Family Envisions AI-Driven Alpha School for Second Floor of Blue Bamboo
A sublease agreement will be considered by the City Commission next week as the nonprofit music venue looks to fill space before a rent increase later this year
May 8, 2026
By Beth Kassab
The second floor of the Blue Bamboo Center for the Arts, which leases the former library building from the city, could soon house a location of the private, artificial intelligence-driven Alpha School.
The school was praised last year by the Trump administration as a model for education, and tuition is expected to be about $45,000 a year.
The school would operate through the Love & Life Foundation, a nonprofit that delivers disaster aid and is led by Winter Park residents Matthew and Paige Wideman.
Matthew Wideman said that mission overlaps with the for-profit Alpha School because he views K-12 public education as being in crisis.
“What I would argue is our mission is lifting up the hands of those that are oppressed or impacted, and we look at the education system as a disaster,” Matthew Wideman told the Voice.
He said the school’s innovative approach is one potential solution and that the second floor of the old city library is an ideal setting for a school designed to “empower and prepare children for the world of tomorrow.”
The Alpha model was founded in Austin, Texas, where students spend about two hours a day on core subjects such as math using AI-led modules. Human staff members — known as “guides” rather than teachers — spend the rest of the day helping students develop business, public speaking and other project-based skills.
U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon visited the school last year and said she was “blown away” by the model, according to news reports. Her visit came after President Donald Trump signed an executive order promoting the use of AI in schools.
“They use a more tailored program to find out what the child’s interests and talents and gifts are and help them find that at a young age,” Paige Wideman said. She added that she appreciated the school’s emphasis on “EQ,” or emotional intelligence.
The Widemans, who have five children ranging in age from 2 to 13, said they personally fund their foundation and could potentially provide scholarships for the school, which is known for tuition of about $45,000 a year or, in some cities, more.
Many private schools in Florida accept public vouchers or public education dollars that can be spent at private schools.
But a provision in the draft lease would prohibit the school from accepting vouchers.
“The school shall not have more than 50 students, and will not accept school vouchers funded by the State of Florida for those students’ tuition or expenses,” according to a copy of the lease posted with the City Commission agenda for next Wednesday’s meeting.
The vouchers — commonly known to parents as Step Up for Students scholarships — are at the center of a new lawsuit filed by Florida’s largest teachers union and several parents, including Orange County School Board member Stephanie Vanos, who represents Winter Park and has three children of her own.
The lawsuit alleges the program violates the constitution because the state now sends more than $5 billion in public money to private and charter schools through vouchers while not requiring those schools to follow the same standards as traditional public schools.
Matthew Wideman and Jeff Flowers, who runs Blue Bamboo, said the restriction on vouchers was requested by the city.
City spokeswoman Clarissa Howard said city staff did not advise on the voucher issue or initiate the requirement.
Wideman said his core business is real estate. He holds an ownership interest in Truist Plaza, the downtown Orlando high-rise, among other ventures through The Wideman Company LLC.
He also said his foundation has partnered with Starlink, part of SpaceX, to restore communications after hurricanes and other disasters.
Alpha School also operates a location in Brownsville, Texas, near Elon Musk’s new rocket hub and city known as Starbase. The school also has campuses in five other states, including Florida locations in Palm Beach Gardens and Miami, according to the Alpha website.
Under the draft lease, the Love & Life Foundation would have the right to enter into agreements with third parties such as Alpha to provide operational, management and administrative services for the school.
Wideman said the school would benefit from Blue Bamboo’s performing arts infrastructure and expertise, including its stage, which students could use to practice public speaking and other skills.
Flowers, who helped finance Blue Bamboo for years and took over operations last year after founder Chris Cortez died, said the organization’s performers could serve as music teachers and provide other technical instruction for students.
The lease between Blue Bamboo and the city calls for the second and third floors of the building to be renovated within two years for “arts education, recording studio and local non-profit use.”
Flowers said the sublease is an important part of Blue Bamboo’s financial picture because its lease payment to the city is scheduled to increase from $132,000 a year to $276,000 a year in August.
The proposed lease with Wideman’s foundation calls for annual rent of $198,000 for the second floor, or about $18 per square foot for 11,000 square feet.
Last year, another nonprofit, Central Florida Vocal Arts, walked away from a sublease agreement with Blue Bamboo after becoming dissatisfied with the terms.
