About the Future of Large-Scale Performing Arts
Built in 1917, the Keller Auditorium is one of the Portland’5 Centers for the Arts venues. The nation’s fifth largest performing arts center, Portland’5 consists of five theatres that are owned by the City of Portland and operated by Metro under the oversight of the Metropolitan Recreation and Exposition Commission (MERC).
Like many older buildings, the Keller Auditorium was not built to withstand a major earthquake. In October 2024, Portland City Council accepted the recommendation to pursue a strategy to develop two Broadway-capable venues, a renovated Keller Auditorium and a new facility at Portland State University (PSU), to avoid a prolonged closure of the venue during which no alternative facility would be available. The resolution also recommended a market feasibility study and the development of a subsequent funding strategy.
The Future of Large-Scale Performing Arts project’s priorities are to ensure public safety for all, support the cultural life of the region, and drive economic vitality in downtown Portland.
What’s next for the Future of Large-Scale Performing Arts?
Before financial strategies and project plans are finalized, the City is inviting Portlanders to learn more about this effort in its very early stages—and inform the path forward.
As of the summer of 2025, the City’s project team has completed the initial steps outlined by Portland City Council, including completing a transportation study,convening a Performing Arts Venues Workgroup, and launching a market feasibility study.
Next steps will be determined when the market feasibility study is complete. In the meantime, the project team is working to establish a steering committee. More about all of this work can be found below, and you can always find the latest developments and news here:
Key areas of work
Since Portland City Council approved Resolution #37684 and Resolution #37680, the City’s project team has advanced and/or completed the following project-related work:
Ex-officio table
Mayor Keith Wilson has invited key stakeholders of Portland's performing arts ecosystem to join his ex-officio Table. These 15 stakeholders will meet four times in early 2026 to review the details of our studies and provide guidance on a decision as the City considers the future of Keller Auditorium and the potential of a new venue at Portland State University. The goal of this group will be to provide a recommendation on the best course of action.
Learn more about the ex-officio table
Steering committee
The City of Portland has assembled a group of technical experts—including from the fields of architecture, construction, finance, fundraising, performing arts, real estate development, urban planning, and venue operations—to serve on an eight-month steering committee that will make recommendations about the direction of the Future of Large-Scale Performing Arts project. The steering committee receives reports and progress updates related to the Future of Large-Scale Performing Arts project and provides their perspectives and feedback.
Market feasibility study
In July 2025, the City’s project team launched a market feasibility study to consider the viability of two Broadway-capable venues in downtown Portland. The study, performed by Hunden Partners, will provide vital information on what the Portland market can bear, both from the demand side (audience) and the supply side (venue renters and arts presenters). Slated for completion by the end of 2025, the study will provide recommendations to the City about the most viable pathway for large-scale venue development to serve the region.
Learn more about the market feasibility study
Performing Arts Venues Workgroup
Between January and June 2025, the City’s project team and Metro convened a 19-member Performing Arts Venues Workgroup to evaluate the operating and governance models of the Portland’5 Centers for the Arts. The workgroup’s short- and long-term recommendations were submitted to the City Administrator, MERC, and Metro Council on June 25, 2025 to inform their decision-making moving forward.
Transportation study
In June 2025, contractors DKS Associates concluded their initial transportation study of three potential performing arts venues scenarios, (1) including the renovation of the Keller Auditorium site, (2) the construction of a new PSU site, and (3) combined uses at both locations. The study did not identify any fatal flaws for either site, but did identify a number of opportunities and challenges with potential considerations for future site refinement.
Check out a summary of the transportation study’s findings
Related project proposals
As the City explores the two Broadway-capable venue approach, several concurrent proposals have also emerged for the City to consider:
Our Next Keller
Led by Portland’s Halprin Landscape Conservancy (HLC), the Our Next Keller proposal considers a major renovation and expansion of the Keller Auditorium. The proposal includes improvements to SW 3rd Avenue to better connect the auditorium to the Keller Fountain and create a programmable plaza space in the right of way.
PSU’s Portland Performing Arts + Culture Center Project
PSU’s Portland Performing Arts + Culture Center Project explores the development of a new Broadway-capable theater on the university’s campus in downtown Portland, alongside space for classrooms, rehearsal studios, and a smaller community theater. The PSU site would also accommodate a resident arts organization, a privately financed hotel, conference facilities, bars and restaurants, and parking.
