Miami Dade College regains control of Tower Theater years after city takeover

Little Havana - Flagami admin August 29, 2026 0 Comments

Miami Dade College regains control of Tower Theater years after city takeover

Little Havana’s iconic Tower Theater is back in the hands of Miami Dade College nearly four years after the City of Miami took control of the building.

Miami Dade College’s Miami Film Festival, which called the city-owned Tower Theater home for decades, announced on Friday that the college will assume responsibility of the building Nov. 1, just in time for the theater’s 100th anniversary in December.

Under the new lease between the city and the college, the city maintains ownership while MDC manages, operates, programs and maintains the facility for 10 years, with the option to renew, said Miami City Commissioner Rolando Escalona. Either party may terminate the agreement with 180 days’ notice.

“Over the past several weeks, MDC has been working closely with the City of Miami to ensure a smooth transition and to prepare the Tower Theater to once again provide the high-quality experience our community expects and deserves,” Miami Dade College said in a statement.

The Tower Theater, first opened in 1926 at 1508 SW Eighth St., closed in 1984, but in 2002, the City of Miami authorized MDC to reopen and revitalize the venue. For 20 years, MDC organized film programming and events there, including its prestigious Miami Film Festival. But that came to an abrupt halt in September of 2022, when MDC received a notice from the city’s Department of Real Estate and Asset Management that said the college’s contract to operate the theater would be terminated on Jan. 2, 2023.

At the time, a college spokesperson told the Miami Herald that the college had a five-year lease on the property since 2016 with an option to renew for five more years, but communications between the city and the college fell apart. The spokesperson said MDC would go months without hearing back from the city.

The decision outraged Miami’s arts and filmmaking community. Protesters stood outside the theater, holding up signs that read “COMMISSIONERS – HANDS OFF!!!” The loss of the Tower Theater was a major blow as South Florida’s arthouse cinemas struggled to survive after the pandemic.

At the center of the controversy was embattled City Commissioner Joe Carollo, who was behind a previous effort to kick MDC out of the theater. Carollo wanted to turn the theater into a visitor welcome center and a venue for film and live theater.

“Miami Dade College has done a fine job with what they do, but they’re a college to educate people,” Carollo said at the time. “They’re not a movie theater or arts provider.”

Residents criticized the idea, arguing that the movie theater wasn’t designed for live performances and that the neighborhood already had a visitor center. MDC removed its projectors and sound equipment. Two years after the city takeover, the theater had a few events, but it was closed more often than not, a local business owner told WLRN.

But clearly the city and college have turned over a new leaf. Carollo’s time in city government ended last year after an unsuccessful mayoral campaign. Escalona won the District 3 seat Carollo and his younger brother had occupied since 2009. Once in office, Escalona quickly began to roll back parts of Carollo’s legacy, including transferring the Tower Theater back to MDC.

“It was important to return management to MDC because they have a proven record of successfully operating the Tower Theater and understand its importance to Little Havana,” Escalona said in a statement. “This allows them to maximize is cultural potential while ensuring this historic theater receives the consistent maintenance and care the City cannot provide on its own.”

According to the festival’s statement, the college will review the facility and address “needed improvements to the theater experience,” including projection and screening technology, air conditioning and roof conditions. A new Tower Theater website will launch in October.

“We are grateful to the City of Miami, Mayor Higgins and the City Commission for their trust in Miami Dade College and their commitment to the future of the Tower Theater,” said Miami Film Festival’s statement.

When the Tower Theater first opened in 1926, it was the “finest state-of-the-art theater in the South.” In the early ‘60s, the Tower Theater’s films entertained Cuban refugees and introduced them to American culture, making the theater a cultural cornerstone for the local Cuban community. The theater began showing English-language films with Spanish subtitles and later included Spanish-language films as well.

On the Miami Film Festival’s Instagram post about the announcement, film lovers rejoiced. “Incredible!!! Reminder to never give up hope for progress in Miami,” one person commented.

Miami-based filmmaker Chris Molina, who helped organize a protest in 2022, said the news was a “step in the right direction” for a city with less than a handful of active arthouse cinemas that show films from around the world.

“Tower was the spot to be, whether it was for a film festival or some international movie playing,” Molina said. “MDC did a good job packing it full of programming all the time. That’s a hard thing for local government to do.”

This story was originally published August 28, 2026 at 11:37 AM.