Transcript
Automatically generated transcript. It may contain errors and includes testimony in languages other than English that is not individually marked up for assistive technology.
Unidentified speaker
Good afternoon.
It is 2:01 PM on Tuesday, July 28th.
I am calling to order this meeting of the City Life Diego, could you please call the roll?
Good afternoon.
Morillo?
Angelita Morillo
Here.
Unidentified speaker
Zimmerman?
Eric Zimmerman
Here.
Unidentified speaker
Avalos?
Candace Avalos
Absent.
Unidentified speaker
Ryan?
Dan Ryan
Here.
Unidentified speaker
Pirtle-Guiney?
Elana Pirtle-Guiney
Here.
Unidentified speaker
And Christopher, could you please read the statement of conduct?
Welcome to the meeting of the City Life Committee.
To testify before this committee in person or virtually, you must sign up in advance on the committee agenda at www.portland.gov/council/agenda/city-life-committee or by calling through Information on engaging with the committee can be found at this link.
Registration for virtual testimony closes 1 hour prior to the meeting.
In-person testifiers must sign up before the agenda item is heard.
If public testimony will be taken on an item, individuals may testify for 3 minutes unless the chair states otherwise.
Your microphone will be muted when your time is over.
The chair preserves order.
Disruptive conduct such as shouting, refusing to conclude your testimony when your time is up, or interrupting others' testimony or committee deliberations will not be allowed.
If you cause a disruption, a warning will be given.
Further disruption results in ejection from the meeting.
Anyone who fails to leave once ejected is subject to arrest for trespass.
Additionally, the committee may take a short recess Your testimony should address the matter being considered.
Melissa Finkel
When testifying, state your name for the record.
Unidentified speaker
If you're a lobbyist, identify the organization you represent.
Virtual testifiers should unmute themselves when the clerk calls your name.
Melissa Finkel
Thank you.
Thank you, Christopher.
Colleagues, I am gonna save most of my introductory remarks to our meeting for the beginning of agenda items 3 and 4, but we do have one big topic on our agenda today, 2 agenda items that will address that topic.
We'll be looking at City-owned performing arts spaces broadly.
But before we get there, we do need to approve our June committee minutes and hear from a couple of folks about other important topics that they'd like to make sure we consider.
Donny, I don't want— we're going to make you move in a minute, Donny.
I got it.
Sorry, we'll get you quickly, I promise.
But Diego, could you please read agenda item 1?
Item 1, June 9th to June 23rd, 2026, City Life Committee meeting minutes.
And colleagues, is there unanimous consent to approve the minutes?
Unidentified speaker
Yes.
Melissa Finkel
Okay, Councilor Murillo, any objections?
None at all.
Perfect.
So we have approved the minutes.
Diego, could you please read agenda item number 2?
Item 2, document number 2026-268, public input on City Life Committee topics.
Thank you.
And colleagues, we open up this time every meeting to hear from Portlanders about topics related to the work of our committee, but not related to agenda, to items on that meeting's agenda, to make sure that there's nothing that we're missing going on.
And I think we have 2 people signed up today.
So Diego, if you could please call up First up, Melissa Finkel.
Welcome.
Thank you for being here with us today.
Thank you.
Should I go ahead?
Unidentified speaker
All right.
Melissa Finkel
Good afternoon, Chair and members of the City Life Committee.
My name is Melissa Finkel and I am a Parkrose business owner.
Over the past month, I've personally called many businesses and property owners who would have been required to pay the ESD assessment.
The overwhelming response was that of surprise, Most had no idea this proposal existed or that they could be required to pay an annual fee for the next 10 years.
That raises an important question: how did the city determine this proposal had broad community support?
At the July 14th hearing, the city ESD coordinator pointed to mailers, public meetings, and an online survey.
But mailers only provide notice.
They don't demonstrate support.
The city survey received just 5 responses, all opposing the proposal.
Meanwhile, Protect Parkrose has identified Thank you.
We simply ask the city to explain what objective criteria it uses to determine that an ESD has sufficient community support before advancing a proposal involving millions of dollars in mandatory fees.
There is also growing concern among business and property owners about Historic Park Rose's financial condition based on its publicly available IRS form 990 filings.
Before any nonprofit is entrusted with managing millions of dollars in mandatory assessments, the city should be conducting independent financial due diligence to ensure the organization is financially stable and capable of managing a long-term public contract.
These issues extend beyond Park Rose and is going to District 3 and 4 here real soon.
We respectfully ask the committee to strengthen the city's standard ordinances for evaluating both community support and the financial qualifications of organizations seeking to manage ESD funds.
Thank you for your time.
Thank you for being here.
Unidentified speaker
Next is Ghalib bin Imhotep.
Melissa Finkel
Good afternoon.
Go right ahead when you're ready.
Unidentified speaker
Yes, this happens twice.
Melissa Finkel
This is—.
Unidentified speaker
First I'm in a quasi-judicial, uh, meeting or hearing.
Now there's a packed house.
I thought this would be a little bit more, uh, personable.
I need you to really speak into that mic.
I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm very nervous.
Let me begin this speech by paying homage to Zenzula Maat, One of the strongest women I will ever meet in my life.
What she helped me become, I can only offer my utmost appreciation for.
Today she celebrates her 47th turn around the sun.
I love you, sister, with all my heart and soul, and I will that your 47th rotation be abundant.
Enjoy yourself.
Good afternoon, councilors.
I am Ghalib bin Imhotep El, and I am domiciled in District 4.
I will be brief because in matters of this nature, I have— I often have a hard time finding words to convey what I am thinking, attempting to achieve, and the motivations for them.
So I'll state for the public record the answers to those 3 questions, backed by the trust that I have sworn an oath-bound duty to uphold.
Yes.
Whenever I ask myself these 3 questions, the answers, they don't change.
What am I thinking about?
What am I thinking about?
Orion Stewart McFarland, Zaire James McFarland, and Cyrus Armstrong McFarland.
What am I attempting to achieve?
A legacy for them.
What are my motivations?
Orion Stewart McFarland, Zaire James McFarland, And Cyrus Armstrong McFarland.
I think you can understand the difficulty now.
I have an extensive background, but I also have something else, something that will greatly benefit Portland.
The moment that I shared outside of the Roseland with Councilor Avalos— I wish she could be here— but that moment, I don't know if she shared with you, I'll cherish that moment for the rest of my life.
I have a picture of it, and I can smile about it, and I know I will forever.
Before that happened, there was a woman that came from Councilor Green's campaign kickoff, I guess, and she was trying to solicit for a vote saying that he supported street dogs.
And I'm thinking to myself, well, if he does, then I would definitely support him.
And I told him the same thing that I'm going to tell you guys today.
I met him, I shook his hand, I spoke to him, and I love the guy.
I'm asking for a small amount of support.
Councilor Smith.
To boost this concept to the answer of what it is that I am attempting to achieve.
I think it's highly feasible.
The documents that I have submitted to the council clerk are for your review.
There would be no greater irony than to have a street dog vendor in Boston hand a guy a Portlander after the Trail Blazers put the Celtics out of the NBA Finals.
I do not allow any decision Thank you.
Thank you so much for being here today with us.
That concludes testimony.
Okay, colleagues, that moves us to agenda item 3.
And Diego, I'll have you open agenda item 3 and And then I wanna make a few comments about agenda items 3 and 4.
Go right ahead.
Open it together?
No, just agenda item 3.
Thank you.
Item 3, document number 2026-269, Performing Arts Venues Discussion.
Thank you.
So colleagues, over the last year, we have had a lot of conversation about city assets.
Some more notable high-profile conversations recently, but also about things like bathrooms and parks and office buildings and generally how the city maintains what we own.
Some, but not all Portlanders may know that we as a city own a number of performing arts venues.
That ownership means that we're in a position to think strategically about our arts ecosystem and how we support and have space for the different players in that ecosystem.
We are entering into what has been about a 10-year conversation about some of the needs in that ecosystem, including the future of what is now our largest venue, the Keller, and what that looks like moving forward.
There's also a lot happening outside of that conversation, though, that relates to our venues.
So today we're going to start a conversation about the city's venues broadly, what we own, the transfer and management of those venues, which were previously managed by Metro, and, and other broad broad pieces of background around our city-owned performing arts venues.
As always, we'll have an opportunity for councilors to ask questions so that we can have a strong shared understanding of what the city-owned performing arts ecosystem looks like.
This is a conversation that the Arts and Economy Committee stepped into last year, but multiple councilors on and off this committee, as well as a number of stakeholders, have asked that we have this conversation today in this committee so that we all have that background about our broader venue ecosystem.
The second half of our meeting, we will be specifically talking about the work around the future of our large-scale performing arts venues.
There has been a 10-year process, including substantial work not only by the previous City Commission, but also in our own Arts and Economy Committee last year around this topic.
And that work culminated in a workgroup that met over the last 6 months and which released a report of its recommendations just a few weeks ago.
I want to thank Councilors Clark and Dunphy, who sat on that workgroup, for being a part of that work and bringing Council's voice, or the voice at least of The workgroup report, which came out last month, looks at the future of large-scale performing arts venues in our city.
We now have a resolution before us that includes the mayor's recommendation on how to move forward with those workgroup recommendations.
During that second portion of the meeting, we'll hear from both supporters of the recommendation as well as folks who may have a few concerns but were a part of the workgroup.
The process, as well as representatives of the workers who will be affected directly by any changes in our performing arts spaces.
We'll also have an opportunity to hear a significant amount of public testimony during that part of the meeting.
Depending on time, we will have council discussion today and consider any possible amendments.
But if we don't have time, because I do want to make sure we hear as much public testimony as possible, We will plan to carry the agenda item over to our next meeting, which will be Tuesday, August 11th.
I want to say a word before we dive in about the importance of this topic.
I've heard from some who have asked why this conversation about spaces the city owns and invests in is so critical.
We're not talking about our streets, our public safety, our parks and pools.
But the City of Portland has made a longstanding commitment, truly over decades, to say that as a city, we value having a robust arts ecosystem, that it's good for Portland's economy, that it's good for our arts and culture scene, and that it's good for Portlanders.
As a city, we've always made sure that there's space not only for our larger performing arts companies, but also for the smaller ones.
To the extent that I recently learned that we have over 700 nonprofit arts organizations, roughly twice the size as many other cities have.
Now, we can have varying opinions about whether that's a good or a bad thing for our city, but what I know is that it creates opportunities for artists to try creative things they might not otherwise be able to do and creates opportunities for Portlanders to engage with art that's speaks to them, that represents them in ways that they might not otherwise experience.
That happens in part because our city has made this concerted commitment, not just through our venues, but through a host of programs to support the arts ecosystem.
So as we dive into the conversation today, I hope that we can spend this first half thinking about our commitment through our venues, just one part of that commitment to the arts more broadly, and what that looks like.
And then we'll dive into the more specific question before us around the workgroups that we've seen over the past few years and this most recent recommendation.
So with that, we're going to jump into agenda item 3.
I'd like to ask our DCA for Community and Economic Development, Donny Oliveira, and Sue Pack from our Arts and Culture Office— are you all in office?
Yes.
Yes, the Arts and Culture Office.
Thank you.
To come forward so that we can hear some background on the state of our performing arts venues in Portland right now.
Thank you.
Donny Oliveira
Okay, thank you, Chair.
Good afternoon, councilors.
For the record, my name is Donny Oliveira.
I'm the Deputy City Administrator with the Community and Economic Development Service Area.
I'm joined by Sue Pack from the Office of Arts and Culture.
Who's not here with us right now is Director Montez, who's on personal leave.
And I want to first start by saying, Charity, I hope you're not watching this, and if you are, we're sending you good vibes and get well soon.
All right, so some of the content that we're going to share with you today is very familiar.
It's been presented at the committee meetings or shared in memos over the past year and a half, but we know that this topic is understandably of high interest to our community members, our aficionados, the people that come to Portland from the broader region and state that are passionate about the arts.
Our civic arts facilities are a source of pride and culture, and they contribute to our local creative economy.
So today's discussion will survey a lot of topics on this issue.
We'll do our best to hit the key points and can pause for questions along the way, but we're in for a bit of content.
So let's get into it.
Next slide, please.
Real quick, just want to cover what we're going to talk about.
The chair did a great job of outlining this, but we're really going to focus on the Portland 5 Center for the Arts transition first.
We'll dive into what's going on there and then really then speak to the large-scale performing arts venue conversations.
Next slide, please.
Let's go.
Yeah, thank you.
All right, so what are we talking about here?
First and foremost, let's set the stage, no pun intended.
So there are Thank you.
We have 5 performing arts facilities owned by the City of Portland.
Currently, they're all operated by Metro in 3 buildings.
They range in size, in age.
Obviously, we have the larger Keller Auditorium, which is 109 years old.
And then we also have the Hauptfeld Hall, built in the '80s, that contains the 3 smaller theaters.
These facilities are home to some of our most well-known performing arts organizations and host both large— larger commercial productions like Broadway, as well as smaller nonprofit performances and events Like Councilor Pirtle Gandy alluded to.
Next slide, please.
These facilities are important cultural assets and contribute significantly to our local economy and civic life.
They draw visitors to Portland, create jobs and other economic spending, and host hundreds of public events each year.
Next slide, please.
So first and foremost, as I said, we're going to focus at two bodies of work that the Arts and Office of Culture and many city employees.
Had supported.
First, the process of how we got to the transition plan for Portland 5, and then the future of the large-scale performing arts contemplation between renovating Keller and a potential new venue at PSU.
Next slide.
Again, thank you.
All right, let's do some background here for the public's FYI, just to set the stage here.
So currently, the city's relationship with Metro is that we are The owners of the facilities, but have an existing IGA with Metro for the operations of the P5 venues.
That's been in place since the late '80s.
It's been updated several times, the IGA, but ultimately where we're at today is we are looking at a scenario where Metro's made a decision that's going to be changing that come 2027.
In 2022, there was an audit contemplated by Metro Next slide, please.
Simultaneously, in 2024, City Council adopted a resolution that created the Performing Arts Venue Workgroup.
This made up— was made up of key stakeholders to evaluate the management of the facilities.
So on one hand, we had Metro as the operator doing an audit, and then as the owner, Metro also had to do an audit.
Next slide, please.
Just want to take a moment to name but also appreciate and acknowledge the folks that contributed to that working group.
They convened between January and June in 2025.
And ultimately, this group was thinking about advancing the directive of that work resolution.
Specifically, they considered the opportunities and challenges to both the immediate and long-term operations and ultimately the planning for the future of the venues.
Next slide, please.
One of the issues the workgroup looked at was the capital needs of the P5 facilities.
They emphasized that funding capital needs through operating budget is a poor practice and should be discontinued.
And they recommended building a capital fund and beginning capital planning immediately, starting with facility condition assessments, which Metro actually completed this spring.
And we have some details on those.
