Delray Beach starts search for new management at Old School Square

DELRAY BEACH — Delray Beach has officially begun the search for a new organization to run Old School Square, the popular plaza, theater and cultural arts center.

The city said it’s looking for organizations with “appropriate qualifications, experience, financial capacity and a proven track record of executing best in class campus operations and management services.” The bidding process opened Monday and will run for 60 days, ending Dec. 17.

A spokeswoman for Old School Square’s former management said they did not intend to reapply.

The bidding process comes after a bitter fight between city officials and Old School Square’s management.

Mayor Shelly Petrolia accused the organization of mismanagement.

Old School Square’s management said at the time that the termination of their lease was “truly a shock,” and that the decision was made based on “inaccuracies.”

Days after that announcement, a petition urging city officials to reverse their decision received over 6,000 signatures, as protesters rallied in and outside of city hall.

Much of the opposition seemed to stem from fears that the Old School Square itself could disappear, but Petrolia said that the center itself is not in jeopardy. She just wants a different organization to run it.

The move comes as Delray is changing the face of the city with new dining, residential and office space on Congress Avenue, as well as redevelopment and new office space downtown. A fancy new Hampton Inn is also set to be complete in 2023 in downtown’s Pineapple Grove district.

JENNIFER LETT/SOUTH FLORIDA SUN SENTINEL People attend Spring Art on the Square 2019, presented by the Cornell Art Museum at Old School Square in Delray Beach.