WINTER GARDEN, Fla. — Winter Garden leaders are moving ahead with their plan to reopen the closed Garden Theatre.
Last week, commissioners approved a plan to have the parks department partner with a third-party company to reopen and operate the 300-seat theater with a community focus, but a slightly different business model.
According to the proposed business plan, the theater will mostly hold concerts, movies, and a summer camp. Plays and musicals, including school productions, could be offered after the first year.
The theater will also be rented out for private events minimally.
The consultant behind the proposal cautioned that economic conditions and other factors could lead to adjustments in the plan as the theater’s operations ramp up.
“The City views the Garden Theatre as an iconic mainstay for the downtown landscape and an important public offering,” Economic Development Director Marc Hutchinson wrote. “This plan… will set the City’s direction, management approach and values for delivering a community-theatre product that is in harmony with the residents it serves.”
After many years of operating as a nonprofit, the theatre closed in 2024 amid financial distress.
The consultant cautioned that taxpayer dollars and donations must be invested to keep the theatre open. They wrote that most theaters operate as nonprofits with significant outside investment.
They said the city could expect ticket and rental revenues to make up 50% of operating costs, though the Garden Theatre managed to generate 75% of its expenses through revenue in some years.
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