Orange County Commissioners awarded $8 million to the city of Winter Park to secure a permanent home for Winter Park Playhouse and $10 million to Rollins College for the new Rollins Museum of Art building. The funds were awarded during the October 29 county meeting where a total of 11 groups received grants from the Tourist Development Tax (TDT) fund for expansions and upgrades.
The money comes from a 6% tax on overnight hotel stays within the county. The state requires a portion, totaling $75 million, to go toward Orange County tourism development and promotions. Arts and entertainment groups including theaters and museums are eligible due to their impact on local tourism. Allocations will be disbursed within a five-year period with an average of $15 million per year available for the approved projects, some of which are happening in phases with assets budgeted at different intervals over the dispersal period.
The application process began in July with 14 organizations making pitches for capital projects to the review committee. A total of 11 applications were approved by the committee and Tourist Development Council, then presented to Orange County Commission for the final vote. Other groups approved for their requested funding are Orlando Science Center, Orlando Philharmonic Plaza Foundation, Winter Garden Arts Association, Orlando Family Stages, the city of Apopka, and 4ROOTS. Orlando Museum of Art, Mennello Museum of American Art, and Wells’ Built Museum were approved for partial funding of their proposed projects.
Winter Park Playhouse learned in February of 2023 that the owners of its 711 N. Orange Ave. building were looking to sell. Efforts to find a new location began when executive director Heather Alexander brought the matter before city commission the following month, citing the playhouse’s $1.9 million economic impact as a reason to help the nonprofit stay in the city. “We welcome 30,000 guests each year,” she said. “Many of them are introduced to the city for the first time.”
Discussions included an idea for a new venue by Seven Oaks Park and a theater space in the planned rehab of the old Winter Park Library building. But new construction proved less practical than an effort to buy the current playhouse building. The city agreed to partner with the nonprofit in an application for $8 million in TDT funds to finance the effort. The grant will enable the city to purchase the building and lease it back to the playhouse at a nominal rate. The building’s $3.875 million purchase price will leave enough grant money to fund renovations. “We plan to reconfigure the theater and add about 60 seats,” Alexander told the32789. “We also plan to expand lobby space and restrooms.”
Meanwhile, Rollins requested $10 million for its plan to add a new art museum building at the upcoming Innovation Triangle campus across from Alfond Inn. The new facility will allow the college to exhibit more of its 6,000-piece art collection while housing larger traveling exhibitions in a centralized location. The current museum building only has enough space to show 100-150 pieces at a time. “Being in a visible location where people can discover us simply by walking by is something that really excites me,” said Rollins Museum of Art director Ena Heller. “It will allow us to reach a larger audience and connect with more people.”
An ongoing capital campaign has already accounted for nearly 60% of the $37 million construction cost, but the additional money means the goal can be met sooner than anticipated with construction beginning thereafter.
Winter Park Mayor Sheila DeCiccio was among the public speakers at the October 29 meeting to offer support for the grant requests. DeCiccio mentioned Winter Park’s tax base to the county, which benefits from its arts organizations. “They will enhance the region substantially,” she said of both applications.
Another TDT grant recipient with a Winter Park connection is 4ROOTS, by Winer Park-based 4R Restaurant Group founder/owner, John Rivers. The campus is located by College Park, in Orlando’s Packing District, and hosts educational experiences that foster the growth and sustainability of local food systems. A total of $12 million in TDT funds will go toward the addition of two planned facilities: an Event Center for community and private functions and the Event Lawn for farmers’ markets, concerts, and festivals.
The TDT funding comes two months after the elimination of $32 million in state cultural grants that was part of a $950 million spending cut by Gov. Ron DeSantis from 2024-25 budget. Arts organizations have been struggling to find ways to make up for the loss, which threatens operational needs and community programming. Alexander said that, while she is working to bridge the budget gap left by the state cuts, the TDT grant is a big win that will stabilize the future of Winter Park Playhouse. “It will secure a permanent home and help insure long-term sustainability,” she said.