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455-2024

Report

Accept updated Halprin Landscape Conservancy Keller Auditorium Renovation Design Concept report

Accepted
To: City Council
From:

Mike Jordan, Chief Administrative Officer

Karl Lisle, Spectator Venues Program Manager

Lauren Broudy, Spectator Venues Program Coordinator

Subject:Accept Halprin Landscape Conservancy’s Keller Auditorium Renovation Design Concept Updated Report (Report; Grant Agreement No. 32003038)

This Council Item accepts the updated report from the Halprin Landscape Conservancy for their Keller Auditorium renovation proposal.

The current Keller Auditorium has structural and operational issues and solutions are being explored as to how to move forward with the aging facility.

The City is exploring whether to renovate on-site or build anew on a different site.

In September 2023 (see Item 819-2023), the Halprin Landscape Conservancy presented their renovation concept for the Keller. They have since updated their concept, which is what Council is accepting at this meeting.

In addition to the renovation concept, Council has also received two conceptual designs from Lloyd Center and Portland State University for a new performing arts facility on their respective sites. In January 2024 (see Ordinance 191606), two grants were awarded: one to Lloyd Center and one to Portland State University, to develop their design concept reports Council is also accepting today. 

Now that three design concepts are in hand, the City will embark on a month-long engagement journey to gather feedback on all three designs, including the renovation on site and two new build scenarios on new sites. Engagement will include targeted stakeholder outreach as well as the collection of public input. Up to date projection information is available on the project webpage: www.portland.gov/keller.

Results of the June engagement efforts are targeted to be shared with Council at the July 31, 2024 City Council meeting.

Impact Statement

Purpose of Proposed Legislation and Background Information

This updated report from the Halprin Landscape Conservancy “HLC” captures HLC’s work with Hennebery Eddy Architects and a larger consultant team for a potential renovation of the Keller Auditorium.

The Keller Auditorium is known as the workhorse of the Portland’5 Centers for the Arts venues, hosting nearly 400,000 guests each year and providing the only stage in the region capable of hosting large-scale theatrical performances such as Broadway productions, ballet, operas and more. 

While the HLC report details one design concept option for a renovated Keller, there are two additional options to consider, including a new facility on a different site. The biggest hurdle a Keller renovation faces is figuring out how to generate revenue and preserve jobs and economic benefits if the Keller were to close for 19+ months during renovation.

Background Information

After the Keller Auditorium was added to the City’s list of unreinforced masonry (URM) buildings in 2016, work began to investigate the seismic stability of the facility.

In March 2020, the Keller Seismic Analysis Summary Report was completed, which outlined the structural deficiencies of the Keller and laid out potential options to consider moving forward: 

  • Limited building renovation addressing seismic upgrades;
  • Major building renovation including new additions;
  • Building a new facility on the existing site or an alternative site.

In 2017, a private design competition was held to explore what a large-scale renovation might look like. In 2022, neighboring property owners and design professionals joined the Halprin Landscape Conservancy to further develop a design concept for the space. HLC’s private funding was matched by $200,000 of public funding from each the City and Metro. 

In 2023, HLC came up with a large-scale renovation design for the existing facility. During this period, the City began a tangential effort to explore what building a new facility might look like on an alternate site.

Eight sites were submitted by proposers to accommodate a new performing arts facility across Portland. After an evaluation process that included staff from Mayor Wheeler’s Office, Commissioner Ryan’s Office, the Office of Management and Finance, the Bureau of Planning and Sustainability, Prosper Portland and Metro, two sites were selected to explore design concepts: Lloyd Center and Portland State University.

Over the span of five months, with $50,000 grant agreements from the City and the help of a cost consultant retained by Metro, Lloyd Center and Portland State University worked with their own architects and theater designers to develop more detailed designs that test the feasibility of their sites. 

All three options would address the deficiencies of the current Keller Auditorium and give the City and region a greatly improved performance venue capable of serving the City for another one-hundred years. 

The City worked with Metro and the proposers to produce a cost analysis from Venue Consultants, a firm that specializes in analyzing costs specific to renovating and constructing performing arts venues. The results of Venue Consultants’ analysis will be shared during the staff introduction to today’s presentations and be made available to the public as soon as feasible.

In addition to the cost analysis, the City also worked with Crossroads Consulting, a firm that specializes in economic impact analysis of major venues, to understand the economic impacts of the Keller and of a potential closure of the facility. The results of this analysis will be shared during the staff introduction to today’s presentations and be made available to the public as soon as feasible.

The goal of today’s presentations and reports is to introduce the City Council and community to the three alternative visions for Keller’s next act. No decisions are requested.

