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.
Jamie Dunphy
Good afternoon.
I am calling back to order this recessed meeting of the Portland City Council.
It is Thursday, September 3rd at 2:01 PM.
Keelan, can you please take the roll?
Keelan McClymont
Good afternoon.
Koyama Lane?
Tiffany Koyama Lane
Here.
Keelan McClymont
Murillo?
Novick?
Steve Novick
Here.
Keelan McClymont
Clark?
Olivia Clark
Here.
Keelan McClymont
Here.
Olivia Clark
Here.
Keelan McClymont
Zimmerman.
Eric Zimmerman
Here.
Keelan McClymont
Avalos.
Jamie Dunphy
We cannot hear you, Councilor Avalos, but we can see you.
Keelan McClymont
Okay, we're good.
Jamie Dunphy
Yep.
Keelan McClymont
Uh, Smith.
Loretta Smith
Here.
Keelan McClymont
Kanal.
Sameer Kanal
Here.
Keelan McClymont
Pirtle-Guiney.
Elana Pirtle-Guiney
Here.
Keelan McClymont
Ryan.
Dan Ryan
Here.
Here.
Jamie Dunphy
And can we please read the rules of decorum for the chamber?
Keelan McClymont
Welcome to the Portland City Council.
To testify before council in person or virtually, you may sign up in advance on the council agenda at www.portland.gov/council/agenda.
Information on engaging with council can be found on the council clerk's webpage.
Individuals may testify for 3 minutes unless the presiding officer states otherwise.
Your microphone will be muted when your time is over.
The presiding officer preserves order.
Disruptive conduct such as shouting, refusing to conclude your testimony when your time is up, or interrupting others' testimony or council deliberations will not be allowed.
If you cause a disruption, a warning will be given.
Further disruption will result in ejection from the meeting.
Anyone who fails to leave once ejected is subject to arrest for trespass.
Additionally, council may take a short recess and reconvene virtually.
Your testimony Testimony should address the matter being considered.
When testifying, 1, state your name for the record.
Your address is not necessary.
2, If you are a lobbyist, identify the organization you represent.
3, Virtual testifiers should unmute themselves when the council clerk calls your name.
Thank you.
Jamie Dunphy
Thank you very much.
So for those paying attention at home, but mostly to my colleagues up here on the dais, we have some carryover from yesterday that has been placed as per usual at the end of our agenda.
Yes.
We had anticipated that and actually had built time into this agenda for that carryover.
However, there are more than 50 people signed up for item number 9, and there are more than 30 people signed up for item number 8.
So it will be a very tight timeline.
There is still likely more testimony than we can actually accommodate today.
We will get to absolutely everybody.
We just may not get to council deliberations and conversation and votes.
If items are not able to be completed today, they will start at the beginning of the agenda next week.
Additionally, yesterday went very, very, very long.
As since the budget season ended, I had stopped tracking councilors' individual times on a time— on my stopwatch.
I'm gonna be bringing that back today.
We need to get through this agenda and councilors will be given 5 minutes per councilor per turn, including responses, but councilors are always welcome to get back in the queue.
Before we turn it over to the city administrator for an update on his Thank you, Council President.
Keelan McClymont
Thank you for giving me just a moment to recognize— take a few minutes to recognize Gloria Steinem, who passed away, I think, yesterday.
That's a very meaningful name for a lot of us in this room.
She was a trailblazer for women's rights, having dedicated her life to women's freedom.
She was an outspoken advocate for women's reproductive freedom, as someone who had actually sought out an illegal abortion in the 1950s.
Earlier in her journalism career, she went undercover, if you recall, as a Playboy Bunny to expose the poor working conditions in the famous Playboy Clubs.
And this began her trajectory as a feminist icon.
As a journalist, she co-founded Ms. Magazine, a platform where women's rights were front and center.
Jamie Dunphy
Thank you.
Keelan McClymont
Gloria Steinem was an inspiration to me personally and millions of women worldwide, empowering us to expect more and fight for what we deserve.
She wore many hats— a journalist, a writer, an activist— and she was our symbol in the fight for equality.
I hope we can all take a minute to reflect on her work towards women's rights and social justice.
May she rest in power And know her fight was not in vain, and we will keep her legacy alive by continuing to fight for the change we need in this world.
Thank you.
Jamie Dunphy
Thank you, Vice President Clark.
Can we— let's see, there we go.
Keelan McClymont
Great.
Jamie Dunphy
Can we please call, uh, our time-certain item number 7?
Keelan McClymont
Yeah, sorry, item 7, document 2026-295, September 2026 City Administrator Update.
Jamie Dunphy
Mr. City Administrator, turning it to you for an update.
Though this is not your fault, I will ask for this to be a brief presentation today 'cause we are on a tight timeline.
So take it away.
You don't have to tell me twice.
I'll just do this CA's report and just talk about a few key items, but really spending more time on kind of federal response update.
Thank you, Council, for this opportunity.
Before I begin with this, let me scroll.
Here we go.
First, as of this week, the Immigrant Affairs Lead position has moved officially into my office now.