Flowers said the building’s third floor remains available for sublease.
He said he has invested both personal funds and Orange County grant money into improvements, including a staircase, a new elevator, a refurbished air-conditioning system and a new fire alarm system. Blue Bamboo received about $900,000 last year through a county grant program funded by the tourist development tax collected on hotel rooms.
Flowers said the venue’s performance calendar is mostly booked through January.
“We’re profitable,” Flowers said. “We’re paying the rent and the utility bill and keeping up with expenses.”
Update: This story has been updated to include a response from city spokeswoman Clarissa Howard.
So the parents of oppressed students of a disasterous education system get to pay $45000 per year for a new “school” with no teachers?
This entire project does not pass the smell test. Please, City Commission shoot this idea down in flames.
Regards,
Robert Benzon
I agree!
New England/ interlachen area is out of control with cars and traffic- I now sit through the light two or three times between cars turning left and pedestrians. Alfond – and museum construction take all available parking . Are we going to have another carpool line on downtown winter park- where will school employees park??
As this corridor becomes un- manageable, there is more cut through traffic in neighborhoods – example Capen and swoope and Virginia . and any available pathway to get around the bottlenecks .
Will this be a community school serving our residents?
“we look at the education system as a disaster”. How disrespectful to our hard working public educators and so many in this City. This is not at all in alignment with the stated use of this City asset. And $45,000 per student? This is a for profit operation using a publicly owned building. City Commission, please do NOT approve this proposal.
I hope this sublease agreement is denied by the City Commission.
We do not want a community space, that was a beloved library, to be taken over by an expensive, tuition-based school to teach AI. What a slap in the face this is to all arts non-profits in the area.
I will be shocked if the City Commission agrees to this.
Didn’t blue bamboo receive tourist tax money- what about this tourism?? Are they going to give that money back?
Wow. Blue Bamboo sent out an email today asking people to show up and support the sublease proposal, while carefully omitting what the proposal was. A controversial AI “school” promoted by the very people currently involved in destroying the education system does not fall within the parameters of what the initial proposal for the building mentioned, which was renting the upper floors to other local ARTS groups. Incredibly disappointing. The arts in general are under huge attack from AI, and concealing the true nature of the proposal is borderline shady. Thank your for the reporting on this. I was in favor of BB getting the space, but this gives me pause, and I feel opposition to this idea will be strong.
I agree with the two comments above. Very suspect type of school and way more traffic than that area can handle. A definite NO on this one.
I believe the intention for the upper floors of the old library building were to support the arts. It’s my understanding that multiple organizations attempted to negotiate with the Blue Bamboo in good faith and were met with terms that were not in the spirit of the intention of the building.
The commission should stay with the original intent of the lease they negotiated (especially since the more financially proposal submitted by Rollins at that time was denied). This building should remain available for the arts and not a for profit school being disguised as a foundation led initiative.
Agree with the above comments. This area has gotten horribly congested … and during dropoff/ pickup at the other schools already in downtown, Interlachen Ave comes to a standstill. Please stop trying to cram more traffic-generators into this small area. Please add my NO to the list.
The modern education system was largely built on a factory-style model developed in the early 1900s — designed to create a standardized workforce for an industrial economy. It was built around a one-size-fits-all structure: age-based groupings, rigid curricula, and standardized pacing.
If you look at pictures of classrooms from the 1950s to classrooms today, they look almost identical. Meanwhile, nearly every other aspect of our lives have evolved to become more personalized, adaptive, and individualized. Netflix recommends content uniquely for us. Google personalizes search results. Medicine is increasingly tailored to the individual patient. But education has remained static.
The challenge is that students are pushed forward without fully understanding antecedent concepts or not allowed to progress quickly if they are ready.
I think with this new technology ,especially when combined with a human-in-the-loop approach ,creates a real opportunity to solve this problem at scale. It allows educators to have a targeted approach along a personalized education journey. personalized learning journey. I appreciate the effort this organization is making to rethink and transform the traditional model of education. Its not an easy problem to solve.
this is not about the merits of the program- it’s about the traffic and location. Fifty students means 100 parents– school events, drop off, pick up- it will be a nightmare.
I wholeheartedly agree with this, but totally disagree with this use for the old library. The original deal with Blue Bamboo, which I also disagreed with at the time, was for the upper floors to be available for the arts or other not for profits that served the City of Winter Park residents.
