St. Petersburg officials are negotiating with The Florida Orchestra to run the city-owned Mahaffey Theater. This comes after businessman Bill Edwards terminated his management contract back in May. City Administrator Rob Gerdes said the talks seek to slash what the city pays to keep the 2,000-seat venue running.
The 61-year-old theater has operated without dedicated management since Edwards and his Big3 Entertainment company departed. Remaining staff have juggled daily operations. They’ve also booked performances. The venue receives $754,000 each year from the city. It needs cosmetic repairs. Technical repairs are also required.
Gerdes addressed a Committee of the Whole meeting Thursday. He revealed St. Petersburg is working with the orchestra to “manage the facility with an outside partner. We’re working through the details of that right now.” A proposal should reach the city council in three to five months, he said. A key component, he explained, is “reducing our subsidies.”
The city released a Request For Proposal to find new management after Edwards left. Only one response came in. Gerdes called it “disappointing.” Officials rejected that lone applicant.
Ignacio Barrón Viela serves as CEO of The Florida Orchestra. He confirmed the potential partnership. “This is an exciting opportunity for The Florida Orchestra, but also for the community,” Barrón Viela said, according to the Catalyst. The organization performs October through May at the theater and at venues in Clearwater and Tampa.
Barrón Viela said the orchestra plans to bring in a “contracted event management company to bring major acts to the Mahaffey” while focusing on supporting local arts organizations. “Because of the strong local arts scene, we’re looking forward to continuing conversations on how the Mahaffey can become an even stronger home for the arts community,” he said.
The orchestra still seeks a permanent home. They need space for rehearsals, offices, community events, and smaller performances. In 2022, Barrón Viela proposed a 24,000-32,000-square-foot building on one of the theater’s unused parking lots. That plan never came to fruition.
“Our reason for a permanent home for the orchestra has not changed. Those needs have not changed,” he said. The proposed $30 million Center for Music Education and Innovation might not be built on the theater site. Managing the theater would not change the orchestra’s commitment to performing at other Tampa Bay area venues.