PORTLAND, Ore. — Of the three proposals the city of Portland is looking at to either renovate or relocate Keller Auditorium, two emerged as the clear favorites during a public hearing this week. The city council reviewed the three options at its meeting on Wednesday, where over 160 written comments were submitted and more than 70 people gave public testimony.
The most-favored option by far, at least based on the public testimony, is a major renovation that would keep the Keller Auditorium in its current home on Southwest 2nd Avenue and Clay Street. The proposal from Halprin Landscape Conservancy would include a grand fountain plaza, a 3,000-seat main theater plus a new, smaller performance space.
The decision to redevelop or replace the landmark auditorium comes after a 2020 study that showed the 107-year-old building could collapse during an earthquake. However, a renovation at this scale could shut down Keller Auditorium for at least two years during construction — a blow that many in Portland’s performing arts community fear would lead to job losses.
“During the pandemic, the performing arts were the first to close and the last to reopen — closure of any kind undermines the progress made in revitalizing the city center,” said Sue Dixson, general director of Portland Opera. She did not endorse any of the three proposals, but said any loss of shows from a shutdown would be detrimental to Portland’s performing arts industry.
An economic impact study, commissioned by Metro, found that a year-long closure of Keller Auditorium could lead to a potential loss of $46.8 million in output, 320 jobs, $20.5 million in labor income and losses in local and state tax revenues totaling $2.5 million for the region.
In response, Halprin Landscape Conservancy proposed that construction could be paused for two seven-month periods at Keller Auditorium to allow performances to continue during the peak seasons. This would mean shows like the Nutcracker and touring Broadway productions could still take place. But it would increase the total project costs from approximately $236 million to $290.6 million.
The second-most popular option expressed during public testimony is a plan to build a larger performing arts center on the Portland State University campus, about seven blocks south of the current site. That proposal includes a 3,000-seat theater, a secondary, 1,200-seat auditorium, plus an educational building, hotel and parking. Most of the support heard Wednesday for the proposal came from students, faculty, alumni or others affiliated with PSU.
One of the pros of this proposal heard in public testimony is that it would keep Keller Auditorium downtown and be an education hub for performing arts. Though, the proposal comes with a much higher price tag for the city of around $447 million — and that’s just for the 3,000-seat auditorium.
All the additional proposed items, like the 1,200-seat auditorium, hotel and conference center and parking, would be paid for through funding acquired by Portland State University, university officials said Wednesday.
The third proposed option would take the theater across the Willamette River to Northeast Portland’s Lloyd Center. Urban Renaissance Group, which owns the mall, is proposing tearing it down and replacing it with the theater, along with new homes, offices, restaurants, and retail. In total, the proposal is estimated to cost around $429 million.
But the idea of moving the theater out of downtown and to the east side received practically no support in public testimony, with just one person speaking in favor — although a few others expressed opposition to the renovation plan due to the lengthy closure, without endorsing or rejecting either of the rebuild options.
What’s next
Over the next few months, the city and Metro will engage with stakeholders and the public on their preferred options. All the findings will be reported to the city council in August, where a decision is expected to be made.
Through July 7, members of the public can share their thoughts about the Keller's next act with Portland City Council by visiting this link.