Her responsibilities and partnerships will remain the same, and we will expect this move to strengthen her ability to coordinate and implement the city's sanctuary initiatives across the bureaus.
The city's land use enforcement process involving the Portland ICE facility is still moving through the courts.
In July, the city's hearings officer appealed the violation finding.
The county circuit court has set a hearing date of November the 20th.
Aye.
To consider the appeals filed by the building owner.
As a reminder, the hearing officer ruled against the building owner, and the owner appealed the matter to the circuit court by filing several writs of review.
At the hearing on November 20th, the court will consider those appeals.
Legal briefs will be filed by both parties in advance of that hearing.
We are also seeing continued federal immigration enforcement activities across Oregon.
Nearly, uh, newly released data from the Deportation Data Project obtained through federal, federal records requests show that federal agents arrested more than 700 people in Oregon as of August the 6th, compared to with 462 during the first 8 months of 2025.
Uh, PERP reported 85 detentions as of August the 29th.
Putting August on track to have the highest number of reported detentions since 2026.
One development we are watching closely is the use of what were called mega master hearings.
These are immigration court hearings where a very large number of people are scheduled at the same time.
Some hearings have also been rescheduled with little notice.
When someone is missing, A hearing.
The court can issue a deportation order right away because the person was not present for their hearing.
At these circumstances, as circumstances evolve, we want to make sure the city can respond quickly with clear information, meaningful language access, and strong partnerships with the community organizations and legal providers already doing this work.
I will continue to provide updates as we monitor federal immigration activity.
Thank you.
And the impacts on our community as a whole.
Now I will share just a few highlights from the CA report, and then the DCAs and myself are here to answer any questions you may have.
Uh, want to focus on I-5 southbound closure.
As you know, this large ODOT project is scheduled to begin next Friday.
As we talked about in a recent work session, teams across the city have been working together To prepare for this closure.
We want to continue to provide excellent services to our community from emergency management work and to support our employees through this closure period.
Wanted to share some other updates on BES and water.
Our supporting field staff and working on strategies such as staged generations and emergency vehicles, alternative fuel locations, and adjusting hauling and sampling new schedules to try to help with this event as well.
Only other thing I would like to share with you too as well, and this is really a shout out to our CFO and the debt management team and our underwriting and legal partners in structuring and execution of this transaction.
And just thank you to the investors who continue to place their confidence in the city and provide us with capital.
Thank you.
To build critical infrastructure for Portland.
This is really surrounding our improvement credit rating that we saw came through last month.
That was really kudos to our staff for really managing our resources in a responsible manner.
And lastly, I wanted to take another moment to thank our former Portland Solutions Director, Sky, for her incredible service.
To the city and welcome Hank Smith to the interim director role over Portland Solutions.
Thank you very much, Mr. City Administrator.
We have some councilors in the queue, starting with Vice President Clark.
Keelan McClymont
Thank you, Councilor President.
I just wanted to thank you, Administrator Lee, for including both a budget note update on utility rates, which is coming to Public Works in the next few weeks, and also thank you for highlighting partnerships.
Next Tuesday, the Public Works Committee is going to be talking about something we call Partnership for Portland's Public Spaces.
And I'm hoping that you will consider potentially a citywide partnership strategy that extends beyond parks to all the other bureaus and potentially even consider having that in your office.
But that's for a future conversation.
I just want to thank you because the world really goes around here with volunteers and public-private partnerships.
So I appreciate your recognizing that.
Jamie Dunphy
Thank you.
Keelan McClymont
Thank you.
Jamie Dunphy
Thank you, Vice President Clark.
Councilor Knoll.
Thank you, Council President.
Just before I get into the questions, I have a lot of questions on this month's report.
Would it be possible for me to invite you, because you're normally there anyway, to the committee the whole next week to continue, and I'll just ask one today?
Okay, I appreciate that.
Is that all right with you, Council President?
And I assume the clerk's office will need to— okay, thank you.
The one question I wanted to ask, It's at the top of page 3.
It mentions a reduction in hours to 311 in spite of the fact that council voted to provide enough money to retain hours at 311.
And I had concern about this for the somewhat obvious reasons that we put money into it.
I understand that the fact that it was one time is a challenge.
I also understand that you might have to at least temporarily reduce it until a limited-term position could be created.
But I am curious why it is framed as effectively this was meaningless and it's a permanent reduction in hours.
So could I get a— ideally there'd be a time at which you're posting it and then limited duration will come back and get the hours back.
Yes, the hours will come back.
This is a temporary situation where the hours will be reduced until we're able to get the position filled.
Okay, and do you have a rough idea, I would, of when that would be?
I can follow up with you with that scheduling.
Okay, I am aware that HR has processes that need to be followed, and I'm also aware that the city administrator's prioritization of it might be helpful for that.
So I appreciate it.
And while I have the floor, I'll just mention there, right below that is an item for those who may be interested in helping steward the future of our fire and police Disability and Retirement Program.
The Board of Trustees is recruiting through September 27th, and it's on page 3 of the report, as well as at Government Jobs has a recruitment there as well.
Thanks.
Thank you, Councilor Kanal.
Councilor Avalos.
Keelan McClymont
Can you hear me now, by the way?