Project milestones
Future of Large-Scale Performing Arts project milestones
Expand this table to see key project milestones listed in reverse chronological order.
2025
November: City of Portland selects members to serve on the Future of Large-Scale Performing Arts Steering Committee and Ex-Officio Table
The steering committee will receive reports and progress updates related to the Future of Large-Scale Performing Arts project and provide their perspectives and feedback. Upon reviewing preliminary reports and findings, the steering committee will make culminating recommendations on next steps and direction for the Future of Large-Scale Performing Arts project to Donnie Oliveira, Deputy City Administrator for Community and Economic Development, in June 2026.
Fifteen key stakeholders of Portland's performing arts ecosystem will join Mayor Keith Wilson's ex-officio table. These stakeholders will meet four times in early 2026 to review the details of our studies and provide guidance on a decision as the City considers the future of Keller Auditorium and the potential of a new venue at Portland State University. The goal of this group will be to provide a recommendation on the best course of action.
August: Planning begins to assemble steering committee
The project team's efforts to assemble a steering committee reflecting a broad range of subject matter expertise begins.
July: Market feasibility study launches
The City’s project team contracted with Hunden Partners to launch the Future of Keller’s market feasibility study, slated to be complete in winter 2025.
June: Performing Arts Venues Workgroup's recommendations released
The Performing Arts Venues Workgroup’s short- and long-term recommendations were submitted to the City Administrator, MERC, and Metro Council to inform their decision-making moving forward. Shortly thereafter, on July 8, 2025, the group’s recommendations were presented to the Portland City Council’s Arts and Economy Committee.
June: Initial transportation study concludes
DKS Associates, a contractor for the City’s project team, concluded their initial transportation study of a renovated Keller Auditorium and a new performing arts center at PSU.
2024
November: City signs Letter of Intent (LOI) with PSU
The City of Portland signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) with PSU to conceptualize the property development for performing arts at PSU’s site on SW Lincoln Street. PSU needed this agreement to continue the conceptual exploration of a new performing arts center on their site, which includes collecting opportunities for funding. Subsequently, City Council requested that staff conduct an analysis to determine whether Portland and the region had the capacity for two Broadway-capable venues.
October: Portland City Council passes Future of Keller resolutions
Portland City Council unanimously approved Resolution #37684 and Resolution #37680. Resolution #37648 called for the establishment of a Performing Arts Venues Workgroup to evaluate management of P’5 arts facilities. Resolution #37680 accepted the recommendation to pursue a strategy to develop two Broadway-capable venues—both avoiding a prolonged closure of the Keller Auditorium and greenlighting a market feasibility study and subsequent funding strategy.
August: Project team presents to Portland City Council
The City's project presented results from its community engagement efforts, which made it clear that Portlanders care a great deal about the performing arts and that the Broadway market in Portland is strong. At that meeting, the Mayor directed staff to work with both the HLC and PSU teams to identify whether a unified recommendation could be made related to the future of performing arts at the Keller.
Over the subsequent five weeks, staff brought the teams together and met for nine sessions together, led by Deputy City Administrator Donnie Oliveira and professional facilitator Ben Duncan from Kearns and West.
June-August: Project team engages community members
Community engagement efforts resulted in more than 3,000 community members and stakeholders weighing in on the future of the Keller Auditorium and Portland’s performing arts landscape. A monthlong survey and individual focus groups provided a chance for community members, theater users, arts organizations, employees, labor groups, venue operators, and regional tourism interest to share their values, needs, priorities, and concerns around the future of the region’s largest performing arts facility.
May: Three project proposals presented to Portland City Council
Three proposals were formally presented to the Portland City Council on May 29, 2024—one for renovating the Keller Auditorium and two for building a new performing arts facility.
May: Economic impact and independent cost analyses reports released
Crossroads Consulting released a report that estimated the economic and fiscal impacts of the Keller Auditorium, underscoring that the Keller Auditorium is an economic engine in Portland. At around the same time, Venue Consulting released independent cost analyses for a Keller Auditorium renovation and new venues at Portland State University and the Lloyd Center.