The draft timeline and engagement strategy includes:

MAY - Multimedia Engagement

  • Media interviews with Greg Phillips, CSTAR Development, an experienced performing arts advisor/consultant on behalf of the City of Portland and Robyn Williams, Executive Director of Portland'5 Centers for the Arts, Metro
  • All available web and social media channels
  • Partnership with Metro to co-promote engagement

JUNE - Online Public Input Form and Targeted Stakeholder Engagement Focus Groups

  • Labor Unions
  • Arts Organizations (all P’5 users)
  • P’5 Staff
  • MERC
  • Non-profit Area Theaters
  • Travel Portland and Metro Chamber
  • P’5 Adult Council
  • P’5 Youth Council
  • Independent Venues Coalition

JULY - Results and Data Analyzed

  • Analysis and Summary Report targeted for July 31, 2024 City Council Meeting

Financial and Budgetary Impacts

The City Spectator Venues and Visitor Activities Fund provided one grant of $200,000 to the Halprin Landscape Conservancy to further develop the Keller Auditorium renovation concept.

The City Spectator Venues and Visitor Activities Fund provided two grant agreements each totaling $50,000: one to Lloyd Center and one to Portland State University for their design work for their sites.

The City Spectator Venues and Visitor Activities Fund paid for a facilitator to oversee conversations between Lloyd Center and Portland State University and the current users of the Keller Auditorium.

Metro paid for a universal cost analysis, that examines both HLC’s renovation design of the existing Keller, Lloyd Center’s new design for a facility on their site and Portland State University’s new design for a facility on their site.

The City Spectator Venues and Visitor Activities Fund paid for an economic impact analysis that targeted the Keller’s impact in the metro region as well as how a closure of the Keller would impact the economy.

Both the City and Metro will contribute efforts toward the public outreach campaign following the Council presentations on May 29.

Community Impacts and Community Involvement

In March, the City hired a communications consultant, In Common Agency, to support and expand communication efforts regarding the project. The City’s website has been up to date: www.portland.gov/keller, reader boards at theaters have been publicizing the website and posters and business cards have been distributed at Portland’5 venues, directing interested parties to visit the project website for the most up to date information. 

The monthly City Arts Newsletter has also been featuring project updates and as part of design concept development, current users of the Keller (e.g., Broadway Across America, Oregon Ballet Theatre and Oregon Symphony) were briefed and interviewed to inform site designs and project needs.

The City will post the three reports to the Council agenda for public consumption.

Once a broader engagement platform launches in June (see draft engagement table), more expansive community engagement will take place through targeted stakeholder engagement and public input solicitation. 

The City will continue to post project updates to the Spectator Venues Program website as well as to social media.

100% Renewable Goal

Both the renovation design and the new facility designs will center on green and sustainable design. All three options will improve outputs when compared with the current, outdated facility.

In any scenario, the City’s Green Building Policy and Metro’s Sustainable Building & Sites policy will be incorporated into any future design.

Financial and Budget Analysis

This ordinance and two others below (Portland State University and Halprin Landscape Conservancy Design Concept reports) pertain to the City's exploration of whether to renovate Keller Auditorium on-site or build anew on a different site. The City Spectator Venues and Visitor Activities Fund provided one grant of $200,000 to the Halprin Landscape Conservancy to further develop the Keller Auditorium renovation concept. The fund also provided two grant agreements each totaling $50,000: one to Lloyd Center and one to Portland State University for their design work for their sites. In addition, the fund paid for a facilitator to oversee conversations between Lloyd Center and Portland State University and the current users of the Keller Auditorium. Metro paid for a universal cost analysis, that examines both HLC’s renovation design of the existing Keller, Lloyd Center’s new design for a facility on their site and Portland State University’s new design for a facility on their site. The City Spectator Venues and Visitor Activities Fund paid for an economic impact analysis that targeted the Keller’s impact in the metro region as well as how a closure of the Keller would impact the economy. Both the City and Metro will contribute efforts toward the public outreach campaign following the Council presentations on May 29.

Document History

Agenda Council action
Time Certain
City Council
Accepted
Motion to accept the report: Moved by Gonzalez and seconded by Ryan.

Votes
  • Aye (4):
    • Ryan
    • Rene Gonzalez
    • Mingus Mapps
    • Carmen Rubio
  • Absent (1):
    • Ted Wheeler

City department

Contact

Karl Lisle

Spectator Venues Program Manager

Lauren Broudy

Spectator Venues Program Coordinator

Requested Agenda Type

Time Certain

Date and Time Information

Requested Council Date
Requested Start Time
2:00 pm
Time Requested
3 hours (1 of 3)
Confirmed Time Certain
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