In another change of direction, the Westminster City Council has agreed to offer the Rose Center Theater‘s tenant another six months to stay and operate in the city-owned venue.
The Friends of the Rose Center, a nonprofit of about 20 volunteers organized in 1999, has been delivering musical productions at the Rose Center Theater between 15th Street and All American Way for more than 20 years. The city theater also features an event space, an outdoor patio and a complete kitchen, which the nonprofit oversaw bookings for.
The nonprofit’s lease with the city was due to expire on June 30, with the option of a three-month extension. But the council on Wednesday, April 22, decided to extend to the group the option of staying until Dec. 31.
That extension would give the council time to solicit proposals from new venue operators and bring into view a new vision for the theater; some councilmembers have said they hoped to turn the theater into a cultural center that would bring in revenue for the city while still delivering theater productions.
Estimates by city staff say Westminster currently pays around $50,000 annually to cover the theater’s expenses.
“This has been very emotionally challenging for the Friends of the Rose Center, who provide an essential service to the community,” Councilmember Carlos Manzo said. “You see the quality of the type of performances that they provide. These types of events take months of planning, so they definitely need as much time as possible for each event.”
In November, after months of contract negotiations with the Friends of the Rose Center, the Westminster City Council decided to not extend its lease, and the theater company planned to deliver its final performance before 2026.
But by mid-December, after public pushback, the council reversed its decision, voting unanimously to extend for six months the Friends of the Rose’s contract to operate the theater, with the condition that the nonprofit pay $5,000 per month toward the theater’s maintenance and utilities.
“When the time comes, if there is a proposal that’s been selected, there’s still the possibility that negotiations with that group may fail,” Manzo said, adding, “We cannot be rushing this process at all.”
If the city and nonprofit agree on an extended contract, the agreement will return to the council for approval.