2023
October: Three RFEI proposals selected for further exploration
After receiving eight Requests for Expression of Interest (RFEI) in August, evaluators from Prosper Portland, Metro, Portland’5 Centers for the Arts, and the City met with five proposal teams in October. Of those five, evaluators chose three to move forward for further analysis, design, and conceptual development.
August: Eight RFEI proposals submitted to project team
Eight proposals were submitted in response to the City’s RFEI, giving evaluators a unique opportunity to examine locations for the potential development of a new large-scale performing arts venue, including at Portland State University, an Oregon Museum of Science and Industry property, RiverPlace, the former ESCO steel foundry, Zidell Yards, and two locations in the Lloyd District—including the Lloyd Center Mall.
August: HLC releases their renovation concept
HLC unveiled their renovation concept for the existing Keller Auditorium facility.
July: City announces plans to explore availability of new potential site(s)
The City of Portland announced that it would explore the availability of potential sites for a new performing arts venue and invited RFEIs by interest-holding parties by August 2023.
2022
November: Portland’s ballot measure 26-228 passes
Portland voters approved ballot measure 26-228 that would go into effect in January 2025. When implemented, the measure would change the structure of the City government and the process for electing City officials, which would have the potential to impact the City’s resource allocation priorities, including for the Future of Keller project.
May: Property owners join efforts to further develop Halprin design
Neighboring property owners joined HLC’s efforts to further develop a concept for the Keller Auditorium (Our Next Keller). In May, City Council approved a spring funding bump that would award the team with $200,000 to further develop their renovation concept. That funding accrued in fiscal year 2022-23, and by December 2022, a grant agreement was in place for work that would begin in early 2023. Metro also provided the group with $200,000 in funding for this work, while HLC contributed an additional $200,000+ in private funding to their effort.
April: Seismic study released
After COVID-related delays, the seismic study was released—confirming that the Keller Auditorium is not structurally sound. The report included three options to consider: (1) Address the Keller Auditorium’s structural and seismic issues only, which would be expensive and take the building offline for an extended period, all while not addressing the venue’s other issues (ADA accessibility, inadequate restrooms, etc.), (2) Make a larger investment that addresses every issue, including seismic and structural, as well as system updates and every building-related need, which would cost significantly more and take the building offline longer, or (3) Consider building a new venue that’s state of the art, meets every need and requirement, and would not require any offline performance nights.
2020
March: Seismic study completed
The seismic study confirmed that, like many older civic buildings, the Keller Auditorium was not built to withstand a major earthquake. As a result, the City and its partners began teaming up to explore possibilities so that large-scale productions can continue long into the future. Though the study was completed in 2020, its release was delayed by the onset of the pandemic in 2020—pushing its release date to April 2022.
2018
City engages architects and engineers
The City engaged local architectural firm Merryman Barnes, Seattle-based architecture, urban design, and interiors firm LMN Architects, and local structural engineering firm Miller Consulting Engineers to analyze the Keller Auditorium and begin work on a comprehensive seismic analysis.
2017
Private design competition launched
Separate from the City's seismic work and emerging from a neighborhood enhancement and beautification project, a private design competition was held to explore what a large-scale renovation of the venue might look like. The City declined to participate in this competition so that its team could focus on efforts related to any structural and seismic issues, which the design competition did not address. The result of this competition was called the "Marking the Keller" proposal, which went on to form the basis of what would become Our Next Keller.
2016
Keller's unreinforced masonry studied by City
City Council, the Bureau of Emergency Management, Portland Fire & Rescue, and Portland Permitting & Development launched an effort that examined unreinforced masonry (URM) buildings in Portland, outlined updates that needed to be made for those buildings, and created a timeline to implement those updates. During this time, the Keller Auditorium became one of the first buildings required to be updated as a result of these new rules. Larger conversations about the need to explore the structural integrity of the nearly 100-year-old Keller Auditorium began.
The Future of Large-Scale Performing Arts team
The City’s Future of Large-Scale Performing Arts project team consists of staff from the Community & Economic Development Service Area, Office of Arts & Culture, and the Spectator Venues and Visitor Activities Program, including:
- 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
- Kelly Knickerbocker, Communications Coordinator, Office of Arts & Culture
- Magan Reed, Public Information Manager, Portland Bureau of Planning and Sustainability
Related documents
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