Since Portland’s City Council advanced the exploration of two Broadway-capable venues in 2024, the team has made significant progress toward developing a potential strategy to guide the process. The team's bench is deep, representing seasoned staff from the Community & Economic Development Service Area, the Office of Arts & Culture, the Spectator Venues program, Prosper Portland, and Portland Parks & Recreation. This work is also supported by input from other City teams such as the Portland Bureau of Transportation, the Bureau of Planning & Sustainability, and the Portland Permitting & Development.
The Future of Large-Scale Performing Arts team includes:
- Donnie Oliveira, Deputy City Administrator, Community & Economic Development Service Area
- Chariti Montez, Director, Office of Arts & Culture
- Karl Lisle, Spectator Venues and Visitor Activities Program Manager
- Lauren Broudy, Spectator Venues Program Coordinator
- Brian Moore, Development Manager, Prosper Portland
- Soo Pak, Arts, Culture, and Special Events Manager, Portland Parks & Recreation
- Elliott Kozuch, Public Information Manager, Community & Economic Development Service Area
- Magan Reed, Communications Director, Bureau of Planning and Sustainability
- Kelly Knickerbocker, Communications Coordinator, Office of Arts & Culture
With such heightened community interest in performing arts in Portland, the project team invites the public to participate in these early steps to inform decision-making. We are on this journey together.
Forming the Final Plan
The ultimate strategy, informed by the steps the project team is currently taking, will determine if a two-venue approach is viable. The City has undertaken a transportation feasibility study and is launching a market feasibility study. While pursuing information to help inform what a strategy to open two Broadway-capable venues could be, that information may tell us to take a different direction.
Transportation Study
The City worked with DKS Associates, a local transportation engineering firm, to understand the impacts of two Broadway-capable venues (3,000+ seats) on downtown traffic. The study, completed in June 2025, examined potential changes to traffic patterns and conditions and determined there are no “fatal flaws” to preclude either site from updating and/or materializing. However, the study does highlight various opportunities and challenges the City must consider for potential next steps.
Read the results of the transportation study
Market Feasibility Study
In July, the City kicked off work with Hunden Partners, an expert in tourism in placemaking, to conduct a market feasibility study. This study will determine the appetite in Portland for two Broadway-capable venues and will recommend the optimal number of seats for these venue(s). The study is ongoing, and results are anticipated to be in hand in early 2026.
Learn more about this work from the Office of Arts & Culture
Portland State University’s Efforts to Conceptualize a Two-theater Performing Arts Center
In November 2024, the City signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) with Portland State University to conceptualize the property development for performing arts at PSU's site on SW Lincoln Street. The intent of the agreement is to outline the concept for a performing arts center capable of housing a City-owned Broadway-capable venue and a PSU-owned 600-1,200 seat venue. This agreement was put in place after the City Council requested staff conduct a study to determine whether Portland has an appetite for two-Broadway capable venues. PSU needed this agreement to continue the conceptual exploration of a new performing arts center on their site, which includes collecting opportunities for funding. To learn more about their work, please visit PSU’s project page.
Steering Committee
City Council's direction authorizes the Deputy City Administrator to form a steering committee to participate in the City’s performing arts center process as it unfolds. The application for this steering committee is currently being developed and will include members with expertise in:
- Architecture
- Finance
- Real Estate development
- Performing arts
- Urban planning
- Venue operations
- Fundraising and development
- Construction
- Public/private partnerships
The application for the steering committee is slated to launch later this summer. The call for applicants will be posted on the Office of Arts & Culture webpage and promoted in their monthly newsletter.
Related Updates
The City’s Performing Arts Venue Workgroup
The Portland’5 Centers for the Arts are owned by the City of Portland but operated by Metro under a long-standing agreement. A Performing Arts Venues Workgroup was formed in January 2025 to address deficiencies in the agreement. In June 2025, the Performing Arts Venues Workgroup released their short- and long-term recommendations to help guide the City and Metro on how they might consider operating the Portland’5 venues into the future, including the Keller Auditorium.