City of Winter Haven Purchases Ritz Theatre for $497K
by James Coulter
“We just purchased a building,” Mayor Pro Tem Nathanial Birdsong exclaimed after he and his fellow commissioners voted unanimously to have the City of Winter Haven purchase the Historic Ritz Theatre for $497,000.
At their regular meeting on Mon. June 24, Winter Haven City Commissioners voted 4-0 to approve an agreement that would allow the city to purchase the Historic Ritz Theatre. Commissioner Brian Yates declined to vote, as he felt his position as liaison to the theatre would have been a conflict of interest.
The theatre will close its doors on Aug. 5, 2024. By that time, ownership and responsibility will have shifted from the Historic Ritz Theatre, Inc. (formerly known as The Ritz Theatre 100, Inc.) to the City of Winter Haven.
Mayor Birdsong assured commissioners and attendees at the meeting that the purchase would not result in the permanent closing or dissolution of the theatre, but that its ownership and operation would simply be under new management by the city.
Located at 263 W. Central Ave. in Downtown Winter Haven, the historic theatre was built in 1925. Originally known as The Williamson Theatre, the venue would go on to showcase vaudeville acts, concert performances, stage musicals, and theatrical films.
However, as the years went on, the theatre’s legacy waned, and it eventually re-opened as a teen club in the 1980s before being shut down shortly after, according to its website. In 1996, Ritz Theatre 100, Inc. was formed by a group of concerned citizens to “Save The Ritz.”
“After 16 years, over 83,115 volunteer hours, and clearing many hurdles, the facility was restored to its original beauty,” its website states. “Today, the Theatre operates as a movie theatre, concert venue, home stage for Out of the Box Improv, and much more.”
On Mon., March 25, Winter Haven City Commissioners voted unanimously to recommend staff consider acquiring the theater, placing its ownership and maintenance directly in the hands of the City.
In Feb. 2024, the City had been contacted by members of the Historic Ritz Theatre, Inc. with the intent of potentially selling the theatre to the city. Currently, the theatre has been facing “a dire financial position” with mortgage obligations and general operation costs.
Commissioner Bradley T. Dantzler inquired whether the city should consider a set time frame through which they can review the theatre and determine whether to continue maintaining it or selling it.
“We are spending public money on this, and I think we owe it to them,” he said. “I think it may work, but we should reconsider it in the next few years. I want to do this, but we should also have an exit strategy.”
City Manager T Michael Stavres replied that the city would be reviewing the theatre every budget year with the other city budget items. He recommended against setting a specific time frame in the motion because it might place unwanted restrictions.
“I would recommend against that in the motion only because it put restrictions on you that you may or may not want,” he said. “It may muddy the waters if you put it in.”