Jamie Dunphy
We can hear you now, yes.
Keelan McClymont
Okay, thank you.
I had a question about the implementation of the Keep Portland Housed ordinance.
So one, I have heard some concerns from community about getting access to the rental assistance dollars and wanted to know if you had an update on how that progress has gone.
And then 2, it was my understanding that since we sent the rental assistance money over to the county because they were better suited to get those dollars out, that we were going to be receiving eviction prevention money to the city for similar reasons.
Jamie Dunphy
I'm curious where that stands.
Councilor, let me follow up, uh, in a memorandum to you because we just did receive some information as it relates to the housing dollars itself.
But I'll follow up with you with a full, uh, write-up on it.
Um, is there anything you can tell me now about what— what does that mean?
You, you said you've received some information.
That sounds ominous.
What do you mean?
That means we received some, uh, updates on—.
Keelan McClymont
Turn your mic on because Oh, sorry.
Jamie Dunphy
Just an update on our resources that we already sent over to county.
We've got an update of how those funds are being expensed.
We will follow up in the full memorandum though to you on the other points though, just for the essence of time.
Keelan McClymont
Okay.
Jamie Dunphy
Okay, thank you, Councilor Avalos.
Councilor Koyama Lane.
Keelan McClymont
Very, very quickly, I wanted to quickly second Vice President Clark's comments about the updates on utility rate setting.
Really looking forward to that presentation coming to Public Works.
I know that many of my colleagues are concerned about the rising costs of living and are looking for ways to decrease the impacts on Portlanders.
And I think this is an area where I believe all of the council members can work collaboratively together.
Jamie Dunphy
Thank you, Councilor Koyama Lane.
Councilor Morillo.
Keelan McClymont
Thank you, Council President.
I'll be really brief because I know we have limited time today and lots of folks eager to testify.
I really appreciated the portion of the report that talked about the contracts and IGAs.
And I just wanted to put a request in that we add another appendix that lists the current open requests for proposals, RFPs, or the RFIs, or PHBs, notices of funding availability, because there's been, I think, some lack of information for the council about different RFPs and things that are coming up for us, and making sure that we can be included in that information sharing would be really helpful.
Jamie Dunphy
Thank you.
Keelan McClymont
Thank you.
Jamie Dunphy
Thank you, Councilor Morillo.
Um, City Administrator, I would just ask that I'd be interested in the memo that you'd be sending to Councilor Avalos as well.
I'm sure the rest of the council would also be interested because we spent months talking about those dollars and are excited to see the good work that is being done.
So thank you very much.
I see no other councilors in the queue.
Thank you, Mr.
Administrator.
Can we please move to item number 8?
Keelan McClymont
Document 2026-285.
Direct the city administrator to advance a process to identify a development partner for city-owned properties adjacent to the Moda Center.
Jamie Dunphy
Colleagues, this is a resolution that came out of the City Life Committee.
We have Claire Adamsick, Council Operations, here for a committee staff summary report.
Oh no, it's not.
Hi, hi Kevin.
I don't remember your last name.
Good afternoon, uh, Council President, councilors.
For the record, my name is Kevin Alvarez.
And I serve as a council policy analyst for the City Life Committee.
The resolution before you, document number 2026-285, heard in the City Life Committee on August 11th, 2026.
The document advanced to full council on August 11th, 2026 with a recommendation it be adopted.
So what this resolution does, it states that the city administrator anticipates selecting a new development partner to advance vertical development of the city-owned properties adjacent to the Moda Center and the Veterans Memorial Coliseum following execution of a new long-term lease for the Moda Center and directs the city administrator to negotiate with Albina Vision Trust for the opportunity to serve as that partner.
It establishes the qualifications expected of a development partner, including a community-oriented mission, demonstrated experience in real estate financing and development, the ability to bring significant philanthropic or private investment and experience advancing the public interest of the city's adopted objectives for the area.
It further directs that the process consider the organization's development vision, the relationship to the broader Rose Quarter and Lower Albina area, compatibility with the event campus, the monetary value of development rights, and any anticipated public financial support.
Additionally, the resolution addresses the partnership structure, disposition strategy, timeline, roles and responsibilities, and key milestones.
Thank you.
Binding agreements return to the City Council for consideration on a timeline concurrent with the long-term lease for the Moda Center, and negotiations may not exceed 12 months from commencement.
The resolution does not convey the property's transfer development rights or appropriate funds.
On amendments, one amendment was approved by the City Life Committee on August 11th, 2026, the effects of which can be read in detail in the committee staff summary posted online.
On impact statements, the full impact statement on this item includes financial and budgetary impacts, economic and real estate development impacts, community impacts and community involvement, 100% renewable goal, and economic and real estate development analysis.
No verbal or written testimony was provided prior to committee action.
And that concludes the committee staff summary for this item.
Thank you very much.
Councilor Pirtle-Guiney, this— you are both a co-sponsor and this came outta your committee.
Keelan McClymont
Before I turn it to your other co-sponsors, some committee chair Do you want me to do these separately or just lead right into my co-sponsor remarks also?
Jamie Dunphy
You go nuts.
Keelan McClymont
Okay.