But ultimately, what we're looking at is if the city is going to operate— or excuse me, manage these facilities and operate them for the long term, we had to address head-on the deferred backlog of maintenance necessary to not just keep the buildings running, but to modernize them and keep them fresh for the needs of the modern Artists and visitors.
Next slide, please.
So at a high level, the group recommended changing the 2-government model.
Fundamentally, that's unique to our setup and not recommended or seen across the country.
The working group recommended that the city and Metro start preparing to dissolve the IGA and that the city, as the owner of these facilities, ultimately decide what new operating model for the facilities would be the most effective.
Next slide, please.
During that, uh, that working group convening, they contemplated several different scenarios to further explore.
Those are all listed here.
And while they didn't recommend a specific alternative model, they did provide some options that we would consider and that needed further investigation.
For example, the city could contract with another operator outside, whether it be nonprofit or for-profit or university, to take over the functions currently managed by Metro.
The city could take on the work of managing the facilities themselves, or there could be a mix-match of different ways we could break up the facilities to be managed.
The point being is lots of ideas that needed further exploration.
Next slide, please.
And just for context, just to kind of paint the further picture of what we're solving for here, this is a very complex system that we're talking about.
And that complexity adds to the challenges identifying next steps.
Thank you.
So the programming is driven by resident companies such as Oregon Symphony, Portland Opera, Oregon Ballet, plus Broadway Across America, which, which together make up much of the content.
But we also make the spaces available for nonprofit arts organizations and commercial presenters who rent out on some of those open dates when the resident companies aren't active.
There's a $25 million annual operating budget that across the whole portfolio essentially breaks even, and we'll talk about that in a second.
P5 has 450 employees, all of which are currently Metro staff.
Those staff are represented by 6 collective bargaining agreements, 4 of which are being negotiated this year.
Metro also supports the central services for those staff in the venues more broadly to the tune of about $4 million.
So when we think about that, it's important to contemplate what the city of Portland would look like if we were going to be managing those central services on behalf of the, the P5 employees.
I'm also— just to add flavor to this, there are approximately 150 vendor and partner agreements that make up the ecosystem of how those venues are run today.
Next slide, please.
So the process of dissolving the IGA really picked up in earnest, um, this past year.
On December 31st, Metro notified the city of their intent to withdraw from P5 operations.
That was completely within the realm of the IGA, so it was totally appropriate.
There was no surprises, so we were aware that that was happening.
And then per the IGA, that set off an 18-month preparation window, which means that the transfer of the management would go into effect on July 1st, 2027.
So that gives us about a year to figure out what operating structure we would want and to ensure that we have that in place ready to go on July 1st.
If Charity was here, she could tell you the exact days remaining as she tracks that every day.
So given this very aggressive timeline, we didn't waste any time.
And due to the complexity of the system, which we covered just in the last slide.
Over the past several months, we've been collecting information and data to best inform the next steps of what it will look like for the city to take over this body of work.
Next slide, please.
So first and foremost, we wanted to understand what types of options we had on the table beyond the obvious of the city taking over operations.
So in January, Arts and Culture put out an RFI to get ideas for how we might approach this decision.
We wanted to understand the concepts for operating models.
We wanted to understand potential partners, who was out there, who was potentially in the market to take on our venues.
The responses we got back— oh, next slide, please.
The responses we got back from the RFI were very helpful in illustrating the range of options.
We got 9 responses, including existing nonprofits, existing for-profits, and a proposal to create a new entity.
Several respondents had experience in large-scale venue management and a few specifically in large-scale venue development.
Which is relevant to the— given the capital needs of our P5 facilities.
Most would integrate venue, um, current venue users into their programming models while filling the calendar with more commercial and community center events.
The idea there is getting more out of the venues we have.
That was very exciting to us.
All respondents addressed capital investments, indicating that either the city holds responsibility for deferred maintenance and capital improvements, or the city works in partnership with the venue operator.
So the idea here is As we're contemplating a new operator, potentially a third-party operator, what the role the city would have in that operator and identifying the needs, investing in the needs, generating the revenue for those investments to keep those facilities up and running.
Next slide, please.
As I alluded to earlier, Metro conducted the facility condition assessments that were really fundamental in helping us understand the need of our venues.
In short, we have a significant backlog of investments needed to maintain current service level.
And of course, that's trying to get us out as many years as possible, but we have aging facilities that demand investment soon.
For example, the Keller was constructed in 1918, and its last major renovation was in 1968.
So investments that are needed in the theatrical and building envelope systems to keep the facility running to maintain current service levels for the next 10 years.
The, the Schnitzer Concert Hall is already a designated historic landmark, originally constructed in 1927 and last renovated in 1984.
So many of the assemblies and systems there are now or approaching end of useful life due to age and heavy use.
The Hatfield Hall was constructed in 1987 and has been well maintained and is showing normal wear and tear, but nonetheless, it's a space that we want to ensure that we continue to invest in to maximize its Its usefulness.
Next slide, please.
So here we are today as we move towards July 27th.
The next key step is honing in on the operating model.
We heard from our working group last year that an operating partner should no longer be Metro, so we're working through that.
We learned from our RFI this spring that there might be folks with the right set of skills interested in taking on the work, and we're aware of the limited capacity we have at the city to take over management.
What we did was we worked with the service area, the business operations service area with DCA Tracy Warren and her team, looked at procurement, BHR— excuse me, human resources, technology service— to understand the impact to the city to take on those operations.
They were able to provide some real, like, clear and durable information for us to balance the weight of taking on the operations and the financial burden and capacity limitations of existing staff versus the third-party operative.
And so with all that in mind, we determined that the best path forward was to move forward with a request for proposal to identify a third-party operator.
And what that looks like is, um, in August, the Arts and Culture Office will be launching an RFP that will invite professional venue operators to propose improved and sustainable operating models, uh, for contemplation for us to decide by the end of this calendar year.
We've talked with existing operators and consultants about this timeline.
It's incredibly aggressive, but we do believe if we're to stay on track and have somebody on board by December, they would be in place ready to go on July 1st.
So we'd have no disruption of services or operations at the venues.
And I'm going to stop there before moving on to the large-scale venues if there's any questions about P5.
Unidentified speaker
Colleagues, any questions about the venues we own, the transfer of operation, the RFI that's out there, or other things related to this first part of our time today?
Councilor Ryan, you look like you might have something.
Donny Oliveira
Yeah, I just want to actually compliment the fact that we're here.
Um, I think in this conversation about the Capitol, we We haven't had as much dialogue about the operations.
And I think this simplifies it, that there's one government entity.
So congratulations that you've been able to work that out with Metro.
I think what I'm interested in is what are we hoping for when we put out the RFP?
What are we going to tolerate in terms of— this would be a big change going from a government entity being the hands-on manager.
And if I'm hearing it right, It looks different going forward in terms of this RFP that's asking for a private entity to be, that we'd subcontract with, that would be managing the entity.
So am I tracking what you're saying?
That's correct, yeah.
Okay.
And I'm trying to guess who the people are that are bidding, but that's not what I'm supposed to do up here.
But when will I not have to guess and when will those be revealed?
Well, we haven't released the RFP yet, and so our RFP will be released, um, in mid-August.
And once we have received submissions, then we'll run through a selection process, uh, to determine, you know, the outcome.
And I'm sure we'll work with procurement to find the most appropriate time to daylight those that submitted, you know, their letters of interest.
Um, but that's the— that'll be the pathway.
When you look at better practices around the country, Are we just catching up with them by looking at this model?
Yeah, as a part of the evaluation running up to the RFI, through the RFI, and through the selection process, we've been working with subject matter experts around the country to just get a sense of what's the right model, right?
Where is it successful?
And we've seen a lot of success around the country with a third-party operator model, often blended between a nonprofit-for-profit sort of dynamic that does several things.
First, there's strong examples around the country of these third-party operators having strong relationships— always can be improved— but working with labor organizations.
So that was something of a priority to us to make sure that RFP is clear that we want to maintain the labor contracts that are currently— that currently exist at Metro.
Obviously, the devil's in the details of how those transfer, but maintaining our labor partnerships is a high priority.
Second, we want to be sure we're maximizing every night possible at the venues.
So right now we, we rely on our resident companies who do a great job at filling the nights that they have access to.
But is there potential for more nights?
Is there more commercial opportunities that we can activate those venues?
And of course, as alluded to multiple times already, how are we ensuring that those spaces are available for our local smaller nonprofits to take advantage of the spaces?
All that has to be balanced to ensure that the venues are at cost recovery.
I alluded to it earlier, but I want to just say it for the record.
Right now, the Keller Auditorium's performance is so largely Broadway, those revenues are subsidizing the other operations.
We can get to the point though where the other venues are at least at cost recovery, and we shouldn't— we don't have to squint very hard to see an opportunity or scenario where the venues are actually starting to generate revenue.
That seems very viable.
We have some work to do to get there, but I think that that should be something that the city sets as a North Star, and we work for an operator that can help us do that.
Thank you.
And another, thank you, that was really helpful.
So one problem we're trying to solve is that when I've talked to nonprofit leaders over the decades, if you will, they've said that our current operation model, they said, makes it really difficult for them to be in the black every year.
Like it's one of their, they call it out constantly.
So was feedback from the both large and smaller venues was part of this decision to do this RFP?
Unidentified speaker
Okay.
Donny Oliveira
I'm really grateful that we're at this moment in time.
Sorry.
Yeah, I kind of was mentioning this a few years ago, so this is great.
Unidentified speaker
Yeah.
If I may just add some larger context.
So of comparable large-scale multi-venue performing arts centers around the country, about a third are publicly owned, but 90% are run by third-party operators that This R2 government system is a unicorn, and even being a single government-owned and government-operated would also be a unicorn.
And there, as DC Oliveira noted, there are a lot of opportunities within our current model to make improvements.
In the areas of increasing venue utilization, ticketing strategy, improving our food and beverage program.
And this is where there are a good number of pro-professional venue operators who work nationally and globally that could help us fast-track to an improved sustainable system.
Given that they will be providing for us lessons learned, best practices, and helping us figure out what the pitfalls are.
If the city were to try to figure it out, we would in effect be reinventing the wheel.
Thank you.
These numbers are compelling.
So we're— 30% are publicly owned, is that what you said?
Yeah.
And 90% are privately owned.
And largely nonprofits, but yes.
Right.
Nonprofit and commercial.
When I say that, I mean nonprofits usually.
Yeah.
Okay.
Well, let's stop being a unicorn, right?
Okay, great.
Thanks.
Thank you, Councilor.
Councilor Zimmerman.
Yeah, thank you.
Councilor Ryan got a lot of my questions in there.
Don, you mentioned one of them the last time I went through a structural reorganization.
Whatever was 1984, which location was that?
Are you referring to the last renovation?
Yeah, yeah.
That was the Schnitzer Concert Hall.
Okay, that was the same year I went through my last structural renovation as well.
So I'm feeling a lot of kinship with the Schnitz.
So, and we need a little work, so I get it.
On this last point that we were just on with Councilor Ryan, of the 90% that are being run by a third party, Are they also markets with as much unionized workforce as we have for our stagehands and engineers and lighting?
Because it is compelling, 90%, but I also want to understand, like, how that fits into the workforce.
Because Donnie mentioned that many have a record of being able to work with a unionized workforce, but I want to get a sense out of that 90%.
Yes.
Is that the norm across the market, or are we a unicorn in that sense as well?
We know that in general, large performing arts centers use labor, work with labor unions, especially stagehands.
The fact that we have 6 labor unions, I don't have that information.
That's something we could certainly provide for you, how that relates.
To other markets.
But 6 unions does seem like a lot.
But again, union labor in performing arts centers is the norm.
Okay.
You know, I've mentioned to my colleagues on this topic, there's a lot of governing that comes to instinct based on my career.
But this is one of those areas that I've got a lot of like dumb guy in the corner questions on because I don't know a lot about The right size of different places.
I've said this to many of the people in the audience.
I need help on this topic.
So I'll probably have a lot of these types of questions as we go through.
I guess in terms of going to a third party managing that, Donny, if that was to be the case, What type of mechanism would we have to keep our approach with that unionized workforce instead of a recycling out or a slow recycling out to 10 years later, you just don't see that face in who the workers are?
What kind of, how does an RFP get structured in order to do that?
Yeah, thanks for the question, Councilor.
I'll start and Sue, please refine my response.
It's one of the priorities as we're developing the RFP process to ensure that there's a smooth transition both just in the operations But also in ensuring that the Metro's currently Metro staff who work on this, who are represented, that they're well taken care of in this new structure.
Our RFP, without getting ahead of our procurement colleagues, will be designed to capture that information, that requirement.
It's our facilities.
We get to determine the structure by which those facilities are managed, including this labor component.
So that's one piece that I'll add.
And the second thing that's fundamental to this is that we haven't done a great job yet as a city, as the manager of facilities, um, looking at opportunities for improvement, efficiencies.
And on labor staff, like, how do we— you know, Sue brought up the food and beverage element.
Are we, are we getting the most equity out of these facilities?
And so there's opportunity for growth, uh, that I think would just be a boon for everybody, including our labor partners.
Okay.
Uh, the other thing I would say is, uh, the intention would be that our operating agreement with a third party group, the city would still have decision-making authority in many areas.
And so things like pricing or employment or goals and values, budget authority, things like that, the city would be collaboratively involved in and would ultimately need to approve.
Okay, thanks.
That's all I have for now.
Thank you, Councilor.
So Councilor Zimmerman touched some on a couple of the questions that I had written down about labor.
As we're looking at the RFP that will be going out, it sounds like next month, you know, it's, it's clear to me that there are a lot of upsides to having the public management.
We're able to ensure that we have that hands-on relationship with our workforce there and making sure that those are high-quality jobs.
We are able to ensure space for the small companies and protect the small venues that are sometimes hard to keep afloat if they're not part of a system with larger venues.
It also occurs to me that as we move to a potential for a third-party operator, there are other upsides, both programmatic and financial.
How are we ensuring through the language in the RFP that we're able to maintain the current upsides and that the city can also capture some of the future upside that we're not Entering into a situation where the city is maintaining venues that we have less control over and a private entity is gaining all of the financial or programmatic upside, and we're kind of left holding the difficult things.
Take a first stab at the RFP.
Yeah, I mean, there are many ways we could structure One approach is to have a flat management fee plus a percentage revenue share that is incentive to increase revenue.
So that is typically the model for operating agreements with third-party venue operators.
So that's something that we would be open to discussing.
Thank you.
Great, thank you.
And I appreciate hearing a little bit more detail, like I said, to, to Councilor Zimmerman's questions around the labor agreements and ensuring that we do have that continued upside moving forward as it relates to labor.
And it sounds like from what you said previously, also a continued commitment to the upside for our smaller theater companies.
Yeah, companies I think that's a really important point.
As well.
Councilor Ryan, did you have one more question before we move on?
Thank you.
That is new.
Thanks, um, Chair.
It says 30% are publicly owned.
That's what you said, correct?
One-third, yes.
Yeah, one-third.
So 70% are privately owned in other cities.