The Commission should reject this sublease.
In 2024, Winter Park awarded Blue Bamboo a 20-year lease on a taxpayer-owned building based on a clear promise: a multicultural, collaborative performing arts space serving the broad community. That promise was the reason Blue Bamboo was chosen over other proposals.
What is being proposed now is something else entirely. Love & Life Foundation is a vehicle for Alpha School — a $45,000-per-year private school franchise — to occupy the entire second floor of a city-owned building. This is not community arts. This is not shared access. This is a commercial franchise operation using a nonprofit structure to occupy public space.
Blue Bamboo’s own letter to the Commission admits the sublease is needed to meet an August rent increase. The City is being asked to approve a fundamental change to how a public asset is used — not because it serves the community, but because the current tenant cannot afford its lease.
The City Attorney has already said the sublease language is too broad. That should tell the Commission everything it needs to know.
Reject this sublease and hold Blue Bamboo accountable to what Winter Park was actually promised.
Based on what I’ve read and understand about this type of teaching, I support bringing this innovative educational model to Winter Park and the Blue Bamboo location. The combination of AI-driven personalized learning with project-based collaboration represents the kind of forward-thinking education our children will need to thrive in the future economy. The former library and arts center is an ideal setting because it can blend technology, creativity, culture, and community engagement in one inspiring environment. This concept has the potential to position our community as a national leader in preparing students for tomorrow’s world.
This education platform falls squarely in the intent of the lease provided by the City and winter park’s values. Let’s continue to Focus on our kids, community, and improving our city.
The Alpha school has proven success with children in several States with 99% of students typically outperforming national averages. Approving this school would be a welcome benefit to Our Winter Park community.
Lots of negativity and hate here. The future is coming whether we like it or not. This school is an investment in the future of America’s Youth!!! We should encourage that endeavor for our generations to come.
Winter Park has a chance to be on the leading edge of what modern education could look like. Communities that embrace responsible innovation often become magnets for talent, entrepreneurship, and forward thinking families.
It is good to see that Winter Park is at least considering innovative ideas like this and having conversations about what the future of education could look like.
I understand why people have questions anytime something new and different is proposed, especially in a community like Winter Park that cares deeply about education, the arts, and quality of life. But I also think it is important that we remain open to innovation and thoughtful experimentation.
AI is without a doubt going to be a major part of the future of learning. Personalized learning tools have the potential to help students learn at their own pace, strengthen areas where they struggle, and free up more time for mentorship, communication skills, creativity, and real world projects. That does not mean replacing human interaction or great educators. It means using technology to enhance learning outcomes.
This is also being proposed as a relatively small school, so I would think the traffic impact would be fairly limited compared to many other potential uses for the space.
I support this project and believe Winter Park should be open to innovative educational models instead of reflexively opposing anything unfamiliar.
The reality is that many families — across every income level and school type — are frustrated with the current state of education. Exploring new approaches is not a threat to the community; it is part of how communities evolve and improve. The Alpha model may not be for everyone, but that does not mean it should be dismissed outright or treated as inherently dangerous.
What stands out to me is that this proposal brings life, investment, and educational opportunity into a building the city has struggled for years to repurpose successfully. It also appears structured thoughtfully, with limits on enrollment and collaboration with an existing arts organization that is already trying to preserve and strengthen cultural programming in Winter Park. (A Policy & Issues News Magazine)
Some opposition feels less rooted in facts and more rooted in fear of change. Every meaningful innovation — in education, business, medicine, or technology — has critics in the early stages. Healthy skepticism is appropriate. Knee-jerk resistance is not.
Parents are fully capable of deciding what educational environment is best for their children. No one is forcing enrollment. Families who prefer traditional public or private education still have those options. But communities should not block alternative models simply because they challenge the status quo.
At the same time, supporters of the project should acknowledge legitimate concerns from residents around traffic, neighborhood impact, accountability, and student outcomes. Those conversations matter and should happen transparently. But those concerns should be addressed constructively — not used as cover to shut down an idea before it has a chance to prove itself.
Winter Park has always prided itself on being thoughtful, educated, and forward-looking. This is an opportunity to live that out.
