Correction appended: A previous version of this story stated the funds would come from programs dedicated to low income housing. This has been corrected to reflect that the funds will come from a large city reinvestment fund, of which a portion funds low income housing projects. The funding still has to be approved by a budget amendment.
The Gainesville City Commission voted 6 to 1 on Thursday to donate $150,000 to alleviate financial strain on the Hippodrome Theatre.
While the vote gave the theater immediate access to the funds, it did not specify the source of the money. Comments from the acting city manager Andrew Persons suggest it may likely come from a $4 million buffer for downtown projects as part of the Gainesville Community Reinvestment Area (GCRA) program. According to commissioner Bryan Eastman, the program seeks to assist low income areas that have been previously overlooked.
“The most logical funding source would be those reserves within GCRA,” said Andrew Persons, who acted as the city manager in Cynthia Curry’s absence. He called the reserve “the most direct funding source” he could think of.
Commissioner Reina Saco, who alone voted against the motion, said the implications of the vote on the GCRA’s current projects are unknown. She said dipping into the reserves may cause issues for projects which have already begun and cannot readjust for the loss in funds.
Dewayne Baines, a resident of East Gainesville, said he felt frustrated by the discussion of transferring money away from assisting disadvantaged communities. He said he wished the city showed the same level of commitment to supporting organizations like the Alachua County Boys & Girls Club as it does to the Hippodrome Theatre.
Before the vote, artistic director Stephanie Lynge spoke about the financial state of the Hippodrome, expressing an immediate need for aid. She said she didn’t know if the theater would be able to afford its payroll at the end of August.
“We have several smaller grants out as well to foundations and individuals,” she said, “but we have not heard back from any.”
Lynge said the Hippodrome is working to return to financial stability in the long term. In a plan she outlined to commissioners, the theater has begun more aggressive marketing and is working to establish new partnerships and sponsorships.
The one-time city donation is meant to supplement the $150,000 the Hippodrome would have received if Florida Governor Ron DeSantis had not cut nearly $32 million in arts funding in June, leaving many local arts organizations struggling to balance their books.
The Hippodrome called DeSantis’ decision “a huge blow to the arts” and encouraged residents to contact the Governor about his decision. Mayor Harvey Ward also criticized the governor’s decision, saying the cut didn’t improve the state’s budget and was meant exclusively to harm the arts.
The iconic theater, founded in 1972, suffered an additional economic blow last month after a COVID outbreak forced an early end to its premiere summer show. The Hippodrome’s website said it estimates a loss of $100,000 in revenue from the premature closure.
Gainesville’s city manager, Cynthia Curry, previously cautioned the theater against relying on the city for financial support. During the Thursday meeting, Persons provided an additional list demonstrating how the city already financially supports the theater, including investing nearly one million dollars in facility upgrades over the past four years and not charging for the $350,000 in rent the property would normally require.
Nearly each commissioner said they felt nervous about the precedent their decision may send to other struggling nonprofits. Commissioner Saco reminded other nonprofits the city “is not a wealthy relative who can bail people out.”
Still, there was a strong sentiment among commissioners and attendees about the unique role the Hippodrome plays in Gainesville’s cultural and economic space which they felt justified the $150,000 city donation.
Mayor Ward, who disclosed he has a family member who works part time at the theater, said the discussion of assisting the Hippodrome is a matter of economic importance.
“People visit downtown and are involved in downtown because they're coming to a show at the Hippodrome,” he said.
The sentiment extends to Alachua County Spokesman, Mark Sexton, who said the county is committed to maintaining the theater, pointing out the county is currently its largest single donor (contributing $185,000 annually). He said the county's funding for the theater will likely “go up considerably” in the coming years.
Additionally, Sexton said the Alachua County Commission is “committed to structurally changing how the Hippodrome is funded,” citing its iconic status in the community. He said the current method the county uses to fund the theater — by requiring the Hippodrome to apply for grants — is no longer appropriate.
“We are looking at long term treating the Hippodrome in the unique way that I think it has earned and that it deserves over its 50 year history,” Sexton said.