Winter Park commission weighs options as Blue Bamboo faces rent escalation and governance questions

Jeff Flowers, the unpaid executive director of the Blue Bamboo performing arts venue, told the Winter Park City Commission on June 25 that the organization has completed most construction and ADA work, grown its audience and needs a lease adjustment to remain financially viable.

“We held 181 events. We entertained 14,600 people,” Flowers said while summarizing the first 11 months of operations, and he told commissioners the nonprofit has increased ticket sales and engaged a booking agent to bring larger acts to the venue.

Why it matters: the city owns the old library building that houses Blue Bamboo and the master lease includes provisions limiting who may occupy the upper floors. Flowers warned that a scheduled rent escalation this fall would more than double the monthly lease payment (he cited a rise from about $11,000 to $22,000) and said that, as written, the lease’s nonprofit-only language makes it hard to attract tenants who can meet the higher rent. He described several options for the commission to consider — amending the lease to allow mixed use, phasing rent increases, pursuing an educational partnership with a nonprofit operator, or planning a long-term relocation supported by county TDT funds.

Commissioners pressed for numbers and cautioned about the city’s fiduciary duty. One commissioner noted the city is facing budget pressure and said the commission must weigh the public asset’s economic value and the consequences of concessions. Flowers acknowledged the venue’s cash flow has been variable because construction expenses and grant timing have driven large month‑to‑month swings; he also reported building investments of roughly $2.3 million, with about $1.3 million from grants and nearly $1 million in community support, and estimated the Blue Bamboo’s local economic impact at about $1.8 million.

Central Florida Vocal Arts (CFVA), which had been proposed as a second‑floor tenant under an earlier collaborative plan, told the commission its organization is financially sound and that it declined terms it described as inconsistent with the originally promised collaborative model. A CFVA representative said publicly available tax filings show CFVA’s revenue and net assets exceeded what was attributed to them in the executive brief and argued that the failure to negotiate in good faith — not a lack of capacity — is why the collaborative ecosystem did not materialize. “The reason CFVA ultimately declined to move forward was not financial inability,” the representative said.

Conflict and concerns: CFVA and Blue Bamboo sharply disputed who had offered what terms during negotiations. Commissioners asked about specific lease language and a contested sublease redline that, according to testimony at the meeting, would have reserved a large occupancy allocation for CFVA while leaving Blue Bamboo with only a small allocation — a point Flowers said made the proposal infeasible. Public commenters echoed those divisions: several described Blue Bamboo as an important community arts resource (citing weekly events and youth access), while others — including a production manager who said she has worked with many artists — accused Blue Bamboo’s leadership of conduct problems and urged the city to protect the integrity of the collaborative arts hub.

Numbers and precision: Flowers gave a revenue snapshot for an 11‑month period (total sales about $824,000, ticket sales roughly $335,000, performer payouts about $216,000). One donation figure in the transcript appeared inconsistent with surrounding totals; that discrepancy was noted during the meeting and in the commission’s discussion.

Possible next steps: commissioners and public commenters offered several paths forward — keeping the building strictly to the original arts‑hub model, subdividing the upper floors to create smaller, affordable nonprofit spaces, phasing rent increases, pursuing a mediated negotiation, or asking the city to consider a blended fiscal approach (commercial tenants on one floor, nonprofits on another). The mayor said the city cannot act as a private party’s negotiator and emphasized legal and fiduciary limits; there was no vote or formal directive at the conclusion of the work session.

What’s next: no formal action was taken. Commissioners and Blue Bamboo supporters were encouraged to continue discussions; Flowers said final building permit reviews and remaining ADA paperwork should be completed in August, which he said is necessary before pursuing upper‑floor leases.

Sources and attributions: reporting here is drawn entirely from the June 25, 2026 Winter Park City Commission work session transcript. Quotes are attributed to meeting speakers: Jeff Flowers (Blue Bamboo), the CFVA representative (Central Florida Vocal Arts), the mayor and multiple commissioners and public commenters appearing in public comment.