The city commission is considering a sublease proposal related to the old library building on New England Ave this coming Wednesday. I sent the commission the message below on this topic. Please share your views on this issue with the commission.
Mayor and Commissioners,
I introduced Blue Bamboo Center for the Arts to the commission about 8 years ago and served on their board. The commission initially supported Blue Bamboo with about $10,000 a year as a public endorsement, spreading awareness and encouraging others in the community to attend their performances and support the non-profit.
In 2024 the Winter Park City Commission approved a lease on the 33,000 square foot former library building on New England Ave. to Blue Bamboo for rent of $276,000 per year effective August this year. Tragically, Chris Cortez, founder and leader of the Blue Bamboo Center for the Arts, died in December 2025 leaving leadership of the organization to longtime supporter and President Jeff Flowers.
The lease price is $8.36 per square foot per year in a market that is currently pricing quality office space near downtown Winter Park at between $25 and $35 per square foot. The city could be realizing upwards of $1,000,000 a year in rent on the old library, making the old library build worth between $8,000,000 to $9,000,000 based on current capitalization rates.
The $585,000 to $880,000 per year lease subsidy given to Blue Bamboo Center for the Arts was approved by the commission in the expectation that the concept of Blue Bamboo founder, Chis Cortez and President, Jeff Flowers would be realized. That concept called for the Blue Bamboo performance venue to occupy the first floor while the second and third floors would be “used for arts education, recording studio and local non-profit use.” The lease specifically requires that “Blue Bamboo may only operate the Premises as a multi-cultural arts venue.” The lease also specifically requires that “Blue Bamboo may only sublease the second floor and third floor to City approved not-for-profit organizations, Blue Bamboo must provide the City with notice and proof that the third party meets such criteria.” The lease further states that “If Blue Bamboo is not operating the Premises as a multi-cultural arts venue at the end of the first period (which ends August 2026), the City may terminate this Lease, and the City will have no obligation to pay Blue Bamboo any termination payment, for any improvements Blue Bamboo made or caused to be made to the Premises, or for any other matters.”
The current proposed sublease to The Love & Life Foundation (https://loveandlifefoundation.com/) does not comport with the master lease. While The Love & Life Foundation is a non-profit, they are acting as a front for the for-profit private company Alpha School (https://alpha.school/). Further, in addition to being for-profit in violation of the master lease requirements, Alpha School programs do not qualify as a “multi-cultural arts venue” which presumes public access for arts enrichment (not $45,000 per student tuition).
There is office space in Winter Park available to Alpha School at rates ranging from $25 to $35 per square foot, versus the $18 proposed sub-lease (click for an example). If this sub-lease is approved, the commission will be subsidizing a for-profit company at taxpayer expense.
I realize Jeff Flowers and Blue Bamboo are under great pressure to hold onto their master lease with the city, but such difficulties are not relevant to the interests of the city and its residents. The city also has no legal or other interest in the Tourist Development Tax dollars granted to Blue Bamboo.
The proposed sub-lease is not consistent with the requirements of the master lease, and the sub-lease should therefore be denied by the commission. More importantly, the evidence is clear that the original concept for a multi-use arts venue will not be realized and thus, the subsidy given Blue Bamboo of $585,000 to $880,000 a year in the master lease does not provide any value for Winter Park residents.
The best interests of the city would be served by Blue Bamboo defaulting on the master lease, with the city agreeing to cooperate, perhaps financially, in relocating the existing Blue Bamboo performance venue to another location, preferably in a privately owned space.
It is time to start again to consider alternative uses of the old library that provide value to our residents commensurate with the economic value of the land and building.
Again, please share your views on this issue with the commission.