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After terminating a 20-year lease with theater operator Miami Dade College, the City of Miami has turned over the Tower Theater’s management to the district three commission office for a one-year pilot program.
Last week, the commission narrowly passed a resolution ceding control of operations at the historic Calle Ocho movie house to commission district three, where it’s located. Approved in a 3-2 vote, district three Commissioner Joe Carollo, who represents the area, said he hopes the move will improve the theater’s attendance and programming.
When doors opened in 1926, according to city background, the Tower Theater was considered the finest state-of-the-art cinema in the South. A staple of Miami’s Little Havana neighborhood, the theater is fondly remembered by many Cuban families who fled to the city and were first introduced to US culture and entertainment at the property during the 1950s and ’60s.
In 2002, the city made a lease agreement with Miami Dade College for the Tower’s management in support of the Miami Film Festival. Mr. Carollo argued the theater went downhill under the college’s operation as attendance dwindled and the aging building didn’t receive the attention it needed.
With the theater now nearly 100 years old, the city wants to see the property at 1508 SW Eighth St. improved. Planned upgrades for the site include a new theater stage, a rotating visual arts exhibit and a welcome center to help show visitors what Miami has to offer.
The adopted resolution allocates nearly $800,000 in previous funding for the theater to go toward programming and personnel, including two facility attendants.
However, not all commissioners agreed that city assets should be managed by a single district’s commissioner. Commissioners Manolo Reyes and Sabina Covo argued passing the resolution would “open Pandora’s box” and set a risky precedent.
“I don’t believe that I or any commissioner should be administering any city assets because it is a very dangerous mixture of having the power to say who is going to do what,” said Mr. Reyes. “You have the power of veto over who is going to be a participant, who is going to come in, and politics will take place in it,” he continued.
Ms. Covo echoed Mr. Reyes’s remarks and added that the moment could serve as an important opportunity for the commission to legislate more efficiently, evaluate why the theater’s previous management allegedly failed, and craft better policies to avoid similar situations.
The resolution ultimately passed, as a majority of the commission agreed that allowing the district three office to manage the Tower Theater for a one-year pilot program would see it running smoothly for public enjoyment as soon as possible.
Mr. Carollo stated that the first rolling art exhibit will start at the end of July and highlight the life and work of Afro-Cuban singer Celia Cruz. Never-before-seen personal artifacts of the “Queen of Salsa” will be displayed over the theater’s lobby, first and second floors, he said.
“It’s for our people,” Mr. Carollo said as he detailed how he believes the theater will serve Miami residents with top-notch entertainment and experiences for families at a reasonable cost.
A year from now, according to the decision, the commission is to revisit the Tower Theater’s management and determine if the district three office is the ideal operator.