WINTER HAVEN, Fla. — While there is not currently an official plan in place, the city of Winter Haven may soon be in the market to purchase a historic downtown theater.

What You Need To Know

  • The city of Winter Haven is potentially buying the Historic Ritz Theatre in downtown

  • According to the president of the theater's board, the theater is struggling to keep up with financial upkeep of the facility

  • As of right now, the deal is still not complete, with Winter Haven's city manager saying they're still working on a sale and purchasing agreement

  • If all goes according to plan, there could be a potential deal on the city buying the theater in the summer

The Historic Ritz Theatre of Winter Haven has been a part of the town for nearly a century, but the president of its board said they can’t keep up with the cost to keep it open.

Even though there was a 21st Century remodel, the history can still be seen inside the Ritz Theatre.

 Winter Haven city manager T. Michael Stavres said he remembers going to the theater when he was a kid.

“We would come on the weekends, particularly on Saturdays, as children and see movies, the 50-cent movies of the ‘Apple Dumpling Gang’ and those types of things here in the space,” he said.

There’s a lot of sentimental value to the Ritz, which is why the president of its board, Tom Westberry, said a change needs to happen.

“Everybody who comes in here has such a nostalgic feeling,” he said.

Westberry took over as the president of the theater’s board in January and concluded that, despite having a church in the theater, along with other meetings and events, the Ritz was in dire financial shape.

“We're less than $50,000 in the bank right now,” Westberry said. “Our operating costs are, you know, quite expensive just to keep the electricity on and all those things.”

According to Westberry, the theater also has close to $500,000 left on its mortgage.

Even with these obstacles, closing the Ritz was the last thing Westberry, or the board, wanted to do.

“This is something that's integral to downtown,” Westberry said. “We want to see it, alive.”

As a result, the board went to the Winter Haven City Commission and asked the city to buy the property.

According to Westberry and Stavres, the deal isn’t officially done, but all signs are pointing to a potential sale during the summer.

“If we can have a role in helping sustain and reinvest into this property and keep it, you know, healthy and productive, that's certainly much more significant benefit to the downtown," Stavres said.

Stavres has lived in Winter Haven since he was 8 years old, and said he knows what this building means for the core of his community.

“We don't want to see this to go away,” he said. “We want to see this flourish and be a productive asset for downtown.”

That is why Stavres says the city is working on a purchase and sale agreement that will eventually go before the City Commission.

While there’s no specific timeline yet on when the building could switch hands, both Stavres and Westberry said they believe the future is bright for a stage steeped in history, meaning the lights won’t go out anytime soon.

According to Westberry, the Ritz is having a fundraiser Saturday for the theater where much of the proceeds will go to the building’s expenses until the city decides whether to purchase the property.