That was a fantastic overview.
Thank you.
This is something that we took up in committee and incorporated some amendments to ensure that there was a bit of time certainty.
There were some questions about how long negotiations could last, and we shored that up.
In committee.
So thank you for the overview.
And Kevin, I think this might be your first time presenting something here, and you actually weren't even with our committee at that point.
So we appreciate you jumping in and are looking forward to working with you.
Jamie Dunphy
Thank you.
Keelan McClymont
Council President, if I may, I'll launch into some co-sponsor remarks and then—.
Jamie Dunphy
I'll even let you turn it over to your colleagues.
Keelan McClymont
Does that work?
Okay.
So colleagues, today we are At the threshold of a truly momentous opportunity.
As the city embarks on our negotiations for a long-term lease for the Moda Center, we are also invited to envision what happens to the land around the Moda Center.
In this space, a transformational community-led restoration is already underway.
We have a chance to help shape a future where the Rose Quarter and Lower Albina are not only individually revitalized, Thank you.
But where they meet in a place where— in a place which can be a beacon of what our city can accomplish when we act boldly and strategically together and with community.
The construction of I-5 and decades of urban renewal displacement removed thousands of Black Portlanders, Black homeowners, Black-owned businesses from Lower Albina.
The consequences of those decisions while we can't undo this history, we can make different choices about what comes next.
And the resolution before us asks the city to begin a process of intentionally identifying and negotiating with a development partner for city-owned parcels surrounding Moda Center and Veterans Memorial Coliseum by establishing a clear set of expectations for what we want in a potential development partner.
Thank you, Mayor.
We're asking for a partner with a community-oriented mission, demonstrated development and financial experience, the ability to bring significant outside investment to the table, and a track record of advancing the public interest, because these are right now public properties.
Importantly, the resolution acknowledges that there is an organization which fits these criteria, which has already come to the city and expressed an interest in these parcels.
Albina Vision Trust is interested in doing this work with us and has a vision for what the future of these parcels could be.
Albina Vision Trust has spent years not only developing a comprehensive vision for the restoration of Lower Albina, building relationships, partnerships, and an investment strategy necessary to turn that vision into a reality, but that reality, that project, is already underway.
Jamie Dunphy
Thank you.
Keelan McClymont
Fair restorative redevelopment of Lower Albina is one of the most transformative projects happening in our city today.
With the resolution before us, we can take a step toward ensuring that alongside the important decisions we have been debating about the Moda Center itself, the city is advancing restorative development, creating opportunities for community wealth building, and supporting a more vibrant, connected Lower Albina.
Right alongside that work.
I am immensely proud to support and co-sponsor this resolution honoring the history of the neighborhood while creating the conditions for people who live here to benefit from its future.
I want to thank my fellow D2 councilors for co-championing this work with me and thank the many incredible individuals and organizations who are here today who have been a part of this work.
Jamie Dunphy
Thank you.
Keelan McClymont
There's a lot of work to do, but I hope that as we hear from these organizations, we can gain the rest of your support.
I do want to note in closing that I am going to have to go remote for part of our meeting today, and I apologize that I won't be in person to hear all of the testimony, but I will be online listening and appreciate everybody who is here to talk about this important decision before us.
Council President Jamie Dunphy.
Thank you, Mayor Keith Wilson.
With that, I would like to turn it over to my co-sponsors to add their words of introduction as well.
Jamie Dunphy
Thank you, Councilor Pirtle-Guiney.
Thank you, Council President, colleagues.
Thanks everybody for being here.
Um, before— since you mentioned testimony, I did also want to ask the Council President if we can be deferential to— we have an elected official who'd like to give testimony, Commissioner Singleton, just her schedule when we do that.
Keelan McClymont
Absolutely, yes.
Jamie Dunphy
In terms of the ordering within the, the normal testimony framework.
Keelan McClymont
Thank you.
Jamie Dunphy
Yeah, I'm very excited to be a part of this conversation with everyone here and to have worked with both Councilors Ryan and Pirtle-Guiney in championing this together, and grateful to the City Life Committee just before the recess for discussing this and forwarding it on to the full council with a 5-0 vote.
I appreciate the conversation because it is important for us to constantly remember as we talk about something development in the area from an economic lens and from a civic pride lens, to keep it focused on the specific region that we're talking about, to keep it focused on Albina, it is impossible to separate the conversation there from a history of displacement.
And this provides an opportunity for us as a city, and I don't just mean a city government, a capital C city or a council, I mean the entire city, to create a new story.
And I think that's what we're doing.
Written collaboratively by the people of Albina and of the city at large, a future in which the surrounding neighborhood shares in the future prosperity we see in the Rose Quarter.
Today will be an opportunity to continue centering equity and community and to lay out a direction framework for how we move forward with restorative development.
And as my colleague mentioned, when you look at the requirements in our existing rules as well as in the resolution itself, community-oriented mission, leadership with demonstrated experience in real estate financing, development, and securing partnerships, and bringing significant philanthropic and private investment to the table, as well as advancing our adopted objectives for the region specifically, that conversation cannot possibly exclude Albina Vision Trust.
