Westminster leaders are extending the current operator’s contract for the Rose Center Theater until the end of the year as they review proposals for renovations to the center.
After appraisal of the space by a third party, leaders decided that the current operators, Friends of the Rose Theater, were capable of properly managing the space’s theater. Now, the council is looking to begin upgrades in hopes of also utilizing the building as a cultural center.
[Read: What’s the Future of Westminster’s Rose Center Theater?]
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This action comes after an outpouring of residents speaking out to advocate for Friends of the Rose Theater, the operator that’s run the venue for 20 years. While the council granted the group a six-month contract extension in December 2025, the venue’s future operations have remained uncertain since then.
The request for proposals process has closed. According to the city’s website, staff is currently in the negotiation process and a new contract is expected to be submitted for council review at the end of the month.
At a council meeting in April, Mayor Charlie Chi Ngyuen proposed a lease extension until Jan. 1, 2027 while the staff review new proposals for operators and renovations. This extension amends the previously approved tenant extension option of three months, which would have expired in September 2026.
Advocates for the Friends of the Rose expressed the emotional significance of the center to performing arts communities in Orange County at that meeting.
“It was a really emotional rollercoaster that this council has allowed [the Friends of the Rose] to go on,” Councilmember Amy Phan West said. “I am happy this is done now, giving them a break for the rest of the year. I am glad the council changed their mind to do the right thing.”
Councilmember Carlos Manzo has been a proponent of extending the Friends’ lease since December 2025.
“They provide an essential service to the community,” Manzo said. “The quality of the performances they provide, those types of events take months and planning — they definitely need as much time as possible.”
