PORTLAND, Ore. — This story comes from our new partners at the Portland Business Journal. The full story appears here.
Mike Quinn has an ambitious plan for the former Nordstrom at Portland's Lloyd Center.
The founder of locally based Monqui Presents is partnering with the Denver office of entertainment group Anschutz Entertainment Group to construct an entertainment venue at Lloyd Center. Quinn declined to talk to the Business Journal about project costs, but he said it will likely take about a year and a half to build.
The Business Journal spoke with Quinn about the Lloyd Center venue last Friday in a conversation edited for brevity and clarity.
How did this start? (We) got friendly with a AEG six or seven years ago. They were really interested in the Portland market for this type of venue. It's been no secret that this has been the sweet spot (and) what Portland has needed for a few years. We did our due diligence together on maybe seven or eight sites trying to nail down the correct site.
Can you confirm some of the details of the proposal? It's in the former Nordstrom building proper. Looking at a 68,000-square-foot venue. Flexible capacity: 2,000 to 4,200. Movable stage. State-of-the-art, best-in-class P.A. and lights.
What kind of shows do you expect to draw to this venue, and when would you like it to open? Early-to-mid 2026. ... All genres. We'll be able to get loud in there, so rock bands, EDM (electronic-dance music), comedy. All kinds of stuff.
Do you have any dream acts that you would love to see play there? Not right now. Maybe a couple Jack White shows.