And so I'm very grateful for the opportunity to, to talk about this with you and for us to take a vote that eventually, which will show that we're living our values through a good faith commitment to pursue partnership with the Albina Vision Trust.
And I'm looking forward to seeing what I'm sure we're going to hear from them with more information as well on redeveloping these parcels in the future.
Take it away, Councilor Ryan.
Keelan McClymont
Thank you.
Jamie Dunphy
Thank you, Kevin, first of all, for the overview.
And thank you, Chair Pirtle-Guiney, for the further framing of this important step to move this restorative economic development work forward.
And it's always wonderful when the 3 of us can come together in lockstep to move something that's really a big deal forward.
You know, Albina Vision Trust has been at the helm reimagining the revitalization of Lower Albina for about a decade, and I was able to hear about that before I was on council with much excitement.
And then since I've been on now almost 6 years, it's been a really methodical process.
In fact, I remember the meetings where I said, you and the Blazers need to be at the same table together.
So if you just travel north of the Moda Center, you can see the hard work that's taking shape.
So congratulations, Albina Vision Trust, and all 3 D2 councilors.
We've been proud to figure out how to integrate this as we move forward with the Moda Center work.
Timing is everything.
We can add up to 10 parcels, again, in a welcome part of the AVT's larger neighborhood plan to restore the area.
And bring economic opportunity into Portland.
AVT's objectives are intertwined with the city's, as the council has previously affirmed.
They also emphasize supporting youth and children, which is so very important, of course, to our city's future.
I'm just really proud to be a co-sponsor of this and support this resolution so we can keep the momentum going and not lose a step at this important time.
And again, this is not just for North Portland, for District 2, Thank you, Councilor Ryan.
So colleagues, I'm going to hold on technical or clarifying questions to the part with council discussion, and I'm going to turn it over to Councilor Pirtle-Guiney to call up some invited testimony to get us started.
Keelan McClymont
Thank you, Council President, and with your permission, we have 2 panels of invited testimony.
Perfect.
For the first panel, we will hear from some of the community partners that that are leading on the work in this region.
And for the second panel, we will hear from some of our fellow elected leaders who also represent this area.
So first, I'd like to call up Winter Johannes, Trent Aldridge, D'Artagnan Callaman, Andrew Kolas, and Azalea Renfield.
I apologize, Azalea, when I'm reading it, it's different.
Jamie Dunphy
Sorry.
We know we've got some folks in maybe some of the overflow rooms as well, so—.
Keelan McClymont
Yes, we'll go ahead and get started.
I would defer to you on the order.
Okay, okay.
Yeah, I know that, um, the other folks are making their way, so we'll go ahead and get started.
Good afternoon, councilors.
My name is Wente Johannes.
I have the privilege of serving as the executive director of the Albina Vision Trust.
Before I begin, I'd like to acknowledge and appreciate the leadership of our D2 councilors thank you for helping us move forward from rhetoric to action.
We would not be here without you.
I'd also be remiss to not share my appreciation for Councilor Smith's steadfast commitment to Albina and Councilor Avalos for strengthening today's resolution.
All of you have heard me talk about the tactile and spiritual legacy of Albina, and I know a lot of folks will talk about the history and future, so I'd like to focus my remarks on just a few key points.
Our work fundamentally started with a commitment to not start the story in the middle.
And in that spirit, I think it's important that we acknowledge that the resolution before you today is nearly a decade in the making.
It was nearly 15 years ago that Portland was fortunate enough to benefit from the visionary leadership of Rekia Adams, who catalyzed the spirit and imagination of the entire city by helping us to reclaim the identity of Albina and ensuring that its future would be built around the safety and prosperity of Black and brown children.
Early on, the Albina Vision recognized that the business models of nearly everyone in the district would be changing, and we had the opportunity to either witness the change or lead the transformation.
We chose the latter.
And in the years since, we have worked methodically to bring both private and publicly owned land under community control.
Our boundaries are constrained and focused, which is why we are the obvious partner for the city for the redevelopment of the city-owned sites.
We have had intentional partnerships and investments in this area and have been willing to do the arduous work, including fundraising for the planning studies, providing the local match so that the city of Portland could take advantage of federal funding.
Doing parking studies with the Blazers.
This is the obvious and next step with the city.
Council President, is it okay if I take 30 seconds to wrap up?
Thank you.
Um, I'll, I'll just get, uh, to the closing here.
You know, in Portland, we're often forced between a false choice.
We either talk about equity endlessly with no action, or we are asked to rebrand crumbs as fortunes.
We can reject both.
And the partners in the room today are here to affirm that all of us are deeply invested in this collective effort to rebuild Albina, and the Albina Vision Trust is one part of this bigger effort to do that.
We know that our greatest currency is trust, and the breadth of the organizations here today reflect that the grandness of our vision has never been about the fancy architecture architectural renderings.
We know that the people of Portland are grand and that it is time to build a central city neighborhood that reflects that the people are beautiful already.
So thank you for your consideration and support.
Cool, thank you.
Um, good afternoon, Councilor President, um, Councilor Vice President, and all councilors at the dais.
Um, my name is Azalea Renfield.
