue Bamboo’s board, also gave a short presentation at the work session.
Commissioner Todd Weaver said the Orlando Opera as well as another group has also expressed interest in the building since the last request for proposal from the city yielded just one response.
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by Beth Kassab | May 4, 2024 | City Commission, Library, News
Will city expand parking at Library & Events Center?
Discussion expected at Wednesday’s meeting as city also considers lease to allow the Alfond Inn to use the old library as a valet lot
May 4, 2024
By Beth Kassab
Finding a parking spot at the Winter Park Library & Events Center is a growing challenge and commissioners this week will consider options to add new spaces while maintaining amenities at MLK Park, which serves as the backdrop to the buildings.
Staff is recommending a plan known as “Option B,” which would add 49 new parking spaces, but require the demolition of a 60-year-old rental space called Lake Hall Island near the corner of Harper Street and New England Avenue on the south side of the park.
It’s possible the facility could be preserved, but that would mean the park would lose its croquet court, which has a small, but loyal following, according to a report by city staff. Moving the croquet court elsewhere would be costly, according to the memorandum.
The cost of the staff recommendation to demolish Lake Hall Island and add additional parking spaces is estimated at about $618,000.
At least three other options exist ranging from just 14 new spaces at about $209,000 to building a new parking garage to add more than 200 new spaces at a cost of $8 million.
Meanwhile, the city is looking to formalize an arrangement that would allow the adjacent Alfond Inn to use the parking lot at the old and now vacant library building as valet spaces.
Commissioners will consider leasing the 69 spaces to Rollins College, which operates the Alfond, for $45 each per month. The total rent would be about $3,000 each month.
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by Beth Kassab | Feb 15, 2024 | Library, News
Starting Feb. 25, Winter Park Library will open on Sundays
The new hours are part of Executive Director Melissa Schneider’s goals to expand access and services
Feb. 15, 2024
By Beth Kassab
Later this month the Winter Park Library will be open on Sundays for the first time since before the pandemic.
The new hours from noon to 6 p.m. starting on Feb. 25 are the result of increased investment in the library by the City of Winter Park through its Community Redevelopment Agency.
City Commissioners last year approved an additional $350,000 contribution to the library, which allowed Executive Director Melissa Schneider to fill an additional seven full-time equivalent positions.
The extra staff will make the Sunday hours possible along with expanded access to the library’s archives, technology and maker spaces, which were previously only available by appointment.
Schneider said there will be an emphasis on helping small businesses and entrepreneurs within the city’s CRA, which exists to help the area near downtown become more economically vibrant.
So far she said the bump in library users that resulted from the opening of the new building at the end of 2021 next to MLK Park and also within the CRA has held steady. A gala last weekend raised $200,000 for the nonprofit library.
“The first year we thought maybe this was an anomaly,” she said. “But so far we’re maintaining where we were in 2024. We’re anticipating this is going to be our biggest year yet.”
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