St. Petersburg City Council members warned Thursday that the Mahaffey Theater’s management transition has left the Florida Orchestra without a long-term agreement at its longtime downtown home as the city prepares to temporarily take over operations following Big 3 Entertainment’s early exit.
Council members approved an amended resolution urging city administration to work toward a direct agreement with the orchestra while restarting the search for a new theater operator.
Council member Gina Driscoll said the orchestra still does not have a signed agreement for the 2026-27 season, even as performances, fundraising and scheduling are planned years in advance.
“They don’t have a contract with anyone,” Driscoll said. “There’s no security in that.”
The Mahaffey anchors much of downtown St. Petersburg’s arts and entertainment activity and has long served as the Florida Orchestra’s downtown home.
The city will begin temporarily operating the theater May 19 after rejecting the sole management proposal submitted earlier this year, though council members acknowledged Thursday they still do not know how long the interim arrangement could last. The amended resolution also includes $460,000 for interim operations.
Driscoll said the transition eliminated protections the orchestra previously held under the Big 3 Entertainment agreement, which prioritized the Florida Orchestra as a key tenant.
“It’s not an exaggeration to say that we could lose the Florida Orchestra over this because they don’t have any guarantees that they have a home here at all,” Driscoll said.
Other council members said the issue extends beyond a standard tenant relationship because of the orchestra’s role in downtown St. Petersburg’s cultural and economic identity.
Council member Deborah Figgs-Sanders said the transition immediately raised questions about the orchestra’s future at the Mahaffey, where the organization has operated as a longtime tenant.
“So then the Florida Orchestra, now what?” Figgs-Sanders said.
She said the uncertainty affects not only performances but also the musicians and employees whose livelihoods depend on the organization.
City Development Administrator Beth Herendeen said the city has already met several times with orchestra leadership and plans to negotiate future agreements once the operational transition is complete, adding that a broader resolution governing theater agreements is expected to return to council in June.
“We absolutely intend for them to be here next season and many, many, many seasons,” Herendeen said.
Even with those assurances, council member Richie Floyd said the city still needs to move more quickly to formalize the orchestra’s position at the Mahaffey.
“They want to be able to give their funders assurances as to their future,” Floyd said. “I think we can act with a little more urgency on it.”
The amended resolution passed unanimously.
Read More Tampa Bay Business News
Explore the latest Tampa Bay business news, real estate deals, development projects, executive moves and company updates shaping the region.