I just want to see— I just want more information.
So I'd like to see, like, examples of that.
Um, and then I want to get to P5, which is currently Metro governed by MERC.
So I think what we're trying to do with this action is get rid of some clutter up at the high end.
I don't think that's really benefited everyone on the ground.
And so what does that look like?
So what happens to P5?
What happens to MERC when we become the operator?
Well, Merck will continue to exist.
Merck is a committee at Metro, so they'll stay.
And it's beyond performing arts.
So I know that it oversees the convention center and expo center, the zoo.
Correct.
Uh, I don't, I don't believe the zoo.
I think it's just expo.
It'll currently still manage P5, oversee P5.
But so once the operations of P5 leave Metro, Merck will remain doing Metro, you know, functional responsibilities.
And the P5 staff, in this particular case, we are making the recommendation to move forward with a third-party operator.
So the staff of Metro that do that work will move to this new operating entity that the city will oversee through contract.
It could be privately managed?
That is the model that we're proposing.
And MERC's scope of work might narrow and not include performing arts venues?
Well, it would no longer include the performing arts venues because they'd be fully under our— Okay, so we're not inheriting MERC?
You're not inheriting MERC.
I think I just needed to hear that in the public record.
Okay, great.
Nothing against MERC.
I just hope that we're moving towards some efficiency here.
I'd like to add also as a part of the RFP and an operating agreement, we will state an intention to form an advisory body that will provide some oversight so that there'd be community and stakeholder representatives who also have a voice in how we operate.
That makes a lot of sense.
Yeah, thanks.
Thank you, Councilor.
DC Oliveira, I believe that you have more Presentation for this agenda item before we move to the next, is that correct?
Correct.
And this really just tees up the next item, so we'll just— we can move through this.
So we're going to shift.
We'll hear the rest of this presentation and then we'll take a quick break before we open the next agenda item.
Perfect.
Great.
Thank you.
So we'll shift now to focus on one of our facilities, the Keller Auditorium, and the work over the past few years to ensure that we continue to have a Broadway-capable venue in Portland.
So the Keller plays a crucial role in our local economy.
The commercial events at Keller, such as Broadway performances, bring in revenue that supports the whole P5 system, and the Keller is the only Broadway-capable venue in Portland and our region.
Next slide, please.
This is—.
There's been a lot of activity contemplating the Keller Auditorium over the last 6 years.
It's really important for us to take this time to acknowledge that The City of Portland has been looking at the Keller and the future of it for quite some time.
As we approach the end of its current useful life, we started doing some evaluations, starting with a report in 2020 focused on seismic issues that determined that the Keller needs some interventions to ensure that we don't have a major impact due to a potential seismic event.
And so we need to address that.
In 2022, conversations began in earnest around renovating the Keller to address those issues, other deferred maintenance, and also to bring the facility up to modern standards for a performance venue of its type.
The city and Metro at the time contributed resources to support those conversations, with external partners taking the lead to develop a concept to renovate the Keller Auditorium.
In 2023, The city began exploring options for a new facility as a parallel to that conversation, with the goal of having a full suite of information needed to determine the best next steps for both the performing arts venue and activities in Portland, but also for the Keller as a city asset.
At that time, there was an RFP that was run, and PSU— Portland State University, excuse me— put their name in the hat as a potential alternative location for a public facility.
And after a competitive process, they were selected as the best alternative location.
Um, given the other options.
Um, at the time is when I name it, uh, that Lloyd Center had submitted a proposal as well, and, and you just contemplated their master plan that did not include a venue.
They've since gotten a private sector venue, uh, that's under construction right now.
Next slide, please.
So before we get into some of the next steps, I just want to take a moment to just really emphasize what would happen if we chose to renovate the Keller, which would require closure.
One of the important pieces of conversation that happened in this contemplation of the future large performing arts venue was concerns around a temporary closure during the renovation.
We've got some help pulling some information together, and we did a study, but what we showed was that closing the Keller for 2 years without finding another venue that could host Broadway shows during that time would be a significant economic hit to our region.
There'll be lost income for those workers who'd expect to be in the facility for those 2 years, and they need to move on to new jobs during that time.
So we also have loss of workforce in a, you know, in our region.
There'll be lost public revenues from those events, of course, noting the role that Broadway plays in supporting the whole P5 portfolio.
And there would also be broader impacts of impact related to the indirect economic benefits that go from the venue's existence, including local area businesses, etc.
But most importantly perhaps is that the resident companies at the Keller, the Oregon Ballet Theatre, and the Portland Opera would be affected.
And the report identified the risk of long-term impacts as attendees shift to other entertainment venues, including outside the region.
The long story short is, and we started to contemplate the future of Keller Taking the time to renovate and pausing operations there, performances there, was a non-starter both for our economy, the sustenance of Broadway and our other resident companies, but also fundamentally our ability to continue to drive the benefits of our downtown from that venue.
Next slide, please.
In October of 2024, the City Council adopted a resolution that directed the city to contemplate a strategy for 2 Broadway-capable venues.
This was— the goal of this was to prevent the prolonged closure at the Keller, but was also to take advantage of an opportunity for us to partner with one of our anchor institutions, Portland State University.
It directed staff to better understand the opportunities, do some more analysis, the pros and cons of a 2-venue strategy, and to determine the appropriate seat count for Broadway-capable venues.
And potentially additional details that we'll talk about in a second that we did undertake.
Next slide, please.
So briefly, I just want to talk about the 2 projects that were contemplated in that 2-venue scenario that we were looking at.
The idea for the Keller would be to renovate the city-owned facility.
This was originally proposed by the Halpern Landscape Conservancy, who was the— took the lead in that 2022 renovation concept that I shared earlier that was financed by Metro and the city.
The concept included, you know, a new facade over Southwest 3rd Avenue.
It was targeting that 2,700 to 3,000-seat range that the Keller currently hosts and had an estimated cost of about $290 million.
At the same time, the PSU facility would be introducing a brand new facility, of course, It'd be a part of a larger condo structure that would include a smaller academic theater, a conference center, a hotel on a 4-acre site on the PSU campus.
Had a little bit of larger target seat count for that larger facility, and it had an estimated cost of about $447 million.
This is an opportunity for me just to acknowledge that at this time we were sincerely looking and partnering both with Halperin and PSU to sequence out a scenario where we built a PSU facility And we contemplated a future Keller venue that was still thriving and meeting the demands of our arts ecosystem.
But we had more details to discover.
Next slide, please.
One of the requests of the resolution that we thought was material was to do a transportation study for both the renovation at the Keller site, but also the construction of the new PSU site.
That study was completed last summer.
And it helped to identify opportunities and challenges for both sites, but there were no fatal flaws.
It was also difficult to do a complete study of the PSU site because we were working with, naturally, without complete information because the PSU concept isn't as fully developed.
But what we did learn was that, you know, there was a significant opportunity here for us to work with both our Transportation Bureau and the state's Department of Transportation to contemplate further details as future phases of the project Next slide, please.
What we also undertook was a market feasibility study.
The goal of this was to determine the market demand for a 2-venue scenario.
I just want to note that when the original 2-venue scenario was contemplated starting in 2023 and into 2024, we were not predicting that there would be 2 privately owned music venues being built on the east side, and that had a material impact on the market feasibility given what we knew in '23 versus what we know today.
The study was completed by Hunden Partners, who is a nationally recognized real estate team with expertise for these types of facilities.
The study found ultimately that the Portland market could really only support one Broadway-capable venue.
They targeted a 3,200-seat as the sweet spot for us.
Which is currently larger than the current Keller can realistically host.
And ultimately, given some of the data that they discovered, they made a recommendation that the city pursue a Broadway-capable venue at PSU.
Next slide, please.
Following up on that, we asked the Hundon Partners to do a further study related to the economic impact.
And ultimately, the key takeaways are here.
A A new venue at PSU would yield more attendance because of the size.
There'd be operating venue efficiencies than a renovated Keller.
I think I'll just go ahead and editorialize that, say that a renovated Keller would also be an excellent venue, but when comparing the two, there was slight benefit to the PSU project.
Next slide, please.
One last note, because it's come up in the past, just want to acknowledge it, that, um, in this— in the full session in 2025, the Oregon Legislature adopted Senate Bill 5505, which allocated bond dollars to the PSU project.
This is material because a chunk of those bonds would go towards the construction of that larger condo project on the 4 acres that I mentioned, focused on the community and academic theater.
Thank you.
But the— a portion of that would also go to broader infrastructure, whether it be parking or infrastructure on the site that would directly benefit the Broadway-capable venue.
Next slide, please.
As a part of the resolution that was adopted in 2024, the service area was directed to stand up a technical advisory committee.
And so we will— next slide, please.
And so what we did here was we put out a request for qualifications for 11 professionals to be a part of this, uh, this steering committee.
We were looking for expertise in architecture, construction, finance, etc., really asking folks who had less skin in the game, so to speak, but more technical expertise to provide us with an objective perspective on this decision.
We were looking for their subject matter expertise, not just on the market at a whole, but specific to the sites that were being contemplated.
It was a great group to work with.
I was very fond of their commitment and their diligence, and they met 6 times over the course of spring of 2026.
Next slide, please.
Oh, 8 times, excuse me.
Ultimately, the committee was provided with presentations, studies, reports, that ultimately informed their recommendation.
The body did engage with both the project proposers, Halperin Landscape Conservancy and PSU, to get more details on the specifics of those projects.
And we also invited Broadway Across America to come in and answer questions from the, the technical team.
They went on site tours, and ultimately they completed their work last month, and we'll talk about that in the next presentation.
Next slide, please.
Parallel to that was another group that was called by Mayor Keith Wilson.
This was a parallel group that was convened of elected officials, our cultural and downtown leaders, labor representatives, and stakeholders who had more direct skin in the game, so to speak, related to the venues.
Many of the folks here will be part of the conversation later, but I want to just share that I was very grateful for the time these all These folks took to provide the mayor and the Office of Arts and Culture with their guidance, their wisdom, their experience on these 2 topics.
They brought a lot of dynamic information to these proceedings that allowed us to have a rich conversation about the pros and cons of moving forward with a PSU facility or the renovation.
Next slide, please.
Similar to the steering committee, We covered a lot of the same details of the steering committee, but in a tighter timeline.
They received all the studies that the steering committee did as well.
Next slide, please.
And that, I believe, wraps it for this particular presentation.
Thank you, DCA Oliveira.
Are there any questions on this second presentation?
Part of the presentation.
We're going to hold off on questions about the recommendations themselves, but about the workgroups, the studies, the work that went into that.
No?
Okay.
Go right ahead, Councilor Ryan.
Thank you, Chair.
You mentioned the 2 tables.
There was one that had less people with special interest, if you will, transactional interest.
And the other one was the mayor's table, which clearly had more of that.
Did they agree with each other?
We're gonna talk a little bit about that in the next slide.
I think there was shared ideas and principles in those conversations.
Yeah.
Okay.
And that, I got ahead of myself.
You didn't tell us what they thought.
Yeah, we're doing another, the next item has the next slide.
Sorry.
Sorry for the suspense, Councilor.
And when you said the transportation study was, Approved, if you will, or that there didn't seem to be any.
Is that with both of the sites?
Yeah, there— the study was done, um, both at the renovation site for the Keller Auditorium and related to the construction of the PSU site, acknowledging that the PSU site will have more phases that have— will need more information to have a more robust detailing.
But the key takeaway from both of those studies were there were no fatal flaws on a theater And finally, did the estimates of cost for $290 million, $440 million with the PSU one, who fact-checked those figures?
That was an independent consulting firm.
The independent consulting firm?
Who's that?
We could get you the name of the consulting firm.
Okay.
What's that?
We can— I don't have the name of the firm, but I— at the moment, but I'd be happy to get that for you.
They're pretty independent.
All right.
Can we make sure we get that from the office to all committee members just in case folks have additional questions about their background and work?
Yep.
Thank you.
Any other questions, Councilor?
No, I look— I do look forward to looking at the studies that were mentioned.
Yeah, but it sounds like we're going to get more information in the— is there another presentation?
There is.
So we are going to, in just a moment, take a 15-minute break.
When we come back, we will open up agenda item 4, and we'll hear a presentation specifically about the recommendations of those 2 workgroups.
I'm hoping that in that presentation we'll hear a little bit We'll hear from the committee about the, the places where the recommendations were aligned and the places where there may have been some dissension in one of the workgroups and not in the other.
We'll then hear from 3 panels, one from folks who had some concerns with the recommendation, one from folks who supported the recommendation, and one from workers who are directly impacted by this.
And then we will hopefully have about 45 minutes So we are going to take a 14-minute break, and we will get started right at 3:15 so that we can get through the rest of our work today.
I'm sorry, yeah, 3:15.
Thank you.
I'm sorry.
Calling the meeting back to order.
If everyone can take your seats, we can get Go ahead and get started.
Thank you.
I did do it again, baby.
Hit that sucker.
And I will just note, um, as we get back in that we do have Councilor Murillo joining us remotely.
Um, so she is listening in our— on our proceedings today as well.
Diego, could you please open agenda item 4?
Item 4, document number 2026-270, accept the future of large-scale performing arts recommendations to advance a new Broadway-capable venue as part of the proposed Performing Arts and Culture Center at Portland State University and initiate planning for the future of the Keller Auditorium.
Thank you.
So this will hopefully flow seamlessly from our last conversation.
We heard about the process that led up to and the work of a couple of work groups over the last 6 or so months, and we will hear now about the recommendations out of those work groups.
We have a resolution before us with recommendations from the mayor's office on how we Implement those next steps.
We will then hear from a couple of panels to get a little bit more background on the recommendations themselves and the work of the workgroups.
We will hear from a panel with a few of our colleagues who have been involved in this work, and then we will move to public testimony.
Before we jump into the presentation, Councilor Murillo, your hand is raised.
Oh yeah, thank you so much, Chair.
I just wanted to say for folks in the audience that I'm here and I'm listening.
My cat had to go to the vet and I'm just kind of monitoring him today, so apologies for that.
But I am very cognizant.
I know these 2 options are a really big deal for our community, so just wanted to say that for anyone in the audience.
Thanks.
Thank you, Councilor Murillo.
And I know it's hard sometimes when you're remote making sure folks know that, that you are— that you do care about the really important points before the committee today.
We appreciate you making sure to still be a part of this conversation with us.
TCA Oliveira, I think we turn this back over to you at this point.
All right, thank you, Chair.
Real quick, we want to answer Councilor Ryan's question about the consultant.
Yes, so your question regarding who did the costing analysis for the 2 venue proposals, and that is Venue Consulting Group.
That was conducted in May 2024, and the information is available online.
On the Future of Large-Scale Performing Arts webpage.
Okay, so real quick, we're going to pick up from the conversation from the last presentation to talk about the recommendations from the 2 committees and then discuss the directives and the proposed resolution.
Next slide, please.
All right, starting with the steering committee.
Again, this was the— our technical advisory committee that met over the 7 months 8 times.