I'm the CEO of Women's and Russell.
You know, when I came here, I had a whole script, but I want to throw it out.
I want to speak honestly and truthfully from the heart.
This is truly nothing more than opportunity meets preparation.
As Wynter said before, this work has been already happening before we even had this opportunity zone.
This is such a beautiful moment right now.
I want to make sure I come down personally to be here in the Council Chambers with you all to share this moment of something that's going to be transformative.
Jamie Dunphy
Thank you.
Keelan McClymont
When we think about community benefit, what's so beautiful about our city is that people are watching.
Albina Vision Trust is a nationally recognized organization that happens to be in our city limit.
Their ability to raise funding, to work in community, to gain notoriety and respect is unprecedented.
Jamie Dunphy
Thank you.
Keelan McClymont
When you think about the dedication and the folk that sits here on my right and left, that we all come here as a united force to say this is the opportunity.
But be, but be not dismayed.
This is about all of Portland.
When we revitalize one part of the area, it really impacts the whole city.
It's right next to the Moda Center.
And think about those plans being uncovered.
Jamie Dunphy
Thank you.
Keelan McClymont
And what's to come.
That time is now.
I couldn't be more proud to be part of this delegation here and to sit before you all to do some wonderful work.
Thank you for trusting us, and thank you for getting on a resolution and making it right to actually spell out Albina Vision Trust.
Avalos, thank you so much for the amendment and for you all accepting that amendment.
This is prime opportunity for all of us.
I'm so proud of this city and what we're doing.
May God be with us and may we continue to serve our city, the great city of Portland.
Thank you.
Jamie Dunphy
Thank you very much, uh, Council President, Vice President, all the councilors.
I'm Andrew Kolis.
I'm the president and CEO of Kolis Construction, a second-generation family-owned business started by my father, Irmán Kolis.
Most importantly, I'm a Portlander, born and raised here.
I love this city.
I love this state.
And I really want to talk about the industry that I've been in all my life.
I've had the privilege of being in the construction and development industry all my life.
And when I think about what that means, developers, they have vision.
Albina Vision Trust, their vision is so broad and so great that it's something that a lot of us can't even see.
But it's taken leadership of people like Wynta and all of her team to be able to see what our city actually can and will become.
It also takes leadership, takes leaders like all of you to understand that this isn't a handout.
Keelan McClymont
Thank you.
Jamie Dunphy
This is a negotiation with a viable development organization that has put in the time, put in the work, put in the dedication, and put in the effort to have a broad range of our entire community.
It's not one person, it's all people.
They see that our community represents more.
And the most important part that excites me about this vision is that when I talk to little kids, they see themselves in Wynter.
They see themselves in Trent.
They see themselves in this incredible team that's standing before you.
And what that does, it changes.
It changes society.
It changes what we believe we can and should become.
Because if you can't see it, you can't be it.
I've had the fortune of having a father that told me from the time I was a little kid, we were going to create a construction company in this town of Portland in one of the most non-easy industries to get into, and we were going to employ people, and we were going to change the way people thought about this industry.
What Alvina Vision Trust is doing is going to change this entire society.
So thank you for your time and your commitment to this incredible work.
Thank you.
Keelan McClymont
Thank you.
Jamie Dunphy
Good morning, President Dunphy and members of the council.
My name is Trent Aldridge, and I have the privilege of being the CEO at SEI.
For 45 years, SEI has worked alongside young people, families, and communities across Portland.
During that time, we've seen buildings rise, businesses open, and districts transform.
But too often, the people who carried the history, culture, and character of those neighborhoods were left out of the decisions that shaped them and the benefits that followed.
That is why I'm here in strong support of AVT and this resolution.
What excites me most is not simply what we may build, but who is there to shape it.
The effort represents a different model, an approach that recognizes that thriving communities are built through connected investments in people, place, opportunity, and culture, a model that recognizes that economic vitality and community well-being are not competing goals.
In fact, they are deeply connected.
SEI has long believed that no single strategy creates economic mobility, but many strategies working together.
No single organization or no single sector can solve the complex challenges we face.
Real progress happens when organizations, institutions, bureaucracies, and communities align around a commitment to community.
That is what I see in this collective action.
Albina Vision Trust, City of Portland, 1803, Williams and Russell, Colas Construction.
All of us together bring an expertise that can move something profound forward.
This is an opportunity for Portland to create economic growth while honoring history, expanding opportunity, and building wealth where communities see themselves reflected in what's being built around them.
We have heard many ideas about how to revitalize Portland.
Today we have an opportunity to demonstrate what people-centered development looks like.
Keelan McClymont
Thank you, Mayor.
Jamie Dunphy
And an opportunity to show that when community is centered, when we create lasting prosperity, we honor history, and we build stronger future for generations to come.
I am proud to stand with this group.
I'm proud to stand with AVT, and I would highly encourage a vote yes.
Thank you for your time and your leadership.
Keelan McClymont
Thank you.
Jamie Dunphy
Good afternoon.
For the record, I am D'Artagnan Calliman, Vice President of Philanthropy and Partnership for 1803 Fund.
I'm also a resident of North Portland District 2.
