Rollins College’s vision for an “Innovation Triangle” in downtown Winter Park took a big step forward Friday as ground was broken on the new Rollins Museum of Art and an adjacent leadership institute.

The new structures, at New England and Interlachen avenues, will form part of the “triangle,” with the third “point” being the college’s Alfond Inn, an art-driven boutique hotel.

“It’s quite forward thinking,” said Rollins Museum of Art director Leslie Anderson, “and plays to the strengths of our college.”

Anderson, named the museum’s director in July, envisions a strong connection between the leadership institute, part of the college’s Crummer School of Business, and the museum.

“There are lots of opportunities for collaboration around art and business,” she said. The project “creates this space where the museum can provide data-driven research for the business school.”

For the public, the new museum will offer multiple benefits. At 31,000 square feet, the new building will be three times the size of the current on-campus museum. Its enhanced gallery spaces will be able to accommodate major traveling exhibitions, as well as display more of Rollins’ extensive permanent collection of works. Anderson also envisions more community programming, especially as the complex attracts thought leaders and other speakers to Winter Park.

“It makes the museum much more prominent,” she said. “It becomes a gateway for people to access the college.”

She is excited about the cross-discipline work the museum will do with the new institute.

“We can be a resource to businesses of all disciplines,” said Anderson. For example, there could be collaboration on marketing and brand positioning, as it relates to the museum. Or artwork could be used to help students at the institute hone public-speaking skills or improve their visual literacy.

“Sharing these spaces will really foster more co-mingling of ideas,” she said.

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One key factor will remain the same at the museum: Free admission.

“We really see the museum as an important spot, an important organization within the college that advances its educational mission,” Anderson said. “We want to serve the community of Winter Park and the greater Orlando area in a way that eliminates any barrier to access.”

The new museum is estimated to open in the spring of 2028. Anderson said she is working on a plan to keep the current facility active until the new structure opens its doors.

Frederick Fisher and Partners are the architects for the museum, while Schaffer Design Studio is the architect for the leadership institute’s building. Lamm & Company Partners will build the complex.

Rollins College President Brooke Barnett (from left), Winter Park Mayor Sheila DiCiccio, Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings and Crummer Graduate School Dean Anil Menon participate in the groundbreaking for Rollins’ Innovation Triangle project in downtown Winter Park on Oct. 24, 2025. (Courtesy Rollins College)

The total project cost is $50.4 million, Anderson said, and entirely funded by philanthropy. While that money has already been raised, the museum is now focused on raising funds for an endowment to support the new museum’s operations and maintenance.

A statement from Rollins College said the Innovation Triangle would propel the institution’s mission while benefiting local residents.

“The new hub at Interlachen and New England avenues represents Rollins College’s commitment to serving as a catalyst for cultural enrichment, leadership development and economic vitality in Central Florida,” the statement said. “By uniting these complementary facilities in downtown Winter Park, the college is creating a globally accessible destination that bridges academic excellence with broader community impact.”

Anderson put it more succinctly: “It’s really going to be a place for everyone.”

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