As we shared, they culminated their meetings in June of 2026 and made the recommendation to, to the Deputy City Administrator of Community Economic Development.
That's me.
The group recommended a 2-pronged approach.
First, they recommend that we build a new Broadway-capable venue at PSU and make that as part of their larger campus concepts around the Performing Arts and Cultural Center.
And simultaneously They wanted us to create an actionable plan to reimagine the Keller Auditorium.
So in the thinking at a very high level is we begin the planning for the new PSU site with the Portland State University team, but simultaneously begin to contemplate the future of the Keller site.
So when the PSU site's live and those Broadway acts move over to PSU, we are prepared to reimagine the Keller in that new iteration, whatever it may be.
Next slide, please.
The ex officio table met and had a very spirited conversation.
And while not consensus like the steering committee, a majority of the ex officio table did make a recommendation.
And their recommendation is as such.
They recommended that we take a similar two-pronged approach advancing the PSU Performing Arts Center.
They want to ensure that we maintain Broadway show at the Keller while this is in development.
And they want us to initiate planning for the Keller's future as a modern 1,200 to 1,800-seat venue.
Same concept applies here to the steering committee.
When the PSU venue becomes operational, the city should be prepared to transition Broadway productions there and immediately begin the renovation of the Keller into a venue tailored to that particular mid-side market that the Portland city needs and our arts, performing culture needs.
All right, next slide, please.
Thank you.
So the overview of the proposed resolution.
The resolution in front of you today advances those aligned recommendations for a 2-pronged strategy.
First, it would direct the city to advance a new Broadway capable venue at PSU, capitalizing on the state's funding commitment and the prior work that the PSU team had done.
This would include initiating planning for the future of the Kellup Auditorium as well.
It would contain specific next steps for both of those facilities.
Next slide, please.
So specific to the PSU venue, first we would stand up a staff project team of technical experts to work with PSU to complete the pre-development work, including a detailed financial plan, the philanthropic strategy, and the initial phases of the project and the project construction management.
We would develop a project commitment agreement with PSU by December 1st of this year that establishes the scope, schedule, and governance framework Thank you, Councilor Smith.
Thank you, Mayor.
I want to thank the City of Portland for the partnership and the work for the project and a shared commitment between the city and PSU to develop and implement this full capital funding strategy.
And of course, we would designate a pre-development steering committee to participate in the process as needed.
I want to take a moment here just to really emphasize the opportunity here with the city and one of our key anchor institutions of downtown.
Not only is PSU a vibrant placemaking space in our downtown, but they represent Thank you.
The southern part of our downtown's economic vitality.
And this is an opportunity for us to leverage their pre-work they've done at the state, the pre-work they've done on design, to really partner with one of our key institutions in our central city.
I want to just also offer that to this point, PSU has been a great partner, not just on this topic, but on many projects that we've worked on with them.
And we continue to want to emphasize that this is what it looks like for Portland to rebound in our downtown, is investing in the anchor institutions that are going to be here for a very long time.
Next slide, please.
As a part of the proposed resolution, we do contemplate next steps for the Keller.
It was clear that programming will continue while development of the Broadway-capable venue at PSU is ongoing.
So we want to make sure that we keep that venue up to date and running effectively and efficiently with our new operating team come 2027.
We also want to begin the process for planning for the future of Keller so we have a clear Thank you.
We want to ensure we're conducting community engagement, the market study and financial analysis necessary to do some of that design work to ensure that the next version of Keller is the thing that our performing arts ecosystem needs.
Whether that's 1,200 seats or 1,800 seats, that's something we want to do some more research on.
I really want to emphasize this, that the Keller is a city-owned facility.
We don't want to see it mothballed.
We have no intention of letting this thing get into disarray or disrepair.
We have a responsibility to maintain maintain it to keep it, uh, an exceptional venue to date.
And we have an opportunity to really reimagine not just the Keller but that whole, that whole ecosystem of the district from where the Keller located, the Schnitz, including the PSU facilities.
Uh, that sort of performing arts venue ecosystem has a real opportunity to be a district of, of play and activity and economic vitality.
And I think that's something we should lean into holistically.
Um, the resolution also reflects Thank you.
I think it's important to note that we have an opportunity here to work with PSU but maintain our own assets.
And I hope this is taken seriously, not just by you all in this committee, but by our partners.
This was never an either/or option for us.
We always knew that we were going to invest in Keller.
This was an opportunity to look at the Keller in a different light and simultaneously partner with the Portland State University team on a future central cultural center.
And I believe that wraps it up.
I wanna make sure we leave time for our esteemed colleagues, but happy to take questions if necessary.
So colleagues, we do have a few panels, but if there are questions about some of the technicalities, the specifics here that are relevant before we get a little bit of color commentary from others, let's get those now.
Okay, seeing— yes, Councilor Ryan.
Did you say the Keller's 1200, 1800, right?
That's the estimate.
It's really an idea, Councilor.
I don't— I'd wanna— I'm sharing that as an example of the range that a new Keller might look like, but we wanna do the feasibility study and really do an assessment of what our market needs to ensure that the next Keller is meeting the demand that we have.
Yeah, I think we can agree that we don't want it mothballed.
How big is Newmark right now?
Is that, did you say 800?
880.
880.
Okay, thanks.
DC Oliveira, was the, the 1,200 to 1,800 range, if I'm remembering from previous conversations, is kind of the, the gap where we don't have any other public venues?
Is that correct?
That's correct.
Okay, thank you.
Um, if there are no other questions, we are going to move to our first panel, and in doing that, I want to thank you both for all of the background and also just flag that we may have other questions later when we get into our committee discussion.
That probably won't be until our next committee meeting, but we might get to it by the end today.
So please don't go too far.
The first panel that we are going to call up is Karen Whitman from the Halperin Landscape Conservancy and LeJune Thorson from the Downtown Neighborhood Association, who have been part of the conversation around the Keller Auditorium specifically and what that part of our, both our downtown core and our theater ecosystem, our performing arts ecosystem look like.
Thank you both for being here today.
Welcome.
And I'm not sure who wants to go first, but jump right in.
Yeah.
Hi, I'm LeJune Thorson.
Thank you for inviting me to speak on behalf of the Downtown Neighborhood Association as its president.
Yes.
After much research, about 3 years ago, the DNA took a position supporting refurbishing the Keller because we believed it was the best decision from an urban planning perspective.
Our commitment is even stronger now from a fiscal perspective.
Our commitment is even stronger now.
We are asking you to reject the mayor's resolution to build a performing arts center at PSU while redesigning and preparing to build a smaller auditorium at Thank you.
It is the wrong plan and this is the wrong time.
There are just too many unanswered questions.
Would there be demand enough for 3 venues, a Broadway-capable venue at PSU, the smaller venue that they're also proposing on their site, in addition to a 1,200 to 800-seat auditorium at the Keller?
How much would the PSU concept really cost, not just the cost of design and construction at taxpayer expense, Yes.
But also the ongoing cost to the city's annual budget of the condominium financial arrangement.
How will the 2 new privately owned venues currently under construction impact demand for performance space?
And would the PSU concept subsidize the other publicly owned P5 venues like the Keller does now?
We need answers.
Support for PSU by the mayor's ex officio table was not a majority.
I was on that committee.
Of the 14 members who submitted their culminating questionnaires, only 7 endorsed building at PSU.
Of the remaining 7, 6 stated that more information about cost and funding is needed, and the 7th abstained.
This is public record.
Karen Whitman
The city owns the Keller and its Fountain Park, and the city must maintain them regardless of the decision the council makes.
The Keller already has a coexisting neighborhood of residents, coffee shops, Businesses, offices, cafes, bars, restaurants, hotels, and parking facilities.
We are asking you to reject the mayor's resolution, but I don't like the word no.
Unidentified speaker
Before committing the city and the taxpayers to this complex project of unknown cost and unknown funding, please say yes to an affordable future for the Keller Auditorium and the fountain.
Karen Whitman
Say yes to the affordable fix Thank you.
Go right ahead.
Good afternoon.
My name is Karen Whitman, and I'm representing the Halpern Landscape Conservancy and all of those advocating to renovate the Keller Auditorium.
We oppose the expensive, impractical recommendation.
It's about the total price tag, about $1 billion for both projects, and it could take a decade to become a reality.
The city has no money at this time to commit to full funding for the PSU project.
The Keller is now headed for a 1,200 to 1,800 seat reduction.
Again, no study and no cost estimate.
Pay attention because taxpayers are asked to make a commitment without answering the most basic questions first.
Who's paying for it and how?
No public discussion has explained how the city would absorb this commitment as we struggle to maintain our infrastructure and services.
If the Keller is left behind, it will bring with it Thank you.
We respectfully ask you to vote no on the resolution, but we have a few amendments if you choose to move forward.
If this is truly a 2-theater proposal, proceeding with planning should be for both projects, both for PSU and the Keller.
Create a public oversight and advisory committee should be undertaken for both.
The city must appropriate funding for both.
Without a commitment to fund, none of this is a reality.
Include a feasibility study of a temporary venue during the Keller construction.
Why, you ask?
Because it's the most cost-effective solution.
Unidentified speaker
Second.
Thank you.
Karen Whitman
Lastly, when seeking funding for the PSU project, again, include the Keller.
Now, this point is critical.
5 Years down the road, we believe and will forecast for you, there won't be the political will nor the financial wallet to also fund the Keller's future.
Right now, as it Councilor Smith.
As it stands, that is exactly what this proposal allows to have happen.
Years from now, the promises being made today will be worth nothing without the actions by the City Council and city government now.
Responsible investment starts by asking whether a project is necessary, affordable, and supported by evidence.
On all 3 counts, This proposal falls short.
Don't let the Keller be left behind.
Thank you.
Thank you very much.
And you had some recommendations there for language changes.
If that's something that you'd like us to consider, if you could either get it to our offices or make sure it's posted in the written testimony.
Details of the amendments will follow.
Perfect.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you both for being here with us today.
Our second panel is— I'm sorry, our second panel is PSU President Cudd and PSU Foundation President Sarah Schwartz.
Thank you both.
Go right ahead.
Anne Cudd
Good afternoon, and for the record, my name is Anne Cudd.
And I'm the president of Portland State University, and I'm thrilled to be here today.
Long before I became the president of PSU, Portland was a place that I hoped that someday I could make my home.
So when I was given the opportunity to lead this university, I considered myself very lucky indeed.
One of the first ideas I encountered when I arrived was the possibility of creating a performing arts and culture center right on campus with a Broadway theater at its heart.
And I remember thinking, this is what great cities and great universities do together in partnership.
I've spent my career at urban universities across the country, and I've seen what can happen when institutions and civic leaders partner together on a bold vision.
Those partnerships create opportunity, They create energy, and they really make cities thrive.
This year, Portland State celebrates its 80th anniversary.
Throughout our history, we've grown right alongside Portland, and we've always believed that our future is tied to the future of the city.
Serving the city is in our DNA.
And that's how Portland State has approached this opportunity.
For 3 years, we've brought our time, our talent, our expertise, our partnerships, And our resources to the table because we believe in what this project can mean for Portland, for downtown, for students from district— all the districts across the city, for artists and art organizations, and for the future citizens who will live, learn, create, and work here.
We are all in, councilors.
We are proud to be your partner.
And excited to engage this work with you as we help to write the next chapter for Portland and Portland State.
So thank you.
I'm going to now hand it over to Sarah Schwarz, who has led this project for PSU from the very beginning.
Thank you.
Good afternoon, councilors.
Sarah Schwarz, President of the PSU Foundation, and I'm grateful to be here with you again today.
As Anne mentioned, 3 years ago, the City of Portland asked PSU to explore what a Broadway-capable theater at PSU might make possible in Portland.
We accepted that invitation enthusiastically, and in fact, Anna and I just compared notes, and it was our first meeting on her first time on campus in that spring that we talked about this project.
We enthusiastically wanted to be in on this for a few reasons.
We believed that PSU was uniquely positioned to serve the city at this very moment.
We own the largest developable parcel in downtown Portland.
We bring the experience of delivering on major capital projects.
We have academic programs that will activate and strengthen these facilities.
We are fundraising experts, and we have a mission that is rooted in service to the city.
So we proposed something bold, an arts and culture hub with a Broadway theater at its heart, surrounded by smaller venues, classrooms, collaborative spaces, a conference center, and a hotel, intentionally designed to maximize benefits for downtown Portland, the cultural community, and the university.
We've continued to refine that proposal through hundreds of conversations with artists, arts organizations, business leaders, Broadway representatives, community leaders, city staff, faculty and students, and donors.
And guess what?
Over 3 years, we've learned a lot.
Meanwhile, a significant coalition has been assembling behind this effort.
Portland State has identified funding for the academic and community spaces the university will own and operate.
Koloss Development Group has been selected to negotiate development of the hotel and conference center.
Together, these pieces represent more than $250 million in commitments, financing, and resources already connected to this project.
So that brings us to today and the resolution that is before you.
Importantly, this is not a resolution to approve financing for the city-owned Broadway Theatre.
It is a resolution to authorize the next phase of work.
It allows the city and PSU to get in the room together with a lot of sharpened pencils and probably a few erasers, and dig deeply into the financing strategy, answer outstanding questions, and build the information needed for future decisions.
It also authorizes the city to begin an official planning process for the future of Keller, something I know all of us are glad to see.
This is a significant undertaking, and it's important to recognize that we are not starting from scratch.
There have been 3 years To stay on schedule for a 2030 opening of the Broadway-capable theater, we ask City Council to consider committing to building the Broadway-capable theater at Portland State, putting a project agreement in place by December 1st of this year, and also by December 1st, making an initial city commitment to invest.
Let's do it.
Councilmember Let's talk a minute about the initial city investment to commit— or initial city commitment to invest.
I want to be real about the numbers.
Many big numbers are mentioned with all of these projects, but what I do want to say clearly is that the city and PSU will never need to solve for $1 billion.
In the near term, meaning by December 1st, the ideal number for the city to identify towards this project is $44 million, which is about 10% of the Broadway Theater cost that was just identified in the city documents from the budget note that actually just came out in May.
This initial investment, or this initial commitment to invest, I should say, would support the efficient sequencing of the immediate pre-development and pre-construction work ahead.
But perhaps more importantly, It would signal confidence to donors and other potential funding partners, unlocking private philanthropy and investment.
And I just want to take a quick moment on this.
We currently have 3 donors that very early on stepped forward to make commitments totaling $12.6 million.
These folks self-identified and were willing to jump in early because they believed in this bold vision.
They believed it was a great opportunity for Portland, and because they also hoped that their commitment would show some signs of confidence to the city and to the state that there is a community of supporters willing to be partners in this project.
Finally, an initial commitment to invest from the city will ensure access to the bond financing that has already been authorized by the state of Portland.
The Performing Arts and Culture Center is a chance to create something Portland has never had before— a Broadway-capable theater at the heart of a larger cultural campus.
And this vision supports downtown's recovery while we build its future.