I express my gratitude to Council President Dunphy, the councilors of District 2, to all councilors.
1803 is a capital investor we envision a rooted and prosperous Black Portland.
Today, my brief testimony is an important endorsement.
On the record, I state that the 1803 Fund is in partnership with Albina Vision Trust.
The work that Albina Vision Trust leads in Lower Albina is integral to 1803's vision and mission and we are in consistent communication, collaboration, and partnership with Albina Vision Trust.
I'm here to state that 1803 is in full agreement and supports that Albina Vision Trust be granted the development rights as written in the community benefit agreement and per what is outlined in the resolution on record, including the Albina Vision Trust community investment plan.
Keelan McClymont
Thank you.
Jamie Dunphy
I also want to thank all of our partners here at the table, and I am— and 1803 Fund are in full support of Wynta, her team, and Albina Vision Trust.
Thank you.
Thank you very much.
Thank you, all 5 of you.
Keelan McClymont
Thank you.
Council President, may we call up one more panel of invited testimony?
Jamie Dunphy
Please, please.
Keelan McClymont
Thank you.
I would like to invite District 6 Metro Councilor Duncan Wong and District 2 County Commissioner Shannon Singleton to share their thoughts with us.
Commissioner Singleton at least is online.
Commissioner, go right ahead.
Wonderful, thank you so much.
Hello all.
My name is Shannon Singleton.
I am the Commissioner for District 2 in Multnomah County.
I wanted to start with just appreciating and thanking my council— City Council colleagues, Councilors Kanal, Pirtle-Guiney, and Ryan for moving this forward and ensuring that we have the opportunity to actualize restorative development.
And thank you, Councilor Smith, for always uplifting the needs and voices of Black Portlanders.
Jamie Dunphy
Thank you.
Keelan McClymont
And Councilor Avalos for your work to make this a stronger resolution.
As you all mentioned, the Black community was displaced by the development of the Rose Quarter, I-5, and Legacy Health expansion and robbed of the wealth that had been created.
Albina Vision Trust has the experience and trust to actualize changes for our community.
I have been working in lockstep with Albina Vision Trust on this issue since the Motor Center renovation discussions were brought to my attention.
Jamie Dunphy
Thank you.
Keelan McClymont
And I was ecstatic to unanimously pass my amendment stating that county funds are contingent on an agreement that, quote, includes a commitment to concurrently and successfully negotiate a binding agreement between the City of Portland and Albina Vision Trust that establishes Albina Vision Trust development rights for city-owned parcels adjacent to the Moda Center.
I wanted to come today to say that I stand here ready to continue to partner with you all and make sure that we can actually And I want to appreciate all the speakers that came before me.
I think you have seen today that the whole community is behind this and that everybody is going to do the work to make sure that this can happen and we can actually have restorative development for our community.
So thank you so much for giving me some time today, and I will end there.
Thank you, Commissioner.
Councilor, go right ahead.
Jamie Dunphy
Thank you.
Good afternoon, Council President Dunphy and councilors.
My name is Duncan Huang, and I'm the Metro Councilor representing the for District 6.
I'm here to share encouragement and enthusiasm from our council and Council President Gonzalez, who is very disappointed he couldn't make it here himself today.
In Metro's 2019 voter-approved Parks and Nature Bond, our council created the large-scale Community Visions program because we wanted to support visionary, multifaceted capital projects that could increase community access to nature, while creating benefits like inclusive economic development, job opportunities, affordable housing, and safe and reliable transportation.
The bond and other Metro programs have helped catalyze large-scale projects, projects up and down Portland's riverfront, including the OMSI District and the redevelopment of Tom McCall Waterfront Park.
So when Albina Vision Trust came up to us in 2023 with a vision for Lower Albina as a complete neighborhood reconnecting Thank you.
To reconnect it to itself and to the river, we're proud to invest $5 million on behalf of our region to begin acquiring the land needed to bring it to life.
With the many other public, private, and philanthropic investments now flowing into Lower Ambina, our region has the chance to repair the historic harms done right here to Portland's Black community and to set a national example of how to do this right.
But reconnecting this district will be made much more difficult if our investments and development aren't interconnected with each other.
Fortunately, Albina Vision Trust's deep roots in the community and proven track record of success in revitalizing Albina have made them a potent leader and anchor for the district's transformation.
We're excited to continue to partner with you all, and I think the region has actually spoken.
All 24 cities believe that this is a regional project of significant importance and look forward to your support on this project.
Thank you.
Keelan McClymont
Thank you, Councilor.
Council President, with that, I would turn it over to you for the public testimony.
Jamie Dunphy
Perfect.
Thank you.
I did notice on our public testimony sheet that there are 2 other elected officials who are signed up, and if they are in the room, I'd love to invite them down first.
Michelle DePass with the Portland Public School Board and Justice Raji with the Beaverton School Board.
And if they're not, We will just continue on to public testimony.
Oh, okay, it's your day job part here.
There, well then we'll— I know which hat to wear at the different times.
Got it.
Keelan McClymont
Thank you, apologies, Council President, I didn't have them on my list.
Jamie Dunphy
No problem, I was just— I saw them on there and wanted to call it out really quickly.
