City of Winter Haven agrees to purchase struggling Historic Ritz Theatre

WINTER HAVEN, Fla. - The Historic Ritz Theatre is now in the hands of the City of Winter Haven.

The theater has been a vital fixture of downtown for nearly a century, but upkeep has been challenging.

It has been in several hands throughout the decades, most recently the nonprofit, Ritz Historic Theatre, Inc, but the cost of maintaining the building has become challenging over the last few years.

"During and coming and out of COVID, this theater and many theaters in Central Florida -- we didn't have PPP money or bailouts or anything. The city has been helping us out for several years now," said Thomas Westberry, Board President of The Ritz Historic Theatre, Inc.

The nonprofit went to the city earlier this year with the idea of selling the theater. On Monday, the city commission approved the purchase for nearly half a million dollars.

"One, It's historic. Two, It's a tremendous cultural asset," said T. Michael Stavres, the City Manager. "I'm coming for a musical event or play or concert, whatever it may be in the building. Maybe I'll come early and have dinner with the rest of the people I'm traveling with, or I will stay later and enjoy the rest of the nightlife. It's just one more reason for people to come downtown and help activate the rest of the business community."

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The city is currently negotiating to have an agreement with Theatre Winter Haven, a nonprofit, so they can take over management of programming and performances.

Westburry says they could've sold the theater for its fair market value of around $2 million, but the goal was to see the theater stay in the hands of the community.

"This is downtown's stage and it will continue to be downtown's stage," said Westberry.

The city and the nonprofit's contract will be finalized in August.

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