The Keller stays open until the new center opens.
Broadway keeps coming to Portland.
Audiences keep filling downtown restaurants and hotels, and the city avoids the disruption that would come from a years-long closure with no alternative Broadway venue.
We at PSU are all in on this project.
As President Cudd said, we are a committed, capable, and solutions-oriented partner.
If the City Council chooses to move forward, we stand ready to continue this work alongside you, turning a bold vision into a workable plan.
Thank you for your consideration.
Thank you both for being here and for all of the information today.
Colleagues, our 3rd panel is representatives of the individuals who work in our venues.
We have Lori Wimmer from the Northwest Right ahead.
Good afternoon, committee members.
For your record, Lori Wimmer, Executive Secretary-Treasurer of the Northwest Oregon Labor Council.
Uh, here, honored to be here today to speak in support of a path forward for the development of a large Broadway-capable theater as a part of the Portland State University Arts and Culture Complex, because we believe it will save, create, and expand good union jobs in this city.
It will boost PSU's enrollment, it'll improve the city's arts inventory, and it will ultimately help revitalize our city.
Your predecessors on the former commission originally had just one vision to address the inadequacies of the Keller Auditorium, which was to close for 2 or more years to expand and seismically improve it, thereby costing hundreds of jobs and walking away from millions in economic activity and potentially driving off Broadway Across America, its most lucrative tenant.
We stepped forward then and asked that the commission consider a different path, one that could be staged over time, benefit the larger community, and save as many as 1,000 jobs.
That commission listened.
Thank you, Councilor Ryan, for your vote to look at these other options.
Fast forward to this hearing today.
You have before you the work product of 2 years of meetings, studies, fundraising, and planning for an approach that meets an array of needs.
As you've heard, a significant sum of money has already been raised or pledged for the Portland State Plan, which would be situated on the largest developable parcel in downtown, just 2 blocks from the Keller.
We believe that as Portland continues to build back from the challenges of the past 6 years, we must play to our strengths.
The inter-institutional partnership envisioned by the PAC Plan plays uniquely to the Portland we love.
We're proud of our excellent arts facilities— excuse me, our excellent arts faculty at PSU, some of whose students must rehearse in stairwells, and others who have led the university's choir to international fame for its excellence.
Today we're thrilled to say that not only would this path enable our IATSE members to maintain their employment by moving to the new larger theater once completed, but that the Keller too can still be renovated and offer smaller venue for smaller-scale arts programming.
Most especially, we'd like to point out that as PSU struggles to reverse its downward enrollment trends and its resulting financial crisis, we see the PAC as part of a turnaround effort the university can employ, along with effective marketing of its excellent academic programs, to ensure that they're never again in a position to lay off a shameful Thank you.
Huge hunk of their faculty.
PSU and the building trades have entered into an agreement not even a week old to deploy a project workforce development agreement for this project as well.
And Northwest Oregon Labor Council was proud to have served as a catalyst for this to occur.
We thank President Cudd for her willingness to sign on to a labor-friendly approach to the development of the arts complex.
We also anticipate ongoing work for various other trades once Once the project is up and running, including operating engineers, electricians, security, and so on.
We're grateful to this committee for its often expressed union values as city leaders.
Your support for this proposal is the best demonstration of those values we could imagine.
We urge the committee to send this proposal to the full council with a do-pass recommendation.
Thank you.
And now I'd like to hand it off to Go right ahead, Rosetta.
Good afternoon, Chair Pirtle-Guiney and members of the committee.
Rosetta Venitucci
For the record, my name is Rosetta Venitucci, and I am the business representative for IATSE Local 28, on stage in Portland since 1895, before any of these venues were built.
I represent entertainment industry workers not only at P5 but also at RCM, which is the Moda and the VMC, and the Portland Symphony Orchestra.
As well as many other sites in Southwest Washington and Oregon.
Local 28 has enthusiastically endorsed the Performing Arts and Culture Center project to be built on the new site at PSU.
We believe this, this protects the long-term financial security of the many workers who make Broadway shows possible, the potential to transform and advance the entertainment industry workforce in Portland.
We need Broadway without closure.
We need Broadway to grow, and we need the continued support for local nonprofit community as well as many of the small local companies here in Portland.
I recognize the city has limited resources, and I really appreciate the careful consideration you give to how you allocate these resources.
As someone who has worked in the entertainment industry For 43 years, including touring, 36 years as an IATSE member here in Portland in all of the current and previous city venues.
I want to urge you to invest in our future by creating a true pipeline to a thriving arts and cultural workforce, which pays dividends in the economic impact we see for decades to come.
IATSE represents workers across the U.S. and Canada.
Canada, where I'm here today.
We know what access to education does for our workforce.
This is about building for the future.
A Broadway theater at the center can be built without the renovation constraints of a smaller site.
It will include state-of-the-art stage and technical capabilities, ample backstage working areas, and yes, an adequate amount of restrooms for workers.
Thank you.
A lobby that would not just get by, but actually capable of serving the audience size.
With a fully capable venue, this would ensure shows that Oregonians want to see can come to Oregon.
The large site at PSU means there's plenty of room to meet modern safety and operational standards, reducing compromises, and would improve load-in, load-out, and run-of-show backstage conditions.
There would literally be enough room to fit all of the pieces and larger shows, and we wouldn't have to take them back out on the street and store them in trucks.
A staged process for reconstructing the Keller after the center opens its doors avoids a 3 to 5 year Broadway disruption, the loss of 300+ permanent jobs.
The impacts of job loss often include a loss of change to healthcare, which then changes your current doctor that knows you and your family.
It delays the ability for people to retire, people who are within years of retirement, the loss of needed paid time off for mental health breaks, the loss of hours we need to make our rent or mortgage payments, and it could also be more loss of housing.
The list goes on.
So now I'd like to turn it over to my colleague Emily Horton to discuss more of the the specifics regarding why a prolonged closure would be devastating and have a devastating impact on entertainment industry workforce.
Thank you.
Emily Horton
Chair Pirtle-Guiney and members of the committee, my name is Emily Horton and I am a wardrobe worker and a member of IATSE Local 28.
As someone who works in the Keller day in and day out, I am intimately aware of the fact that our skills are unique and live event specific.
The livelihood of the hundreds of people who work in the creative arts supporting Broadway and other shows are contingent upon the decision you make at this committee.
I will not spend time discussing the fact that every city-supported study has pointed towards advancing a Broadway-capable venue as part of the Performing Arts and Culture Center, but I will just leave you with this: my personal experience and that of my colleagues.
I attended a university that has a curriculum where I worked side by side with 3 professionals, studying university-level academics while building a professional resume.
My work-study job was for an award-winning regional theater, allowing me to graduate with minimum debt and a fully developed professional resume that allowed me to transition into a full-time career seamlessly.
My peers and I love our jobs and have worked tirelessly for decades to excel and thrive at them.
These are skills that are built over a lifetime, and there are no other jobs in Portland that require or hire workers with our skills and the numbers that these performances do.
Our skills are unique, live event specific, and in demand nationwide.
We have careers, health insurance, retirement with dignity, and safe, stable places to live because of these good union jobs.
And we only have this because of the many different union employers we work for.
No one venue or one employer provides us with full-time work It's only through the full ecosystem that we thrive as a community.
Thank you for your time and consideration of this resolution.
Randall Friesen
All right, good afternoon, uh, Chair Pirtle-Guiney and members of the committee.
For the record, my name is Randall Friesen, Executive Director of the Columbia Pacific Building and Construction Trades Council.
The Columbia Pacific Building Trades Council proudly represents over 20,000 construction professionals and their families across Thank you, Councilor Smith.
We are here today to give public support to the proposed 4-acre development of Portland State University's new performing arts venue and hotel development.
We are happy to announce that late last week, PSU and the Columbia Pacific Building Trades Council reached an agreement to ensure the PSU-owned portions of this project will have excellent labor standards, ensuring our community will reach maximum return on their investment Thank you, Councilor Smith.
Thank you, Mayor.
I'm pleased to be here today to present to this project.
This project will create an estimated 2,000 construction jobs and 400 permanent jobs, including operations and maintenance that many of our affiliates also represent.
It will also help achieve— excuse me, activate 7 blocks of developable proximate property with spillover investment potential of around $1 billion beyond the center construction.
We have an opportunity to put Portland back on the map as a destination, and that starts with this project.
The fact that we have a project workforce development agreement with PSU, which they proactively negotiated with our council, is indicative of a future-focused visionary commitment to collaboratively shaping the future of downtown Portland.
This project is unlike any other the city has considered in recent years.
It has the potential to drive foot traffic to downtown and put cranes in the air for decades to come, all while advancing a commitment to workforce development, business development, and labor engagement.
At the council, we work with a lot of developers, but very few like PSU.
PSU shares our commitment to working with high-road contractors, advancing minority, women, emerging veteran, and small emerging businesses, and they care about the workers putting their sweat into building this campus of the future.
In closing, when I think about our city's future, I think about the people who are going to be living there.
Unidentified speaker
Thank you all for being part of our conversation today.
Colleagues, we are going to hear from our next public testifier, Deputy City Attorney Robert Taylor.
A few of our fellow councilors now.
Councilors Clark, Council President Dunphy, and Councilor Kanal, I believe, are here.
And colleagues, Council President Dunphy and Council Vice President Clark sat on one of the workgroups that was holding these conversations.
So I think it is important for us to hear from them today.
Councilors, go right ahead.
Jamie Dunphy
Thank you very much.
Thank you, Councilor.
Thank you, Chair Pirtle-Guiney, members of the City Life Committee.
For the record, my name is Jamie Dunphy.
I serve as the City Council President and proudly represent District 1.
I've been a big supporter of the vision for the new Broadway Theater in collaboration with PSU.
I've been anything but shy about my opinion about this.
And my job today is to tell you why and what I think this moment is about.
Unidentified speaker
Councilor Smith.
Jamie Dunphy
Like many of the core problems that this city council faces, the City of Portland owns a deeply neglected and wildly outdated building that no longer meets the needs of our modern economy.
And decades of city councilors have kicked the can down the road on doing something about it.
There's no capital maintenance fund for the Keller nor any of the theaters that we own.
The Keller is 100 years old and will fall down if there's an earthquake.
It doesn't meet ADA accessibility requirements.
There aren't enough bathrooms.
It has terrible acoustics.
It has extremely low merchandise sales by national standards, not because there aren't theater nerds in Portland who are looking for a t-shirt, but because the lobby layout is just bad.
Unlike every— nearly every major Broadway-capable theater in the country, the Keller has no loading dock.
To load in The Phantom of the Opera, parked trucks literally circle the block and one by one pull up to this little hole on the side of the building.
On the inside of the theater, they stack scenery 3 layers deep in the wings because the building footprint is too small for modern touring productions.
3 Years ago, when there was a first round of conversations about whether to renovate the Keller in place or build a new theater at PSU, at that time I was a board member of the local nonprofit Music Portland, and with our friends at IATSE and the Thank you.
As president of the Federation of Musicians, AFM Local 99, we led a campaign to support the PSU project.
Unidentified speaker
Why?
Jamie Dunphy
Because then, as now, the reality was that to renovate the Keller in place meant that you would have to close it down for years.
There is nowhere else in Portland that can accommodate a touring Broadway theater.
And if the Keller closes without a replacement already in hand, for over 5 years there would be no Broadway in Portland.
There would be no work for our stagehands.
And the funding of the Thank you.
The revenue that the Keller generates, which supports the rest of P5, would disappear.
And it's not just that we would lose those jobs, we would lose those actual human beings that do the work.
They would move to cities like Seattle, LA, or Boise where there's actual work happening.
A generation of our workforce would leave the city and the P5 would either close or move immediately to privatization.
I think that's a bad, expensive, and damaging outcome for the city.
As has been said, the ex officio table, which The steering committee have both independently come to recommending building a new Broadway-capable venue in Portland at PSU and developing the Keller into a smaller venue.
There's no scenario in which anybody supported mothballing the Keller.
Additionally, the theater arts program at PSU is growing and attracting high-quality faculty, and an increasing number of students, right at the same time that other colleges in our area are reducing these kinds of services.
It should not be the case that young artists in Portland have to leave the city they grew up in to have the opportunity to access professional facilities and practitioners.
This project offers real opportunities for apprenticeship and workforce development initiatives in stage design and technology, a grounding for the development of competitive performing arts programs, and offers another step Thank you, Mayor.
This is a step towards PSU turning into a regional powerhouse for arts education.
Colleagues, the city has spent a decade trying to figure out what we should do with this theater.
The basic realities of the situation have been clear for the whole time.
Despite all the media and some naysayers, all professional analysis that the city has commissioned, the recommendations before you are what people in this city who have actually touched these buildings with their hands every day have been saying was obvious years After a decade of analysis and study groups, the City of Portland has yet to say exactly what it is they want to do.
Pick your metaphor, whether we're kicking the can down the road or trying to split the baby, the city needs a direction.
This resolution gives us a direction.
It does not commit us to a price.
It says there is enough clear direction for you to actually develop a price.
And I understand that there are some amendments being proposed.
I think the amendment is And I'm supportive of the changes that are— I think that the language moves us towards clarity because we have to have the courage to be clear and the intention to take care of our broken stuff.
I urge you all, please move this forward, make an affirmative decision, and stop tormenting the community by delaying definitive action.
We need a decision.
I urge you to vote yes on this resolution.
Julie Vigeland
Thank you.
Jamie Dunphy
Second.
Thank you.
Julie Vigeland
Thanks.
It's really a pleasure to be on this side of the dais.
I'm Olivia Clark.
I represent District 4.
I'm also the council vice president, and I did participate in the mayor's ex officio committee.
And while I did not agree with my esteemed colleague here, there was not a consensus On the ex officio committee, there was a vote, and it was a majority for the PSU proposal.
So at that point, I recommended that we have some addendum to this.
So I agree with my colleague that we need to bring this chapter to a close.
It's been a long, long road and arduous process with lots of committees and lots of talking.
Thank you.
But today, this is really not an either/or decision.
From my perspective, we can be a partner with PSU.
At the same time, we have to protect the city's interests and the Keller.
I know PSU needs an academic replacement facility, perhaps to the Smith.
My own choir director says that, who came out of PSU, says they really need an 800 to 900-seat And you have heard me repeatedly, colleagues, say that we have a history of chasing shiny objects in this city and not caring for what we own, our owned assets.
In fact, 3 auditors have made that criticism of us.
However, I would echo some of the comments that have been made by the previous panels.
Unidentified speaker
Councilor Smith.
Julie Vigeland
I'm concerned that we are not in a position to financially commit to PSU's 3,000-seat facility or to upgrade the Keller.
We do not have the resources for either of these, and I'm concerned about that.
So I would like to offer a few potential amendments.
I'm sorry I didn't file anything, but I think there's a copy of my amendments with each of you.
I also did not have the opportunity to I'm interested to see what the Halperin Group has proposed as far as amendments, and I'm interested in those.