I hope Winter Park residents who care about this issue will show up at the City commission meeting on Wednesday, May 13th, at 3:30pm at City Hall. I hope the City doesn’t approve this elite, AI-based, Christian private school. I also hope the City doesn’t approve Blue Bamboo’s other goal — for their lease rate to stay the same or be decreased. Right now, the contract allows the city to increase the rate after 2 years (now.) Several groups have been in talks to sublet with Blue Bamboo and have walked away. There’s a reason for this. If BB can’t pay the current lease, I suggest the City move on — and open it up to other qualified arts groups who have the financial strength to pay the lease.
Lest we forget… Central Florida was forged out of swamplands and founded by pioneers, true risk takers. Now, this sophisticated community of Winter Park has an exciting opportunity to offer something new and innovative. Our community, Central Florida, is a leader in hospitality, family entertainment, defence and space industries. Why not allow a new concept in education, that is willing to pay their way, sublet an empty space from Blue Bamboo? It’s a two way win: WP gains an innovative educational option and Blue Bamboo gets help with the rent so they can focus on their core mission. Let’s hope the City Council embraces the change and opens the door for those willing to take the risk on their own.
Missing from the article is the wording of the lease provisions governing subletting of space. Those provisions, if any, govern. Apart from this the question is whether one wishes to see the Blue Bamboo survive in the space. Chris Cortez lived to see his dream but partially realized. The use of the second floor as a very small (45 students who likely do not yet drive), AI based school does not trouble me. The fact that vouchers will not be accepted does. What is the rationale? And, traffic for this AI school use is a non-issue. The Blue Bamboo has its own dedicated parking area. Approval of the new Rollins projects nearby without requiring the additional parking needed IS an issue. Rollins has created a big problem around parking in this area. I hope they will be asked to fund a good deal of the cost to remedy that problem.
Matt Wideman is a close mentor of mine and has personally helped my spiritual health vastly improve. I think alternate education formats should be welcomed. As someone who struggled in the education world, I believe it’s so important to give our youth options so they can succeed. I am so excited to see the future of this especially with Wideman at the helm.
Really bad idea. The city should be very concerned about leasing any space to them. There have been actual protests outside the schools in other areas. And as others have noted…what does this use have to do with the arts? Blue Bamboo Center for the Arts and any other thing that might pay the rent.
AI is almost literally the antithesis of the arts. The Blue Bamboo space was created to encourage the creation of art and all of its facets. As a musician, this breaks my heart. As an educator, I am beyond baffled. Referring to our education system as a “disaster” and offering up AI as a solution is appalling. This is a money grab for both parties involved, pure and simple. I hope the board at Blue Bamboo takes these comments to heart, and understands that if they actually put the music and musicians first, they’d be doing better as a business. Money does not make art. AI does not make art or smart children. Art makes money. Art makes smart children.
P.S. To the Blue Bamboo board,
Do not send out an email asking for support without explicitly stating the context. It looks terrible on your end. Transparency should not be optional for a business, especially when asking for the community’s help.
This is a really promising proposal for Winter Park. The Alpha School model represents a smart, forward-thinking approach to education by using personalized AI for core subjects while freeing up human mentors to focus on essential life skills like public speaking and emotional intelligence. My wife is a teacher and having another option like this is great for Winter Park.
Bringing this kind of innovative learning to our area, while simultaneously supporting a local cultural asset like the Blue Bamboo Center, seems like a great opportunity. I hope the City Commission sees the value in this project and approves the sublease.
This is an amazing addition for kids and such a great option right here in Winter Park. The future belongs to children and this school is pretty unique.
Traditional schools may work well for some students, but others can truly find a home at other schools. I love that it’s a small school, bringing positive opportunities without negatively impacting the area. Please approve!
Love to see anything that supports the next generation of leaders and entrepreneurs. I can see this school having a great impact on our future community. 👏👏
I’m encouraged to see innovative education models like Alpha School being considered in Winter Park. The reality is that AI is already transforming nearly every industry, and our education system needs to evolve alongside it. Schools that responsibly integrate AI can help students learn at their own pace, build confidence, and spend more time developing critical thinking, communication, creativity, and real-world problem-solving skills.
What stands out to me here is that this proposal doesn’t replace human connection — it reimagines how educators and mentors spend time with students. The combination of personalized AI learning and project-based collaboration could prepare kids far better for the future they’re actually going to live in.
I also appreciate the vision of activating unused community space while supporting both arts and education in Winter Park. Innovation and creativity don’t compete with one another, they strengthen each other! I hope the community keeps an open mind and evaluates this opportunity based on outcomes and long-term potential for students.
