Letter from David Pearlman to Helen L. Stairs (June 13, 1994)

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Dublin Core

Title

Letter from David Pearlman to Helen L. Stairs (June 13, 1994)

Alternative Title

Pearlman to Stairs (June 13, 1994)

Subject

Sanford (Fla.)
Buildings--Florida
Theaters--Florida
Renovation (Architecture)
Renovation of buildings
Historic preservation--Florida

Description

Letter to Helen L. Stairs from David Pearlman confirming the sale of the Ritz Theatre to RCT Projects, Inc.

Originally the Milane Theatre was built at 203 South Magnolia Avenue in Sanford, the former location of the Star Theatre, an abandoned movie house. Scroggs and Ewing, architects from Georgia, prepared the plans for the Milane. The name of the new theater was derived from the combination of the presidents of the Milane Amusement Company president and vice president: Frank L. Miller and Edward F. Lane. The Milane opened in July of 1923 and seated 823 patrons. In 1933, the Milane was sold to Frank and Stella Evans, investors from Lake Mary, Florida. The new owners renamed their business the Ritz Theatre and held the property until the 1990s. However, the Ritz struggled financially in the 1960s and closed in 1978 due to failure to compete with the new multiplex theaters. The building remained vacant until 1984, when it reopened as the Showtime Cantina. The Showtime Cantina closed in 1988 and remained vacant and in decay. In the mid-1990s, Ritz Community Theater Projects, Inc. acquired the property and began rehabilitation in 1998. On May 6, 2000, the theater reopened as the Helen Stairs Theatre in honor of the citizen who led the restoration project, Helen Stairs. The following year, the location was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. In 2008, additional renovations were completed at the theater was renamed the Wayne Densch Performing Arts Center in honor of the Wayne Densch Charitable Trust Fund for contributing to the renovations fund.

Creator

Pearlman, David

Source

Original letter from David Pearlman to Helen L. Stairs, June 13, 1994: Ritz Theatre Collection, Museum of Seminole County History, Sanford, Florida.

Date Created

1994-06-13

Is Format Of

Digital reproduction of original letter from David Pearlman to Helen L. Stairs, June 13, 1994.

Is Part Of

Ritz Theatre Collection, Museum of Seminole County History, Sanford, Florida.
Milane Theatre Collection, Sanford Collection, Seminole County Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.

Format

image/jpeg

Extent

705 KB

Medium

1 page typed letter

Language

eng

Type

Text

Coverage

Sanford, Florida

Spatial Coverage

28.810527, -81.266859

Temporal Coverage

1994-06-13/1994-06-13

Accrual Method

Donation

Mediator

History Teacher
Economics Teacher
Geography Teacher

Provenance

Originally created by David Pearlman and owned by Helen L. Stairs.

Rights Holder

Copyright to this resource is owned by Museum of Seminole County History and provided here by RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.

Contributing Project

Curator

Cepero, Laura

Digital Collection

External Reference

"Helen Stairs Theatre." StageClick. http://www.stageclick.com/venue/457.aspx.
"Theater History." Wayne Densch Performing Arts Center. http://www.wdpac.com/footer-menu/theater-history/.
"Wayne Densch Performing Arts Center." Seminole County: Florida's Natural Choice. http://www.visitseminole.com/things-to-do/general/wayne-densch-performing-arts-center.

Transcript

June 13, 1994
Helen L. Stairs, President
RCT Projects, Inc.
RE: Ritz Theater
Dear Ms. Stairs,
This will confirm our conversation whereby I agree to sell all right, title, and interest in the property commonnly[sic] known as the Ritz Theater and more particularly described as follows: Lot 9 + NORTH 12 FEET OF THE EAST 30 FEET OF LOT 10 BLOCK 4, TIER 2 TOWN OF SANFORD, AS RECORDED IN THE PLAT BOOK 1, PAGE 58, ACCORDING TO THE PLAT THEREOF AS RECORDED IN THE PUBLIC RECORDS OF SEMINOLE COUNTY, FLORIDA TO RCT Projects, Inc. for the total sales price of $88520 ( eighty-eight thousand, five hundred twenty dollars ). The sale shall be an in kind donation to : RCT Projects, Inc. Sincerely yours, David Pearlman David Pearlman

Document Item Type Metadata

Original Format

1 page typed letter

Citation

Pearlman, David, “Letter from David Pearlman to Helen L. Stairs (June 13, 1994),” RICHES, accessed October 8, 2024, https://richesmi.cah.ucf.edu/omeka/items/show/1098.

Locations

Categories