But let me just walk through the changes that I would like to see you consider for the resolution.
I'll just briefly walk through these— through those.
I think that the goal of a 2030 opening date, I don't know if that refers to the academic facility or the larger facility, but I think it may not It may be unrealistic, and I would urge you to consider removing that unless there's some consequence that I'm not familiar with.
There's also no discussion of the operation and maintenance of the facility, along with all the other questions that we have about the city's obligations under the resolution.
I'm clearly nervous about the pre-development functions and, and what they mean for us.
I think that the December 2026 deadline for a project commitment agreement is very ambitious.
I'm not going to recommend anything there, but I'm a little worried that— I don't know if this language is necessary for PSU to access the bonds, in which case I appreciate that because I don't want them to lose that opportunity.
But lastly, and I think more Most importantly, and you've already heard this from other panels, we have to include the future of the Keller Auditorium in this effort.
The Keller is our city-owned facility.
Its performance and ticket sales, you've already heard, support the P5, and it has tremendous support from the people of Portland and across the region.
And like the Moda Center, we own the Keller.
If we're going to launch a partnership Is that for me?
If we're going to actually launch a partnership with PSU and their conceptual vision, then we also must include support for the Keller in tandem.
Oh, it's for Michelle.
Okay, it's not for me.
The Keller is ours.
It sits across, as you all know, from an amazing fountain, and it's in a wonderful neighborhood.
Councilor Loretta Smith.
Thousands of dollars have been already poured into the redesign and positive activation around the Keller, including a design by Michael Curry, which is pretty amazing.
So I'm obviously committed to the Keller and its positive future.
I support what you heard LeJune Thorson from the DNA commented earlier regarding some of the improvements that we really should make to the Keller now.
That are not nearly as expensive and they wouldn't interrupt programs, we should consider that.
But our, our council resolution really needs to reflect our commitment to what we own and what we need to improve.
So thank you for allowing me to testify today.
Unidentified speaker
Thank you, colleagues.
Julie Vigeland
Thank you, colleagues.
And Councilor Clark, I suspect we will not get through our discussion today, so if you do have something that you'd like to file, I know we have this in front of But so that members of the public can see it too.
We should have time to do that before our next committee hearing.
Thank you.
And I'd be interested in any comments or feedback that you have on those proposals as well.
Thank you so much.
And was Councilor Kanal able to join us?
Okay, I think he had another engagement that was running late, so if he is able to join, we will get him into the mix later.
But in the meantime, we are now We are now going to move to public testimony, and I think we have just over an hour's worth of testimony from folks signed up, so we'll get through as much as we can and roll over the rest of our conversation to our next meeting.
Diego, could you please call up the first 5 people signed up to testify?
Thank you.
And just a few procedural notes for testimony.
For those signed up for verbal testimony, a reminder that each testifier will receive I will call up folks in groups of 5.
For those testifying in person, you will see a timer countdown displayed on the monitor in front of the testimony table.
For those that are testifying virtually, the timer is displayed in Zoom.
When testifying, you'll hear the timer chime twice.
The first chime is a warning when you have 30 seconds left, then a second time when your time is up.
And finally, before you begin your testimony, please state your name.
Thank you.
For the record.
So our first group— before you call up the first group, I apologize, I just saw Councilor Green poke his head around the corner.
I had thought he wasn't able to join us today, but Councilor, if you're still here— nope, I'm not seeing him come back.
Okay, we'll figure that out, and let's go ahead and get our first panel of public testimony.
Thank you.
Julie Vigeland, Kimiko Matsuda, AJ Romero And folks, when you come up to testify, go ahead, and whoever is sitting down and ready first is welcome to kick off the, the group.
Chair Pirtle-Guiney and committee members, for the record, my name is Julie Vigeland.
I am a South Waterfront resident and Lifeline advocate.
As a proud resident, patron, volunteer, and supporter of the arts and culture in Portland, I'm here today to thank you for your extraordinary work.
The recommendations before you are the result of years of study, public engagement, and thoughtful deliberation.
The public conversation has at times been passionate and challenging, as conversations about the future of important cultural institutions often are.
Through it all, I appreciate council's collective commitment to looking beyond individual interests and focusing on what I spent much of my life championing and supporting the arts because I believe they are essential to the health of a city.
They inspire us, challenge us, enrich our neighborhoods, strengthen our economy, and create the shared experiences that helps communities thrive.
That is why I am encouraged by such a clear recommendation to move forward with the Performing Arts and Culture Center.
Thank you.
With the Broadway Theater at its heart.
We have an opportunity to think more expansively about what arts and culture can mean for future generations at a place that welcomes new audiences, connects students and educators with performing arts, and strengthens artists and arts organizations across our region, and importantly, inspires philanthropy.
I know from personal experience that donors are drawn to bold visions.
Strong partnerships and projects that can make a lasting difference.
In front of us, we have that truly unique opportunity that will bring people together to invest in Portland's future.
As someone who spent decades championing the arts today, I find myself thinking less about my generation and what we enjoyed and more about what we will leave behind.
At some point, every generation becomes a steward Thank you.
Unidentified speaker
Okay, I guess I'm next.
Julie Vigeland
Hello, councilors.
Thank you for this opportunity to speak.
Bea Marston
My name is Bea Marston.
I'm an out and proud trans woman, she/her pronouns, and proud member of Unite Here Local 8.
Unidentified speaker
I'm also an employee of Levi Restaurants, and I work as a bartender at Portland Five.
You can see many of my coworkers in red shirts behind me.
Hope you can see them.
Kimiko Matsuda
We want to make sure that y'all know that we are P5 workers.
Thank you.
Unidentified speaker
Even though we're subcontractors, many of us were here before our current employer, will be here when they leave, if they leave.
And, you know, we want to make sure that y'all remember us when you make these decisions, even though we're not directly employed by the city.
Kimiko Matsuda
There's been a lot of anxiety from folks that work at P5 about the future of the Keller, and we're glad to hear that y'all moving in a direction That does not involve a closure.
Unidentified speaker
Yet, you know, we also have anxiety about the city considering the operating model for P5 venues and what that might mean for us.
I've worked at P5 for 24 years, and I've, you know, I feel like I've served half of Portland by now and probably many of the people in this room.
Kimiko Matsuda
And, you know, we build relationships with our guests.
I have regulars that I've been serving Many of us have been there for longer than that.
Unidentified speaker
You know, there's very little turnover.
Kimiko Matsuda
It's a good job.
It's a really good job.
Unidentified speaker
And, you know, I used to be on public assistance, but we have a good contract and we have health insurance.
We're trying to get more people on it, but if we lose the Keller, if we're closed, then no one's going to be able to get health insurance and our jobs will not be there.
Kimiko Matsuda
Thank you.
Unidentified speaker
And we're here today to ask for just a few things.
We need to know that there is a plan that will prevent disruption of Keller Shows.
Kimiko Matsuda
If a PSU venue is built, we need to know that our—.
Unidentified speaker
We'll have our jobs.
Kimiko Matsuda
If PSU builds a hotel, we would like to have a fair process for those workers to join a union.
We want union labor for construction, and we need to know that we will keep our job—.
Unidentified speaker
Jobs and our union contract regardless of who is the operator.
Kimiko Matsuda
And thank you.
Thank you.
Go ahead.
Good afternoon.
My name is Kimiko Matsuda.
I'm an active supporter of the arts, a member of IATSE Local 28, and the vice chair of Portland Center Stage.
I'm here because I believe Portland has an important choice to make about the future we're building.
When we consider projects like this, We should ask what we want Portland to represent 30 years from now.
The cities that admire— that we admire didn't become great by only solving today's problems.
They become great because previous generations invested in a future they might never see themselves.
For too long, we've operated from a scarcity mindset.
Unidentified speaker
I agree.
Kimiko Matsuda
We've invested in the future Asking what we have to cut or what we should— what isn't working.
But cities don't become great by managing decline.
They become great because we invest in the things that inspire people to stay, inspire people to create, build, and believe in a shared cultural future.
This is why the Cultural Center matters.
Portland State University isn't a for-profit-driven corporation.
It's our urban public university with a mission that serves students and the city.
That makes PSU one of Portland's most important civic partners.
The Cultural Center at PSU is more than a campus project.
It's an investment in Portland's creative ecosystem, a place where students, working artists, entrepreneurs, community members, Thank you.
I often say that the ideas that start here in Portland have the power to change the world.
People choose where they live, invest, build, and base their futures on what makes them feel great.
Great cities become destinations people choose.
This project isn't just about today's Portland.
It's an investment in Portland as a world-class city.
Thank you.
Good afternoon, councilors.
Lisa Lipton
My name is Lisa Lipton.
As an arts leader, entrepreneur, arts funding advocate, and Portlander, I urge the City Life Committee to support projects that strengthen our arts ecosystem, including Portland State University's proposed Performing Arts and Culture Center, while maintaining productive relationships with everyone in the community.
As Portland looks toward the future, building community, revitalizing downtown, and creating opportunities for arts and culture to thrive.
We need spaces that actively invest in the people who make this city creative.
The new center at PSU will train students while placing them directly within a working ecosystem of productions, performances, new work, and professional artists.
Portland needs traditions, and it also needs a center of capable— a center capable of accommodating larger productions while remaining accessible to smaller theater and performance ensembles.
With 250 to 500 seat attendance per production.
PSU has recently made difficult decisions and significant cuts in pursuit of greater long-term sustainability.
The fact that the university continues to invest in the long-term vision and design of this center, even while making challenging changes within its educational programs, speaks to the importance of this project and the future PSU believes it can build alongside Portland's arts and culture community.
I urge the City Life Committee to believe in that future as well and to support new projects as it pertains to arts and culture.
I believe we can do this, and I believe that we can do this and also invest in the Keller's future too.
Arts and culture presentations are not one size fits all.
There is room for all of us in the future.
This is the message the community needs right now.
Thank you.
AJ Romero-Gimmel
Chair Pirtle-Guiney, Vice Chair Zimmerman, and members of the committee.
For the record, my name is AJ Romero-Gimmel, and I serve as the PSU Graduate Student Trustee on the Board of Trustees.
I'm here today in strong support of the resolution to advance a new Broadway-capable venue as a part of the proposed Performing Arts and Culture Center at Portland State University.
In my role on the board, I represent the voice of students across all disciplines, backgrounds, and areas of study.
From a governance and student perspective, this project is a transformative generational opportunity for our entire university community and region.
This center will not just transform downtown, it'll be a powerful engine for student recruitment and enrollment.
Today's students are looking for vibrant, connected campuses with state-of-the-art resources.
Hosting a premier Broadway-capable facility right on campus gives PSU a unique competitive edge, attracting top talent locally, nationally, and internationally, not only in the performing arts, but across business, technical, and creative fields.
Integrating a world-class venue into our campus directly enhances the overall student experience and catalyzes downtown revitalization.
It expands academic and workforce development opportunities across campus, creating high-value internships, technical jobs, and venue and event management roles.
Beyond those broader impacts, having a Broadway-capable venue on our campus provides access to training facilities and mentorship opportunities Thank you.
This especially matters as PSU is an access institution.
Locating academic space next to professional theater space will give PSU performing arts students a direct view into potential careers following graduation.
These facilities will also provide necessary upgrades that will impact students across all domains of study at Portland State.
As someone who took language courses in my undergrad at Portland State, having practice rooms next to The Performing Arts and Culture Center fixes that very problem, improves the student experience, and improves graduation outcomes.
I urge the city to support the new Broadway-capable venue at PSU as part of the Performing Arts and Culture Center.
This commitment from the city will be a pivotal moment for our region, our community, our programs, and our students.
Thank you for your time and for your leadership.
Unidentified speaker
Thank you all for sharing your perspectives with us today.
AJ Romero-Gimmel
Linda McKim Bell, Carol Morse, Josh Hecht, Chuck Dillard, Leroy Bynum.
Unidentified speaker
Welcome.
Thank you all for coming.
The redhead.
Why don't we start at the end?
Leroy Bynum
Good afternoon.
My name is Leroy Bynum, and I am the Dean of PSU's extraordinary College of the Arts.
I am beyond excited to speak to you about the Performing Arts and Culture Center, and most especially the large performing hall and how it most assuredly will elevate performance experiences in Portland for decades to come.
As a performing artist and lifelong lover of the stage, for me, the process of developing this proposal has been all about serving and uplifting Portland's entire performance ecosystem.
At the same time, the arts educator and arts administrator in me are keenly aware of the transformative power of performance venues like the one being proposed to elevate the arts and the artists while also bringing cultural, economic, and social vibrancy to the communities they serve.
As part of PSU's amazing action team working on this project, I've had hundreds of animated conversations with a wide variety of arts and culture organizations.
It's been a tremendous learning experience.
And as an artist myself, there are 2 certainties I've always known, both of which were affirmed in every conversation I've had.
Unidentified speaker
First, all artists need venues that allow them to look and sound their best.
Leroy Bynum
And second, all audience members need to see and hear clearly what is being presented on the stage.
This requires the intentional creation of state-of-the-art tunable acoustics and complementary sight lines, achievable with certainty only when a performance hall is built from the ground up in adequate space.
PSU excels in training amazing performing artists.
Imagine the synergy generated from curated or chance interactions between PSU stars of tomorrow and the music and theater world's stars of today.
We are eager to help build the talent pipeline for backstage professionals Portland so desperately needs.
Thank you for asking us to offer a proposal to build Portland's Broadway theater on campus.
Good afternoon.
My name is Dr. Chuck Dillard.
I am the director of the School of Music and Theater at Portland State University.
I strongly support advancing the Performing Arts and Culture Center because I see every day how our current facilities limit our students and our ability to serve Portland.
Our students study music and theater in a converted high school, not a purpose-built arts facility.
Our popular sonic arts and music production program cannot grow beyond its capacity— beyond the capacity of its limited, ill-equipped spaces.
Our 3 bands rehearse in a room with serious hearing safety concerns.
And our award-winning chamber choir that just returned from China rehearses in a lecture hall in Cramer Hall because Lincoln Hall has no suitable space.
Sound bleed, elevator noise, streetcar rumblings, and inadequate acoustics prevent professional-quality rehearsals, performances, and recordings.
But these are not merely inconveniences.
They restrict enrollment, weaken morale, and tell talented students that their education has not received the investment The same investment as other disciplines.
The PACC would change that, but its impact would extend far beyond PSU.
Purpose-built rehearsal rooms, recording facilities, and performance spaces would help us prepare the next generation of Portland's performers, educators, technicians, and arts leaders.
Sharing a home with professional and nonprofit arts organizations would create internship Right now, I have one foot in optimism with the promise of what PSU could become and one foot bracing for a future with facilities that cannot accommodate the growth that we are expected to produce.
A yes from this committee would give our students, faculty, arts partners, and this community a reason to plan confidently for the future.
Thank you.
Councilor Dan Ryan.
Please go right ahead.
Unidentified speaker
Hello, I am Carol Morse.
I reside in District 4, and, uh, I'm the retired president of the PGE Foundation.