Matthew Wideman is a community leader driven by principled values.
This new school would be a great addition to Winter Park. The infrastructure arguments are bogus as the school is small enough it would never have an impact. The coolest thing is having a school that actually teaches real world skills ..
It’s a small, family‑run school that could really help kids who don’t fit the traditional mold, and it gives parents another solid option for their children’s education.
Reading through the opposition here, I notice most of it hasn’t engaged with the actual financial reality. Blue Bamboo’s rent jumps from $132K to $276K in August. That isn’t hypothetical, it’s two months away. If this sublease doesn’t move forward, the realistic outcome isn’t that some perfect arts nonprofit suddenly appears with $200K to spare. Central Florida Vocal Arts already walked away. The realistic outcome is Blue Bamboo fails, and the old library sits empty again.
A capped 50 student school, prohibited from accepting state vouchers, in a building with dedicated parking, with students actually using the stage for public speaking and BB’s musicians providing instruction, looks like a reasonable compromise to me. I’d rather see thoughtful, active use of this space than another round of vacancy.
The Blue Bamboo survived a lot of negativity from the community when it made its proposal to the city. I’d think the latest leadership would turn away from contentious partnerships. At least know that if you have to send out an email begging for support at the commission meeting, this might not be a good idea. Talk about “tone deaf”.
Blue Bamboo is probably fabulous (not my cup of tea) but this is what happens when special interests run a city commission. Low voter turnout, few competitive races and apathetic citizens allow special interests to move in and cater to the whims of a few. The old library should either be sold or converted to new city hall. The current city hall sits on the most valuable commercial real estate in town. Re-develop it to bring shops, people and parking to Park Ave.
This is honestly a really cool idea for the community. I like that it’s not just about academics but also helping kids build confidence and real-life skills. The mix of AI learning and creative space at Blue Bamboo makes it feel fresh and different. It’ll be interesting to see how this kind of approach helps students grow.
Hmmm… the 33,000 square foot library building could rent for upwards of $1,000,000 a year in the current Winter Park office market. Love & Life Foundation only acts as a non-profit front for the for profit Alpha School, allowing a taxpayer subsidized rent to Alpha School if this sublease is approved.
Maybe the Blue Bamboo board should acknowledge that their concept of a “multi-use arts venue” is not realistic and that they should find a way to move the Blue Bamboo elsewhere, thereby by freeing up this city owned building to benefit of Winter Park residents instead of for profit companies.
To Our Winter Park Community,
We appreciate the passionate response and thoughtful discussion regarding the proposed second-floor sublease at the Blue Bamboo Center for the Arts. The fact that so many people care deeply about this building, the arts, and the future of our community speaks to exactly why the Blue Bamboo matters.
I want to clarify several important points.
First and foremost, the Blue Bamboo remains — and will remain — a performing arts organization dedicated to serving Winter Park and Central Florida’s arts community. Nothing about this proposal changes our commitment to concerts, rehearsals, nonprofit arts access, education, and cultural programming.
In fact, preserving that mission is exactly why this sublease is being pursued.
Under the terms of our lease with the City, our annual rent increases dramatically this August. Like many arts organizations nationwide, we operate in a difficult financial environment. The proposed sublease would provide stable income that helps ensure the Blue Bamboo can continue operating, continue presenting performances, continue supporting dozens of nonprofit arts groups, and continue maintaining the building improvements that have already been made.
Over the last year alone, the Blue Bamboo has hosted and supported a wide range of nonprofit arts organizations, educational programs, rehearsals, concerts, and community events. Our calendar is heavily booked, and our mission-driven arts programming is active and growing.
The proposed tenant is not replacing the arts mission of the building. Rather, they would occupy one currently unused upper floor while collaborating with the Blue Bamboo’s existing arts infrastructure. Their students would have exposure to music, public speaking, performance, and creative disciplines within an active arts environment.
I also understand concerns regarding traffic and neighborhood impact. The proposal limits enrollment to a small number of students specifically to minimize those impacts, and any operational concerns should absolutely be discussed openly and responsibly with the City.
Some have questioned whether this proposal aligns with the original intent of the facility. I would respectfully note that the building’s lease specifically envisioned arts education and nonprofit use on the upper floors. The proposed tenant is operating through a nonprofit foundation and intends to incorporate educational and arts-related programming within the space.
