PORTLAND, Ore. — Developers looking to build a concert venue fit for 3,500 fans on the Central Eastside of Portland got clearance from the city's hearings officer this week, paving the way for the project to move forward.
The 62,000-square-foot venue would sit near the Hawthorne Bridge. While those behind the proposal are local, some music lovers feel uneasy about their partnership with the often-criticized entertainment giant Live Nation.
On the corner of Southeast Salmon Street and Water Avenue, signs reveal a gravel lot won't be empty much longer. Those living and working in the area have mixed feeling on the development, though several people are excited for a new music destination.
"It's pretty positive," said Jackson Van, who lives a couple blocks away from the site. "As long as they build something cool, because this is kind of the center right here."
This week, the Portland's hearings officer approved the development to be used as a concert venue.
In a statement, Jonathan Malsin with Beam Development and Andrew Colas with Colas Development Group wrote, "Creating a 3,500-capacity venue will fill a gap in Portland's music market and support more artists and shows. As second-generation local family businesses, Beam Development and Colas Development Group thank the many supporters of this project and look forward to the economic development and jobs this project will bring to the Central Eastside."
Musician Curtis Ayers, who also works for nearby Bunk Bar, said a venue this size not only fills a gap in the market, but it will bring much-needed foot traffic to the Central Eastside as well.
"For all of these businesses I would assume that it's going to be a very positive thing," he said. "Hopefully for the music scene in Portland too, it could be a positive thing."
Despite the excitement, others worry about the traffic mixed with the train crossings. One of the main biggest drawbacks is partner in this project: Live Nation. One trade organization that supports music professionals, called MusicPortland, considers the entertainment giant a threat to the local music scene.
Portland is one of the few major metro areas without a Live Nation venue. However, the entertainment company does help facilitate concerts at the Moda Center.
Developers argue that they've teamed up with Live Nation because members of the team live and work in Portland, have experience booking entertainment here, and understand what makes the city unique.
Right now, according to the developers, there's no construction timeline or opening date.