The Westminster City Council has reversed its decision from last month that the Rose Center Theater would cease productions by its managing nonprofit.
The Friends of the Rose, a nonprofit of about 20 volunteers, has managed the 415-seat theater since it opened its doors in 2006 between 15th Street and All American Way. The theater has offered four musicals a year for nearly two decades.
The theater also features an event space, an outdoor patio and a complete kitchen, which the nonprofit oversees bookings for.
But in November, the council decided not to extend the nonprofit’s lease on the space, with thoughts of potentially turning the theater into a city-run cultural center that would also earn Westminster revenue. But no immediate new use was identified and the building was expected to sit fallow for some period of time.
The nonprofit’s lease was set to end on Dec. 31. A Rose Tribute Concert was scheduled for Dec. 30 and the theater company’s last performance of its current show, “Robin Hood and the White Arrow: The Holiday Feast of Stephen,” was Dec. 19.
But after much community pushback, Mayor Chi Charlie Nguyen requested to hold a Dec. 18 special meeting to consider reversing the decision. It was Nguyen who originally sought to end the nonprofit’s lease and to turn the theater into a cultural center that community members could apply to operate or become vendors within.
“I am the mayor of the city of Westminster and I represent each and every resident here,” Nguyen said about rethinking the decision to close the theater. “That’s why I am doing what I’m doing.”
The council voted 4-0, with Councilmember Amy Phan West absent, to extend for six months the Friends of the Rose’s contract to operate the theater.
And further extensions beyond June could be requested if future plans for that space aren’t clear by that time.
The nonprofit will now pay $5,000 per month toward the theater’s maintenance and utilities, which city officials estimated at $50,000 annually,
“We extend our sincere appreciation to the mayor, members of the Westminster City Council, and city staff for taking the time to revisit this matter and for engaging in thoughtful discussion regarding the ongoing operational management of the Rose Center Theater,” the nonprofit said in a statement on its website.
“We are equally grateful to the many patrons, artists, families, educators, renters, and supporters who made their voices heard with clarity and care,” the group said. “Your advocacy continues to affirm the value of this space and the vital role it plays in shaping lives and building community.”
The group also invited the community to the 20th Anniversary Celebration: The Rose Tribute Concert on Dec. 30, “an evening of music, memory, and gratitude honoring the legacy of this stage and the community that continues to bring it to life.”
Information: rosecentertheater.com