I've been an advocate and grantmaker to the arts through a number of volunteer volunteer board roles as well: the Oregon Cultural Trust, RACC, and Portland Opera.
The resolution you are now considering reflects years of study and public engagement.
I'm encouraged to see such a strong path forward emerging.
During my years at PGE Foundation, at OCT, and at RACC, I had the privilege of helping direct significant investments in arts and culture throughout our state.
It taught me that transformative civic projects share one important characteristic.
They inspire people to invest.
Just look at the success of the Rothko Pavilion at the Portland Art Museum.
The strongest projects create a sense of shared ownership and shared possibility.
That's what's compelling about the Performing Arts and Culture Center project at PSU.
Even at this early stage, the project has attracted support from public entities, institutional partners, private developers, and private philanthropy.
As someone who's closely worked over decades with donors and corporate leaders, I can tell you that that matters profoundly.
People invest when they see momentum, credible partnerships, and when they believe a project has the potential to make a lasting difference.
The PSU project has that potential, not only in a venue, but in artists, students, audiences, economic vitality, and the cultural life of our city.
Portland has been given the chance to make a decision that will shape its cultural life for the next century.
Such opportunities are rare.
They deserve vision, partnership, and leadership.
I encourage the City Life Committee to continue moving this current proposal forward to the City Council.
Josh Hecht
Thank you.
Unidentified speaker
Thank you.
Go right ahead.
Josh Hecht
Good afternoon, council members.
My name is Josh Hecht.
I'm the artistic director of Profile Theater, which at 29 years old is one of the longest-running theaters in the state of Portland—.
Unidentified speaker
In the state of Oregon—.
Josh Hecht
And a pillar of Portland's theater community.
3 Reasons why I am excited about PSU's Performing Arts and Culture Center.
One, embedding Portland's Broadway-capable venue within Portland's public university dramatically expands its civic and cultural impact.
Placing a major cultural asset at the heart of a university with as profoundly diverse a student body as PSU creates opportunities for students, artists, and indeed the city that is unique in the country.
2, As a director and producer working across the country, I have seen firsthand how powerful the relationship between universities and major arts organizations can be.
Creating opportunities for collaboration, resource sharing, and education that neither can do alone.
That's what I see in this proposal, which will elevate both PSU, attracting students and faculty from across the country, as well as Portland's arts ecosystem with a state-of-the-art, multi-stage, world-class venue.
At Profile, we regularly bring Tony Award, Pulitzer Prize, and Obie-winning playwrights to Portland to develop and premiere new work with local artists.
A world-class facility like this one would enhance our ability to attract world-class artists while creating more opportunities for Portland-based performers, designers, technicians, and students.
Third, and most importantly, I'm especially encouraged by what this means for the next generation.
Profile is partnering with PSU to develop a 2-year certificate program in theater design and production that will help train emerging technical talent right here in Portland.
The center would create a direct connection between education and practice, strengthening the workforce that arts organizations in our region depend on.
This project is about more than a theater.
It's about what becomes possible when Broadway, higher education, and Portland's arts community are all connected in one place Providing extraordinary opportunities for all.
I'm convinced that a project of this scope will elevate Portland's reputation as a major center for the arts in this country.
Linda McKim Bell
Thank you.
For the record, my name is Linda McKim Bell, and I'm an alumna of PSU and a downtown dweller, inventor of the I Love Downtown buttons, and founder of the Goose Hollow Foothills League neighborhood Aye.
I volunteer with the PSU Senior Adult Learning Center, and I'm here today in support of the resolution to advance a new Broadway-capable venue as part of the proposed Performing Arts and Culture Center at PSU.
This project is so much more than a new auditorium.
Unidentified speaker
It provides ample—.
Linda McKim Bell
That provides ample spaces for traveling The larger auditorium will be built on land owned by PSU and gifted to the city at a transportation hub that currently leads to nowhere.
Beyond the auditorium, there's another prize.
The complex will include a smaller auditorium for local arts events, office space for local arts organizations, classrooms that are tech-equipped, and versatile for music practice and small theater performance.
There is potential for outdoor events plaza with advanced small businesses, cafes, restaurants, and vending opportunities that will add foot traffic, safety, and places for community.
This is what seniors in our community in the surrounding high-rises need.
The Performing Arts Center has a potential as an economic engine to, to make Portland a win-win in every way.
The center will bring people from all walks of life to downtown, uplifting students and giving them a step into the workforce, giving our seniors downtown the opportunity for community, volunteering, belonging, Even meeting and more.
There's a dearth of cafes and meeting places for— in this area of downtown, and we need this.
We need a safe downtown, and I urge the city to support the new Broadway-capable venue at PSU.
This, this from the city will be a generational moment for our region and community, an opportunity Thank you.
Thank you all very much for being a part of the conversation today.
Daniel Pollack-Pelsner
Daniel Pollack-Pelsner, Ximena Rada Barragan Cruz, Greta Liu, Diana Stewart, Andy Seagrists.
Linda McKim Bell
Thank you all.
While others come up, why don't you go ahead and get started right there on the end?
Daniel Pollack-Pelsner
Thank you, councilors.
My name is Daniel Pollack-Pelsner.
I teach theater at Portland State University.
I write about performing arts across the nation for the New York Times and the New Yorker, and I'm proud to be here in support of this resolution.
I'm born and raised in Portland.
My wife and I moved back here after graduate school to raise our kids in Portland.
I remember my parents taking me and my sister to see Peter Pan at the Civic Auditorium when I was a kid, and now they take their grandkids to see touring Broadway shows.
It's something we love about Portland.
But what we love is not a specific building.
What we love is the community, and what we love is the entire ecology of the arts in this city that allows our region to blossom through the performing arts.
And what I found when I've researched Thank you.
One of the things I've learned as I've researched and written about centers across the country, whether it's in Manhattan or Austin or Tempe, is that the performing arts centers that can really transform a city are never standalone structures.
They're never just a single city block.
They're always partnerships, and they're always collaborations between nonprofit arts organizations, commercial theater, universities, private philanthropy, and government bodies.
And that's why I'm here in support of the Portland Arts and Culture Center.
Thank you.
My students and my colleagues and our colleagues in the performing arts and private donors and our university leaders, all of whom are saying, we're not a billionaire coming to shake you down.
We're not in the Band-Aid business.
We are bringing our resources and our time and our expertise because we want to partner with you to change the city.
This is what could galvanize the city, and this is what could change Portland's story.
And I think we all know Portland needs a different story.
When I get national editors asking me to write a story about the arts in Portland, To be honest, in the last 5 years, they're always asking the question, what went wrong?
And we now have an opportunity, maybe a once-in-a-generation opportunity, to flip that question around.
If we can pursue the option that lifts up potential for students, that lifts up arts education, that lifts up the nonprofit organizations in our community, and that partners those with the thrill of Broadway, Then we not only galvanize the city, we get to tell the story, and our grandkids will be able to look back and tell the story of where we went right.
Gema Nereida Barragan Cruz
Thanks for supporting.
Thank you.
Go right ahead.
Buenas tardes.
Good afternoon, Chair Pirtle-Guiney, Vice Chair Zimmerman, and members of the committee.
My name is Gema Nereida Barragan Cruz, and I am a PSU student and singer here in support of the proposed Performing Arts and Culture Center at PSU.
I'm entering my 3rd year at PSU studying music education with an emphasis in voice, and I perform as a mariachi singer across Oregon.
Music isn't just my major, but it is my life's work.
Singing mariachi allows me to keep our cultural traditions alive and share my heart directly with our community, while my studies at PSU are preparing me to guide our next future generations.
And I would like to sing a little something Canción Mixteca by José López Alavés.
Oh, tierra de sol, suspiro por verte.
Unidentified speaker
Y ahora que alejas, yo vivo sin luz, sin amor.
Gema Nereida Barragan Cruz
Al verme tan sola y triste, As a music student at PSU, I see firsthand how desperately our performing arts program need modern functional space.
Right now, students are constantly competing for limited outdated practice space.
As a member of the chamber choir, we practice in a classroom in the same building as the geology and history department The jazz choir practices in a stairwell in Lincoln Hall.
Our students deserve better.
This project promises a direct bridge to the professional world.
Training alongside touring productions and industry professionals gives student artists, technicians, and musicians invaluable real-world experience, mentorship, and networking opportunities right outside our classrooms.
I urge the city to support the new Broadway-capable venue at PSU.
This commitment from the city will be a generational moment for our region, community, program, Thank you so very much.
Thank you, Chair Pirtle-Guiney and members of the Committee on City Life.
Greta Lau
My name is Greta Lau, and I'm testing— testifying in support of the resolution to advance a new Broadway-capable venue as part of the proposed Performing Arts and Culture Center at Portland State University.
I'm a resident of District 4 and have been living and working in downtown Portland for the past 4 years.
Just 2 months ago, I graduated from Portland State University with a degree in theater arts.
I am invested in this project not only for the betterment of the city, but for theater artists and university students alike.
Now more than ever, the College of the Arts at PSU is experiencing a renaissance.
New faculty, courses, and a growing student body means the next generation of world-class artists and technicians is growing right here in our city.
Having a space that is made by us for us is a crucial next step towards solidifying Portland as a vibrant and creative city worthy of recognition.
During my time at PSU, I was taught the ins and outs of what it is like to work in professional arts venues.
I understand what it takes to produce a show from load-in to load-out.
I have both sat in the audience and seen the inner workings backstage of nearly every major theater in Portland.
I can tell you confidently that the Keller as it is is holding us back.
As the only option for many large-scale touring shows, Thank you.
With so little room to grow in a single city block, the time is now to invest in Portland's thriving performing arts industry.
If I were to speak only for myself, this project would give me so much hope for the future of performing arts in Portland.
Knowing that the city has invested in the future of artists like myself would only reaffirm my love of Portland and my desire to stay and work right here in downtown.
But I know that beyond me, future generations of PSU students deserve a space where they can Thank you for your service to our city, and I urge you to support this resolution.
Good afternoon.
Diana Stewart
My name is Diana Stewart.
For over 4 years, I've immersed myself in the city's debate about what to do with our performing arts center issue.
As a resident of the core downtown, I believe that ultimately the Keller renovation is a stunning visionary catalyst needed to protect and enhance our downtown.
Unidentified speaker
Councilor Smith.
Diana Stewart
Thank you, Mr. Mayor.
I support both projects.
I support the project to protect struggling businesses around the Keller and to keep my neighbors who are considering leaving the downtown and leaving the Portland area due to tax burdens here in Portland.
However, having sat through many of your budget meetings, neither project should now capture my tax dollars, which rather should go to the urgent needs of the city that we all love and meet the needs that each of you have advocated for keeping Portland safe, Addressing the crises on our streets, preserving essential livability services.
I've been perplexed by what appears to be the city bureau's thumb on the scale performing the PSU concept.
The only answer I can come up with is what I've been told by various city council members, that the PSU PR department is a tsunami of information influencing and attempting to influence each one of you.
Instead, polling shows that citizens agree with the mayor when he says Portland doesn't build massively expensive new when we can preserve and renovate what we own.
I have forwarded several charts to each of you referencing what I consider to be misinformation that has been coming out to council.
Number one shows that PSU recently admitted they have no idea Second, the renovation can address all of President Dunphy's concerns that he articulated today.
And third, the period of time is not 3 to 5 years, it's significantly shorter.
Passing this resolution will be a massive political, cultural, economic mistake.
Please ensure that the resolution gives you an off-ramp to a more sustainable solution.
Thank you.
If you decide after the additional study that's being requested that the project is untenable.
Thank you very much.
Thank you all so much for being here today.
Jane Taylor
Once more for Andy Seegrist.
Okay, next, Paul Monheimer, Duke Castle.
Javier Stickler
Javier Stickler.
Bob Nadeau
Bob Nadeau.
Jane Taylor
Jane Taylor.
Bob Nadeau
Go right ahead and begin.
Jane Taylor
Good afternoon, councilors.
Paul Monheimer
My name is Paul Monheimer.
In 2016, I was honored to be named Oregon's High School Social Studies Teacher of the Year.
Since becoming a Portlander in 1974, I have attended hundreds of performances at theater venues across the city.
As a middle school teacher, I helped lay the groundwork for future arts patrons by arranging matinee field trips to downtown Portland theater performances.
I know you are giving weight to tangible arguments as you consider the decision in front of you.
Art performances aren't always tangible.
Plays, ballets, TEDx events, and musicals tug at our feelings.
In that spirit, and because Kim Stafford was one of my mentors and remains a hero, I offer a poem.
If Pioneer Courthouse Square is Portland's living room, Keller Auditorium is Portland's family room.
Family rooms hold memories.
Memories span generations.
As 5-year-olds, Grandma takes us to The Nutcracker.
Dressed in our finery, we marvel at the fountain for the first time before sinking into our adult-sized seats.
We clap when the show ends, skipping up the aisle to wave goodbye to the Sugar Plum Fairy and the fountain.
As 12-year-olds, Granddad takes us to The Lion King.
Dressed in our finery, we jumped the terraces in the fountain before oohing over the view from our balcony seats.
We sing Circle of Life on our way home.
We remember the cool acoustics.
Our memories hang on the walls of the Keller.
We don't need a new house or even an addition.
We carefully remove our memories to paint the walls, patch up the dry rot, re-sand the floors, and then we can hang our memories in Keller Auditorium again.
Duke Castle
My name is Duke Castle.
I'm here to recommend that you do not approve the mayor's resolution.
If there's any bias in this discussion, it should be in enhancing and retaining the Keller.
The Keller is easily accessible from I-5, has parking for Thank you.
The Keller is a historic landmark with over 2,000 vehicles, 3 hotels with hundreds of rooms, numerous restaurants within walking distance.
The seismic issues and other concerns about the Keller are not under dispute.
However, if they could be successfully dealt with, why would we abandon the Keller?
Such a plan to successfully resolve those issues was submitted to the city in 2023.
It showed that the Keller could be upgraded to meet current seismic code, and in a statement by Tim Eddy of And I quote, the study has concluded that it is feasible to upgrade the Keller Auditorium to the standards of a state-of-the-art 21st century performance venue and to resolve all of the facility's current physical and operational challenges.
I've seen nothing to invalidate that statement.
Why then would we set aside a plan that has the potential to resolve all of our concerns about the Keller?
I think that's a very good question.
The only other reason that is cited is concern about the disruption to the community while the Keller is renovated.
That's a very legitimate issue, but to solve it with the significant expense of building a whole new permanent facility and all of the needed supporting infrastructure is an excessive answer to a temporary problem.
Bob Naito
Other cities faced with this problem have developed or created Councilors, my name is Bob Naito.
I'm the chair of the Halpern Landscape Conservancy.
This proposal to build a replacement for the Keller Auditorium at PSU and then renovate and downsize the Keller to 1,200 to 1,800 seats is flawed.
The city has offered no funding plan, no studies that prove the need for a smaller Keller, And has no guarantees that the Keller would eventually be renovated.
