Photo: iHeartMedia WPB
Residents of one South Florida city are upset about an upcoming change at a popular venue where Jimmy Buffett performed earlier this year.
The Delray Beach City Commission last week voted to terminate the lease of the non-profit that manages Old School Square, the city's arts and entertainment facilities including the Crest Theater, the Cornell Art Museum and the Pavilion, where Buffett and his band performed last spring.
Chief Operating Officer of Old School Square of The Arts Inc. Holland Ryan says it's the community that will suffer.
"We know the audience. We know our venue. We know what the community wants to see and what they're going to see. We have the relationship with all of the artists and the booking agents and beyond and so to say that you're going to make a switch over, you certainly can but it's going to take a long time to do so."
The city wants to remove the non-profit after a 30 year agreement over a lag in reporting of audits and other documents, but Holland says the decision was made based on outdated and inaccurate information.
Residents showed up at City Hall during Tuesday's commission meeting, demanding that city leaders change their minds.
There was a protest outside and outspoken members of the community inside.
Some speakers claimed that votes were being made "based on personality and not policy" and that the decision was made without any notice to the public. But Mayor Shelly Petrolia says it didn't come out of nowhere.
"We've been working with them for months. This is not something that just happened overnight."
After an hour of public comment, the Commission made it clear that they would not be taking another vote on the issue.
Ryan says that while litigation remains an option, he hopes they can avoid it.
Old School Square for The Arts Inc. has been given 6 months until their lease comes to an end.