Riverside Theatre Breaks New Ground!

On Monday, February 12th, a ground breaking ceremony was held in the Orchid Lobby of Riverside Theatre and at the Star Suites by Riverside Theatre location on the corner of Aviation Blvd. and Flight Safety Drive, near the Vero Beach Regional Airport.

Star Suites by Riverside Theatre, a 60 one-bedroom suite facility, is an enterprise primarily created to accommodate out-of-town actors, designers, directors and artists that work or perform at Riverside Theatre. The project will include a center courtyard, clubhouse, pool and garden terrace for outside gatherings.

Invitees comprised of major contributors, city and county representatives, and staff met at the Theatre and were presented with the latest developments and interior designs of the project, affectionately known as Actor's Village.

A reception was held at 11am followed by a few words of welcome by Heidi Waxlax, President of the Board of Trustees / Donor. Allen D. Cornell, Producing Artistic Director / CEO of Riverside Theatre spoke about the importance this project will have on the future growth and sustainability of the Theatre. Mr. Cornell was followed by Jon R. Moses, Managing Director / COO of Riverside who spoke of the benefits of the project from an artists' perspective. The final speaker was Ray McGowan, Patron Producer / Donor and Board representative overseeing the project, who thanked all those individuals who have made this project a reality.

"This Actor's Village is a project that will lead the Theatre into our future," said Heidi Waxlax. "It is an essential component to secure the continuous operation of our Theatre. We needed to find a solution to the logistical difficulties faced by our staff and management who struggle to find adequate, affordable, and available housing for guest artists - a major component to our success."

Allen D. Cornell stated, "Riverside is truly fortunate to have a Board of Trustees with not only the expertise to plan a project of this scale, but, also, the fundraising commitment to bring it to reality."

Currently, Riverside Theatre leases 25 apartments on a year-round basis to house artists and, essentially, functions as a hotel since it furnishes, cleans, and maintains each apartment throughout the year. It also sustains a partnership at the height of the season with SpringHill Suites by Marriott when more rooms are needed. With annual rental costs continuing to escalate rapidly, Riverside has been looking for a permanent solution to cover the Theatre's needs of over 10,000 room nights every year.

After the presentation in the lobby, attendees boarded a bus from Magic Carpet Ride and were taken to the construction site where the official groundbreaking took place.

Keith Kite, a longtime supporter of Riverside and owner of Kite Properties, has provided the Theatre his expertise in developing the project and made a short presentation at the site.

"Kite Properties is pleased to be working with Riverside Theater on their Star Suites project," Said Mr. Kite. "Not only will it serve the theatre's housing needs for actors, but will also be a welcome addition as an extended stay hotel serving the Vero Beach community."

During select times of the year when rooms are not being used by artists, they will be made available to the public. Kite Properties will help manage the property once construction is completed.

With an $8.5 million investment in the community and creating approximately 206 construction jobs utilizing local suppliers and companies, Star Suites by Riverside Theatre will be open for business by the fall of 2018.

LLW Architects, Inc. of Memphis is architectural firm that designed the facility with Kimley-Horn serving as the civil engineers and Proctor Construction as construction manager.

Star Suites by Riverside Theatre is located on the corner of Aviation Boulevard and Flight Safety Drive, adjacent to Historic Dodgertown and less than a mile from the Vero Beach Regional Airport Terminal.