The combined capital cost of the full PSU complex plus a renovated Keller is approaching $1 billion.
And I brought a chart since that number doesn't show up anywhere in the resolution, and I'll leave copies with the clerk.
This is all happening in a city that remains deeply divided over how we pay for another city-owned asset, the Moda Center.
And in a city where Portland 5 Centers for the Performing Arts buildings need about $336 million in deferred capital maintenance, and that's a study recently published by the Portland Bureau of Transportation.
Thank you.
The city's marketing consultants found insufficient market demand for 2 large Broadway theaters in Portland.
Why were they not tasked with studying the very proposal this administration is bringing forward?
No plans or cost estimate for a downsized Keller exists, and no analysis exists of whether a 1,200 to 1,800-seat Keller would generate sufficient revenue to pay for the operating revenue to cover its own costs, let alone contribute to the P5 system it currently subsidizes.
Don't kick the Keller down the road yet again.
Have the courage to demand answers to the fundamental questions before committing the city to a billion-dollar boondoggle.
Thank you.
Good afternoon, councilors.
My name is Xavier D. Stickler, and I'm a student at PSU.
We've heard a lot today about vision.
Don't get me wrong, vision is good.
As an aspiring urban planner, I am all about vision.
But I'm here to bring you all back down to reality a little bit.
Put simply, we don't have the money for this, you guys.
While it's easy to say we'll investigate funding mechanisms later on, let's be clear, the city's budget deficit is structural.
The tough choices with the budget you all have faced in the last 2 years are going to persist for the foreseeable future.
Councilmember Smith
Councilmember Smith.
Bob Naito
It pains me to say this, but we do not have the dollars even to complete the renovation of the Keller while maintaining it at a 3,000-seat capacity, estimated at a cost of $236 million.
That's the cheapest option here.
That means we certainly don't have the money for a new venue at PSU, which is almost double that cost to the city, let alone the pursuit of both theaters, which is nearly a $1 billion commitment.
Unfortunately, this resolution is a whole lot of dollars and not very much Thank you.
While it's true we will eventually need a 21st century Keller, no one's disputing that, at a time when transit is being slashed, essential employees are being let go from both the city and PSU, and our public infrastructure maintenance backlog is ballooning, it makes no sense to prioritize this project in the context of so many more critical life-saving needs.
It makes no sense to be adding a new— a whole new theater to the city's portfolio, especially while at the same time renovating what is currently a profit-generating venue Thank you.
It makes no sense for PSU, an institution laying off my instructors with declining enrollment and where 1 in 5 students are housing insecure or homeless, to be prioritizing getting into the entertainment business.
The only responsible choice here is for council to find the $10 to $15 million needed to Thank you.
The city has already made the necessary investments to keep the Keller in a good state of repair for the next 10 years.
Broadway has already renewed their contract with the Keller until 2033.
Give the economy a chance to recover, for PSU to stabilize, for the bond market to improve, for the city to actually study the feasibility of a temporary venue.
It has been done.
Then will be the right time to pursue this vision.
And so I urge you to make the very difficult choice to vote no on this resolution.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Unidentified speaker
I'm an actor, singer, director, and a resident of downtown Portland.
I am going to ask you not to consider this proposal and not to approve this proposal because— for specifically financial reasons.
I love all of the passion that's been shown for improving the arts community here in Portland.
However, it's clear that the costs, $290,000 to build— to renovate the Keller versus $447,000 to build a new 3,000-seat auditorium at Portland State, Isn't— doesn't make sense to me.
There are costs that aren't in the proposal with regards to utilities, traffic, and the infrastructure that the city would be required to adjust in order to accommodate this.
And in addition, there are costs for the hotel that's being proposed in addition to the auditorium.
I don't think we have all of the facts yet.
Portland State is an incredibly viable part of the downtown ecosystem, and it's one that I've enjoyed as I've taken classes there.
However, they've recently announced a $35 million budget deficit.
They've taken away 2 complete academic programs and let go of a number of instructors.
To me, investing in this economically doesn't make sense for them because it jeopardizes their positive impact on the community spending millions and millions of dollars in things that don't make sense to the community or for academics.
Spending more money to get less value would be a sad act for a university who would fail their students and their community and a mayor of city council that would be viewed as being out of step of the economic needs of this community.
Thank you.
Thank you so much for being here and being part of the conversation today.
Ian Walton
Next is Ian Walton, Claire Blaylock, Linda Moss, Jordan Del Valle-Tinuan, and Joel Thorson.
Unidentified speaker
Go right ahead on the end there while we wait for others to make their way up.
Please go right ahead.
Ian Walton
Good afternoon.
My name is Ian Walton.
I have been a Portland resident for 25 years.
Prior to retiring, I was a consulting partner with PricewaterhouseCoopers, and I have experience in reviewing high-value capital projects.
With the world's renewed interest in ancient Greece, You'll forgive me if I describe this as a financial Trojan horse.
My wife and I have volunteered at Portland Five for many years, and I support public involvement in the arts scene.
Unidentified speaker
However, in the current climate, such projects must be at the lowest cost and the lowest project risks.
Ian Walton
The PSU proposal is neither.
The Keller project, with or without a temporary location, meets this requirement.
Thank you.
The cost will be well earned.
Both will escalate, but the differential between the two is quite clear and will remain that way.
What I will concentrate on is project risks.
The Keller project has a single stakeholder, clear objectives, and a well-understood site.
The PSU project has multiple stakeholders, including Oregon State and whoever runs the parking structure and the hotel.
It has multiple complex objectives One of which appears to be transition—.
Unidentified speaker
To transition a challenged academic institution into the vaudeville and hotel business.
Ian Walton
The consultant's argument, which rules out the temporary option on page 27, is almost laughably flawed on its face.
Unidentified speaker
I am familiar with some of the temporary sites in London, and I think I should say they are great fun.
Ian Walton
If you were thinking folding chairs in tents, Order.
Unidentified speaker
Thank you.
Go right ahead.
Good evening, councilors.
Jordan Del Valle-Tinoyan
My name is Jordan Del Valle-Tinoyan.
Unidentified speaker
I use he/him pronouns.
Jordan Del Valle-Tinoyan
I'm a South Downtown resident, and I hold a bachelor's in community development from Portland State University.
I have a background in technical theater and have won awards for stage management.
Unidentified speaker
And I urge you to vote no on this resolution because it represents the wrong priorities for a public university.
Jordan Del Valle-Tinoyan
A university's primary mission should be to educate.
It exists to teach students, support faculty, and serve the public.
Yet while PSU is laying off faculty and eliminating academic programs, most recently 36 faculty members and programs like conflict resolution and university studies, the school's general education pathway, is pursuing a massive new capital project that does not address the urgent needs of its students.
The city should not reward this behavior.
Unidentified speaker
Students are struggling with the basic conditions necessary to succeed.
Jordan Del Valle-Tinoyan
I personally knew students who struggled with housing insecurity while trying to complete their education, living in their cars, working multiple jobs just to make ends meet.
The university has a tremendous opportunity to use its land in this transit-rich, amenity-filled build part of the city to address those challenges.
Student housing, affordable housing, workforce housing, market-rate housing even would directly support the university community and surrounding city.
Despite her testimony today about the vision she saw for PSU upon her hiring, President Kudd has already identified these priorities in her report from the governor's participation in the Governor's Portland City's Central City Task Force focused on addressing future economic growth and immediate challenges facing this In 2023, she wrote highlighting things that the university could do to help downtown, rethinking educational spaces to make them more connected to the community, expanding childcare access, supporting affordable housing for students in the downtown core.
Linda Moss
And the outcomes also explicitly reference improving and renovating existing buildings, including seismic retrofits.
These are concrete actions that would directly serve the students and Portland residents.
Jordan Del Valle-Tinoyan
Yet instead of advancing those priorities, PSU is moving forward with major new performing arts facilities.
Go right ahead.
Linda Moss
Please go ahead.
Jordan Del Valle-Tinoyan
Me?
Yes.
Linda Moss
I'm here to speak out against the proposed expansion of the Oregon Arts Facility.
Jordan Del Valle-Tinoyan
Yes.
Linda Moss
Good afternoon, council members.
My name is Linda Moss.
I live in District 4 here in Portland, 4 years in Portland, 20 years with grandchildren here and spending a lot of time here.
I'm here before you.
I was one of the 12 members on the steering committee.
My background, I am a chair emeritus of the Northwest Area Foundation, a large foundation that funds in Oregon as well as 8 other states.
I am a former state senator and majority whip in Montana, so have some policy work as well.
And also I've worked in local government as an executive director of a large regional history museum.
So with those different perspectives, I came to the steering committee with open eyes and we read multiple reports.
You've seen them.
And I just want to encourage you to really look at the report that came from this 12-member steering committee.
It was a unanimous decision to support our recommendation to move forward with this project.
And we had multiple discussions.
And I want to say to all of the people that have testified, especially the people who have concerns, we had those same concerns.
We asked questions.
I have to say the arts and cultural staff members were excellent in answering our question, providing additional information that may not even be in the reports that are on the website.
So it's a thorough examination of this issue, and I really encourage you to support the resolution.
It's a once in a lifetime opportunity.
Joel Thorson
Thank you.
Linda Moss
Thank you.
Go right ahead.
Joel Thorson
Joel Thorson.
It's my community, the residents/taxpayers and voters of Portland that I'm advocating for and nobody else.
I approach this as both a former journalist and a veteran of 34 years developing software.
A career that I could not have undertaken or found satisfaction in with very culminating careers— career assignments at Amazon and Bonneville Power toward the end, in which I was involved in critical software systems development using tools, intellectual and skills, tools and skills that I gained from Portland State's System Science Program.
I'm very grateful to the education that I got there.
It set me on my path.
I'm a very devoted PSU supporter.
However, I'm puzzled by the change in the voice that I hear, and I'm wondering who or what is the real PSU.
The voice, its public voice today doesn't seem to match the PSU that I knew.
Unidentified speaker
Thank you.
Thank you.
Joel Thorson
I've concluded there are 2, not one, organizations, the university I love and the relentless PR and fundraising juggernaut that is in the process of dictating Portland's future, nothing less, with a project that rivals Portland's biennial budget in size, the money to be laid on the backs of Portland taxpayers.
Thank you.
Number 2 is they presume to answer the question, what becomes of the Keller?
Unidentified speaker
Think about it.
Joel Thorson
Have you ever heard of a renovation project, public or private, to make a facility less capable of performing the same function that it has been serving up to now?
That's doomed to be Tantamount to replacing a cash cow with one more drain on the city's finances.
It's financially laughable.
It's empire building, and it's not worthy of the slogan, let knowledge serve the city.
It's in fact a blatant attempt to fund a financially preposterous engineering— visioneering adventure at the public's expense.
Ramin Farmanpour
Thank you.
Thank you all so much for being here and sharing your perspectives.
Joel Thorson
Ramin Farahmandpour, Kate Mira.
Ramin Farmanpour
Welcome.
Take the red card.
Chair, chair and members of the My name is Ramin Farmanpour.
I'm a tenured professor and former faculty senator at Portland State University, where I've taught for 23 years.
I'm also under an active layoff notice.
Unidentified speaker
I speak today only for myself.
I'm not here to oppose a strong future for performing arts, nor to defend a building with serious seismic flaws.
Ramin Farmanpour
I'm here because this institution is speaking to 2 different rooms at the same time.
In this room, Portland State is the lead developer of a project estimated at more than $600 million.
In another room, the same institution has declared a fiscal emergency.
Its enrollment has fallen 23% since 2019, and it is retrenching faculty and staff and cutting academic programs.
Unidentified speaker
I understand capital bonds cannot pay salaries, This is not the point.
Ramin Farmanpour
You are being asked to tie the city's arts future to an institution that is shrinking and cutting its core, even as it takes on a project of this size.
Consider the city's own position.
It already owns 3 downtown performing arts halls that need as much as $336 million in deferred maintenance.
Today, it is asked to commit The impact statement lists it as, quote unquote, to be determined.
PSU's share is secured.
Unidentified speaker
The city's is not.
Before you affirm this commitment, demand the numbers first.
Ramin Farmanpour
Thank you.
Thank you very much.
Go right ahead.
Kate Mira
Hi, my name is Kate Mira.
I use she/her pronouns and am a constituent in 97215.
I am testifying with my 20-year experience in IATSE Local 28 and, and as an extant founding member of Fuse Theater Ensemble.
I speak for neither organization and only for myself.
2 Years ago, I submitted an Oregon Arts Watch opinion piece on remembering the stagehands when contemplating the fate of the Keller Auditorium.
What I wrote then remains true now.
Broadway in Portland must always have a good, appropriate home.
Just ask a stagehand.
I agree with the feasibility study focusing on maximizing Broadway content and maintaining theater-style commercial content while also being an accessible home to resident companies and nonprofits and students.
It's important.
The PSU construction and Keller renovation plan provides Including a full performing arts campus, support amenities available and achievable at PSU, no downtime in hosting large-scale shows which support other P5 venues and many people's livelihoods, plus opportunities for audience and subscription growth.
I do want to highlight a gap in the study which primarily focused on audiences and existing rental while ignoring another revenue driver.
A second Broadway capacity house would be a prime location for upcoming Broadway tours to rehearse and prepare, and for existing tours to update and repair their equipment, as Portland and the stagehands of Local 28 did for Lion King.
Numerous tours have wished that they could prep their high shows in Portland due to our highly skilled stagehands and lack of sales They can save money and time working here while investing in our local economy.
It's unfortunate that formal research here seems not to have happened via contacting tours or speaking with local stagehands.
Still, please support and accept the recommendations to advance a new Broadway-capable theater at PSU.
Thank you.
Thank you both very much.
I'm sorry, that concludes testimony.
Okay, thank you so much to everybody who joined us today and was able to share your perspectives.
I know there is a fair amount of written testimony posted online also, which we'll make sure to take a look at.
At this point, we are a few minutes after 5 o'clock, so we won't have time to deliberate today, colleagues, but we will hold this over to our next committee meeting, which will be on What is that, August 11th?
Is that right?
I'm looking to Christopher to confirm that date.
Okay, on August 11th, we will bring this back to have council deliberation.
It sounds like we may have an amendment coming from Councilor Clark similar to what she went over today, but possibly incorporating a few other items as well.
We are also going to learn about some upcoming legislation on August— on August 11th, we will also learn about some upcoming legislation looking at worker representation in stores in our community, and we will hear a PFAS ordinance as well as our normal public input period.
Unidentified speaker
We also have the pricing.
Kate Mira
We have pricing as well that day.
Okay, sounds good.
I will check our agenda, but I think you're Probably right there.
I want to give thanks to our professional staff who were willing to wait an extra few minutes so we could get those last 2 panels in and make sure to hear from everybody today.
And also to the 2 panels, 3 panels that we started with to provide some additional feedback on the presentations from our city staff.
Thank you all.
And with that, we will close today's hearing.
Thank you.