Westminster City Council
SUBJECT
Title
Study Session - Multi-Cultural Community Center at the Westminster Rose Center prepared by TheatreDNA.jlksdfsdfEnd
From: Christine Cordon, City Manager
Requested by: Administration
Prepared by: Adolfo Ozaeta, Assistant City Manager; Shaunna Hunter, Senior Management Analyst
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RECOMMENDED ACTION
Provide direction only. No action.
Recommendation
end
BACKGROUND
The Westminster Rose Center is situated within the Westminster Civic Center which includes City Hall, Westminster Police Department, Community Services Building and Senior Center, Orange County West Justice Center, and Orange County Library. It was developed under the direction of Westminster City Council and opened in 2006. The facility was designed to increase community access to high-quality performance arts and cultural experiences, while providing a rental venue for corporate networking, holiday gatherings, and weddings.
Facility Management
Since the Rose Center opened in 2006, the City has contracted both the management of the theater and the ballroom to third-party vendors; however, the building maintenance is conducted by the Public Works Department. The theater is and has been managed by a non-profit entity, Friends of Abbey Centre, dba Friends of the Rose Center Theater (Friends).
The City Council agreed to an amendment to the Friends agreement which expired in 2024 at the December 18, 2025, City Council meeting with a new term ending June 30, 2026, with an optional one-time extension for up to 3 months pending the Request for Proposal (RFP) development process. The amended agreement required the Friends to pay $5,000 per month beginning in January 2026 through the term and any extension period.
The Rose Center Ballroom was initially managed by Crystal Rose Catering, and most recently managed by Mastroianni Family Enterprises, dba Jay’s Catering. The operational agreement with Jay’s Catering terminated August 31, 2025, with a single day extension for an event held on October 11, 2025. Since October 12, 2025, the ballroom has been unavailable for rental use. Staff continues to receive rental use inquiries for the Ballroom.
TheatreDNA
In May 2025 with Council’s direction, staff obtained an outside firm to evaluate and analyze the Rose Center operations, prior to deciding on the future operational model of the Rose Center. The cost for TheatreDNA to perform this scope of work was $30,000.
At the October 15, 2025, City Council meeting, TheatreDNA provided their final report analyzing the operation of the Westminster Rose Center (Attachment 1). The study included evaluation of current operators, 32 stake-holder interviews, a community wide survey, and numerous interviews with operators, city department staff, and council. The report evaluated the Rose Center’s competition in the Los Angeles/Orange County market for performance venues, ballroom facilities, and complexes that had both a performance venue and an attached ballroom facility.
At the November 12, 2025, City Council meeting, staff presented the TheatreDNA study for council consideration. City Council directed staff as follows:
• Receive and file the report prepared by TheatreDNA.
• Repurpose the Rose Center as a Multi-Cultural Community Center dedicated to serving all qualifying non-profit organizations within the City.
• Direct City staff to continue working with TheatreDNA and develop operational requirements that will best serve the community’s interests.
• Issue an RFP to solicit qualified operators to manage the Rose Center in accordance with the City’s established requirements.
From this direction, staff developed a scope of work and contracted with TheatreDNA. The scope of work consists of the following five work tasks. Each task and anticipated timeline is listed below:
1.) Project Kick Off and Goal Defining - January 2026
2.) Council Member Interviews - January 2026
3.) Facility Type and Model Comparison - January to February 2026
4.) RFP Generation - March to April 2026
5.) Operator Procurement Process - April to June 2026
The total cost for TheatreDNA to perform this scope of work is $29,963 (Attachment 2) and is expected to be concluded in June 2026 with operator procurement. The completion of tasks is dependent upon City procurement processes and securing qualified applicant responses to the RFP.
TheatreDNA conducted City Council Member interviews during early January 2026 and held a project kickoff meeting with staff. Based on the stakeholder interviews, TheatreDNA has synthesized statements regarding the following:
• Definition of a Multi-Cultural Center.
• Types of uses of the Center, including activities, programs, and events.
• Whom the center should serve.
• Food and beverage at the site.
• Financial expectations.
• Operation model.
Rose Center Facility Investment and Needs
The City has invested annually to maintain and repair major systems at the Rose Center, including HVAC, electrical, roof, and plumbing. These expenses can be found under the “Maintenance” column of Table 1. The table also provides the fiscal year breakdown of all utilities. The table does not include the personnel labor costs to conduct maintenance, coordinate contractors, or emergency call-outs. This cost is absorbed in the Public Works personnel budget and is approved annually through the budget process.
Table 1: Maintenance and Utility Cost by Fiscal Year
The Public Works Department obtained estimates for facility improvements. The estimates were collected within the last 60 days with the exception of the ballroom audio/visual equipment which was provided in December 2024:
Item Status Description Estimate
RC Roof Repair Replacement End-of-life replacement $1,107,352
Ballroom Flooring Replacement End-of-life replacement $42,650
Bathroom Fixtures Replacement Plumbing efficiency $44,550
LED Lighting Replacement Retrofit 469 lights $150,000
Lighting Control Replacement End-of-life replacement $38,546
WI-FI Upgrade HVAC/Energy upgrade $3,500
Energy Panel Upgrade Software update $8,369
HVAC Ducting Replacement End-of-life replacement $150,000
HVAC Controller Upgrade Functional improvement $27,500
Ballroom Ceiling Tile Replacement Repair from roof leaks $77,999
Ballroom Dividers Repair/Maint. Functional maintenance $9,732
Lobby/Office Tint Upgrade Energy efficiency $47,600
Ballroom AV Replacement End-of-life replacement $40,286
Theater Light/Sound Replacement Improvement $1,032,038
Exterior Lights Replacement Broken fixtures (2) $4,650
Exterior Facility Glass Replacement Broken glass panels (2) $15,000
Lobby Carpet Repair/Maint. Carpet stretching $685
Total estimated cost of the listed repairs $2,800,457
These improvements represent the minimum number of improvements needed to operate the Rose Center Facility. The improvements would need to be in place by the time that the operator procurement process is complete (estimated June 2026).
FISCAL IMPACT
None.
LEGAL REVIEW
The City Attorney’s Office has reviewed as to form.
CONCLUSION
Westminster Rose Center is in a planned transition phase to implement its future use and operational structure. Based on Council direction and the findings of the TheatreDNA evaluation, staff is advancing efforts to repurpose the facility as a Multi-Cultural Community Center serving qualifying nonprofit organizations and to procure a qualified operator through a formal RFP process. Staff has identified facility maintenance and capital improvement needs that will inform future budget and investment decisions. Council action will enable staff to proceed with operator procurement and operational planning to ensure the long-term sustainability and community benefit of the Rose Center.
ATTACHMENTS
1. Rose Center Planning Study Final Report - Condensed Summary
2. Proposal for a Multi-Cultural Community Center at the Westminster Rose Center prepared by TheatreDNA
REVIEWED BY
Erin Backs, Finance Director
City Attorney’s Office
Christine Cordon, City Manager