Thursday, June 1, 2006
Community's help could speed up Ritz renovation
By Danielle De Pari
News Chief staff
WINTER HAVEN - If the community wants the historic Ritz Theatre completed sooner rather than later, it will have to step up to raise $250,000 before year's end.
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What few residents may realize is that completion is contingent upon them.
The theater project, which has been under way for a number of years, still requires about $2 million and community support to meet an ultimate January 2010 deadline.
"It's a huge project, but there are projects in the state that have been larger and finished in less time," Marcie Dershimer said.
Dershimer is president of Ritz Theatre 100 Inc., the organization behind the renovation effort.
The Ritz is in its third and final phase of renovation, but a lot of work on it remains to be completed. When fully renovated, the theater will serve the community as a downtown rental and multipurpose facility.
The venue would be suitable for dinners, dances, weddings, parties and group programs. Special movies or classic films also could be shown there.
Nora Mayo Hall on Third Street currently is the city's only downtown facility for major events, but some say the hall is difficult to decorate due to its large size.
The estimated $2 million remaining cost of the Ritz renovation will cover required inside and outside work on the building. This includes exterior resurfacing and sealing - the building must be protected from outside vermin and rodents - to electrical and air-conditioning improvements. Indoor tasks are more comprehensive. For example, the air-conditioning system must be replaced, the ceiling completed, the walls covered and the interior decorated and carpeted.
Dershimer said the money also should cover the cost of all the furniture required to make the theater a "turnkey operation." Furniture will not be permanently attached so it can be moved in and out to accommodate a variety of activities and events.
The theater will then be able to hold approximately 400 people for dinner seating, 300 for a dinner and dance and 250 for a table-and-chair event.
Design and decor will be historically accurate to the original 1920s state of the Ritz. A Mediterranean revival architecture will be featured along with the 1920s indoor decor, which Dershimer described as elegant.
The Ritz Theatre opened in 1925 in Winter Haven as the Williamson Theatre and originally served as an entertainment venue for vaudeville shows and films.
It became the Ritz in 1932 and served for many years as the community's primary motion picture theater. When other movie theaters and multiscreen complexes opened in the area, the Ritz showed discounted "second-run" movies and eventually closed in the 1980s. It was reopened in 1989 as a teenage nightclub called "Off Limits," but that venture didn't last long and the theater closed again.
The theater was acquired by the newly formed Ritz Theatre 100 in 1997, and renovations begin a year later. So far, the nonprofit group has put $700,000 into the project, with most of the money raised through special benefits.
The volunteer board has hit roadblocks along the way. The renovation project was put on hold several times - sometimes for long stretches - due to failures to meet city safety requirements.
And since the board members are volunteers, individual duties and responsibilities often take priority over the Ritz project.
But Dershimer said the present group of 13 is strong.
"With a volunteer board, you're only as strong as your board," she said.
The board can have as many as 25 people, so Dershimer encourages increased membership and participation.
The project has faced several unexpected roadblocks as well.
For instance, the board anticipated a cost of $29,000 for a new roof, when in reality it was $79,000. Plus, Dershimer said, the ceiling was completely open and had to be replaced because it contained cancer-causing asbestos, which isn't inexpensive to remove.
Dershimer said she can understand any frustration some people might have with the lagging project, but she wants area residents to know the Ritz needs their support.
"It's a project of the community. If the community wants it, they'll help complete it," she added.
She said she has received numerous inquires about the project's completion timetable.
"People are asking all the time, and it just comes down to money," she said.
State grants are dependent upon community and city support. But Dershimer said she has seen a constant and increased level of city support and knows the theater renovation will come to fruition.
"It's going to happen and it's going to be finished," she said confidently. "At this point, it's important for our community to realize that we absolutely need them in order to complete it."
The board has received a $250,000 grant for the project through the city's Community Redevelopment Agency. But the grant is contingent upon the board raising a matching $250,000.
So far, $14,000 in matching funds has been raised, and the board hopes to reach the $250,000 goal by the end of the year.
The board is planning a June fundraiser called "Easy to Love." Classic movies will be shown, and residents will be encouraged to dress up as Cypress Gardens founders Dick Sr. and Julie Pope.
The board also is seeking a state grant, but approval for it also is determined by community support. The group is also seeking an executive director who can devote full-time attention to the project.
Dershimer said there is a great need for a completed Ritz. She said that with increased downtown development, there is a demand for a rental venue with the theater's specifications.