Others have expressed concern that this is somehow a departure from supporting the arts community. I want to be very clear: without financial sustainability, there is no Blue Bamboo. This proposal is about ensuring that Winter Park does not lose an important cultural venue that so many performers, audiences, students, and nonprofit organizations rely upon today.
Reasonable people can disagree about educational models, AI, or how public spaces should evolve. But I hope we can all agree that preserving a thriving cultural institution for Winter Park is worth working toward together.
I remain grateful for the community’s support, feedback, and engagement.
Jeff Flowers
President & Executive Director
Blue Bamboo Center for the Arts
I am not surprised the first comments posted here were critical of the AI Alpha School and its impact on the neighborhood and city. I am not surprised that was quickly followed by a wave of “it’s great” comments.
I’d also contend the public education system is not a “disaster.” It’s a victim of interests looking to take over education as a business. What’s left of public education in Winter Park is still performing very well … on a state and national scale!
Opinions aside, the key issue here is whether the proposal complies with what the City approved legally for the repurposed former library.
I’m a big supporter of education, but this not the right space.
The old library site was supposed to provide a subsidized hub for arts in WP.
This school does not fulfill that vision and I would encourage the Commission to reject this proposal.
As a former Park Ave. business operator, teacher, & Winter Park resident, I understand the many concerns expressed here, and there are a good many things to consider.
1.) As related to potential increases in traffic congestion, I am not
too concerned that it would be an issue. Yes, 50 students equal 100
parents, assuming no child is from a single-parent family. But
students would be dropped off at the start of school before most
businesses, aside from Briarpatch, Barney’s, & Starbucks, would
even be open. At other area private schools, most parents carpool
for pick-ups at the end of the school day, so I would think that we
might be looking at an increase of no more than 20-25 cars added
to early afternoon weekday traffic patterns. Clearly an increase, but
in my opinion, not a significant one.
2.)My bigger concern is with Blue Bamboo’s lease payment to the city
more than doubling, from $132,000 a year to $276,000 a year, in
just 3 months. And if it were to lose all, or even a portion of it’s
county grant, which given these times is a distinct possibility, it is
hard to predict what would ultimately happen to the entire facility.
Non-profit Fine Arts Centers are closing down daily in cities
throughout our nation. I would imagine that having a lease with the
Alpha School, providing much needed revenue for the use of the
2nd floor, would at least temporarily help to guarantee that the
Bamboo’s doors might continue to remain open for upcoming
artists in our community.
3.) I am also of the opinion that alternative schools can have a positive
impact on communities and student learning, provided the
curriculum is sound and the people in charge are more interested
in truly educating as opposed to profiting.
4.) Due to the high fixed and variable costs of business operations on
or near Park Ave., I am just afraid there will not be many 501 (c)(3)s,
if any, that would be able to sustain such an expense for the space
available. In the event this might be the case, I imagine the Blue
Bamboo property might just become yet one more law firm,
increased traffic and all the rest. I just hope the city council will look
at this from both a short and long-term perspective, as well as a
financial perspective. As most any real estate owner will tell you, it
is far better to have an occupied space with a paying tenant, than
an empty space earning nothing. If the Blue Bamboo becomes a
significant drain on local government coffers, it will be sold off to
the highest bidder anyway. At least with a school on the 2nd floor, it
can remain a functional fine arts center as well.
Help me understand who this school will benefit in Winter Park. The families who can afford $45,000+ per year or more in tuition are already sending their kids to Trinity, Lake Highland, St Margaret Mary, Park Maitland, not to mention the Winter Park and Maitland public schools which are all quite good. Why would they change?
And further, the majority of Winter Park families could not afford this school. And with no vouchers, it makes it even more challenging.
This deal also stinks from a lease rate perspective and once again, our Commission is leaving substantial dollars on the table for a limited special interest group that makes them feel good and virtuous!
Vote this down please!
No one has named the hard reality. If the Alpha school sublease is voted down, Blue Bamboo is gone. Poof. The chief benefactor when the Blue Bamboo doors close for the last time? Rollins College. Rollins has always wanted the library. For a happy moment, it seemed like Chris Cortez and his dream had succeeded. But fate can be cruel. If the commission says no to vouchers and no to the Alpha school sublease, Chris’ dream and the fruit of his tireless work is gone… like the oculus.