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$20M 'gift' to DPAC all for nothing as Phase 2 now 2 years behind schedule

The new Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts had their opening ceremony and WFTV Channel 9 took a look inside.

ORLANDO, Fla. — It opened with a grand flourish, but officials said the next phase of Orlando's new performing arts center will cost an extra $20 million, so Channel 9's Lori Brown asked why it's getting more expensive and taking so much longer than expected to complete.

9 Investigates is demanding answers from leaders about when taxpayers will finally see the complete vision, because the project isn't quite playing out as it taxpayers were told.

Brown has been covering the Dr. Philips Performing Arts Center since Orange County's mayor pledged $25 million towards the Orlando project two years ago.

That pledge was supposed to make sure Phase 2 started at this time, but leaders told Channel 9 it won't begin for another two years, which defeats the purpose of the county's gift in the first place, Brown said.

Nearly two years ago, Mayor Teresa Jacobs announced her commitment to provide $25 million in tourism development taxes to build the second phase, an acoustical theater.

"If we delay two-three years, and we're talking about tens of millions of dollars and the reality that we might not ever get it done," Jacobs said in 2013.

On Tuesday, center president Kathy Ramsberger told County Commissioners that getting construction started two years from now is now the goal, which conflicts with what she told Channel 9 on Central Florida Spotlight just two months ago.

"We hope to be able to break ground by at least the end of 2015 or the first quarter of 2016," Ramsberger said in November.

Along with taking longer, Channel 9 learned Phase 2 also got more expensive, up nearly $20 million in a year and a half.

"When we did the cost estimates a while ago, the drawings were complete but the codes had changed, so there had to be an investment to bring the Stage 2 drawings up to code," said Ramsberger.

There was then the bid process to scrub the drawings and go in and use multiple people. Officials said.

Concerns have also been raised after nearly a half-dozen vice presidents quit in a little more than a year.

Channel 9 asked for an itemized budget to show precisely why costs have gone up, but we haven’t received it at this time.

WFTV

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