So, Keelan, can we please call public testimony?
Keelan McClymont
Yes, and as a reminder, I will call up testifiers in groups of 5, each individual will have 2 minutes.
For those testifying in person, you will see the timer countdown displayed on the monitor in front of the testimony table.
For those testifying virtually, the timer is displayed in Zoom.
You will hear the timer sound twice, once when there are 30 seconds left, then a second time when your time is up.
Before you begin your testimony, please state your name for the record.
All right, thank you.
Councilor first up, we have Alex DeRora, Akasha Lawrence-Spence, Tanisha Renee, Mike Alexander.
Jamie Dunphy
And I also see Michelle is here, so hi.
Keelan McClymont
Hello, friend.
Hi, how are you?
I'm doing well.
Good to see you.
Jamie Dunphy
Great, dive on in.
Keelan McClymont
Are you ready?
Jamie Dunphy
Yeah.
Keelan McClymont
Good afternoon, Council President Dunphy, members of the council.
For the record, my name is Michelle DePass.
That's D as in David, E, capital P— make sure it's capitalized— A-S-S. And I'm speaking as a member of the Portland School Board and a longtime Albina resident.
I'm here to speak to the importance of this resolution for our entire city in general and Black Portlanders in particular.
This council resolution is an important piece of Albina Vision Trust's work to bring the community vision for Lower Albina to life over the next 50 years.
It will enable AVT to reconnect the neighborhood and build community wealth.
And AVT, in partnership with the city, will be able to do this using the very tools that were used to dismantle and displace residents, dismantle the neighborhood: land use policy, transportation investment, Access to capital, and anti-displacement strategies.
My grandparents on both sides settled here from New Orleans and Panama.
They met— my parents met at Dawson Park the first day my dad was in this country.
I was born in this district, and I had my first job at the Black Panthers Free Health Clinic before it was legal to work.
It was a long time ago, and I've raised my family here.
My grandparents contributed to the social and neighborhood institutions, and they spent their money and time in this district.
And that's the vision for tomorrow, a place where commerce can happen and an economy that will not extract but instead enrich this community, dollars that will circulate within this community, and where people won't be strangers, where families can once again afford to settle like my grandparents did.
Jamie Dunphy
Thank you.
Keelan McClymont
I urge you to vote an enthusiastic yes when the time comes to vote because the city has an opportunity right now to keep this historic moment focused on reconnecting a neighborhood and returning land to Portland's Black community regardless of any outcome of the current arena negotiations.
Thank you.
Jamie Dunphy
Thank you.
Keelan McClymont
Okay, um, good afternoon, members of council and all that are joining us here today.
My name is Tanisha Renee.
I'm the Deputy Executive Director at Williams and Russell CDC.
I'm here today in strong support of the city moving forward with Albina Vision Trust as its development partner for the Rose Quarter.
AVT is not simply developing property.
They are taking under— or they are undertaking one of the largest restorative redevelopment efforts in the country, working to buy back land, rebuild community, and reroute Black lives, legacies, and futures in the Lower Albina area.
As a sister organization doing reparative development work, we understand that who develops this land matters, stewardship matters, and community accountability matters.
And the ability to bring public, private, and philanthropic investment together around a shared vision matters.
AVT has demonstrated that capacity and more importantly has earned the trust required to lead this work.
Jamie Dunphy
Thank you.
Keelan McClymont
I urge council to move these negotiations forward and vote yes.
Thank you.
Jamie Dunphy
Thank you.
Keelan McClymont
Good afternoon, Chair Dunphy, Vice Chair Clark, and members of the Portland City Council.
My name is Akasha Lauren Spence, and I have the honor and privilege of serving as the Director of External Affairs at Albina Vision Trust, carrying forward the community vision of a reconnected and abundant Lower Albina.
When I moved to Portland over a decade ago, I was wooed by the promise of walkable neighborhoods, new-age transit, local food, and a vibrant small business community.
But as I embedded myself into the Black community, I learned of a past not unfamiliar to me, one wrought with discrimination, exclusion, and missed opportunities at restoration and redevelopment.
I felt the resonance of displacement as I learned how homes, businesses, playgrounds, And civic institutions were seized from this community in the name of progress and prosperity, when over 13 city blocks were flattened to make way for city-sanctioned development.
I learned that despite every tactic used to scatter and dismantle Black wealth and civic power, that it was striving, alive in the faces you see in this chamber today.
This resolution to return 6.2 acres of land in the heart of Lower Albina's entertainment district Thank you.
The proposed redevelopment of the Lower Albina District is a chance to embed the resonance of community life and culture present in Lower Albina in the parcels at the heart of Portland's sports and entertainment arena.
It is an opportunity to call forward Portland's status as a city globally recognized for urban planning and design, community participation and empowerment, and strategic planning.
It's an opportunity to call forward a city that espouses the reasons Portlanders love their city for its attractive walkable neighborhoods with the opportunity to make walkability and livability a promise fulfilled for Black Portlanders.
This is our vision, but both ours and yours, a collective vision to make the reality of our community abundance a dialogue between past, present, and the thriving future we build as an inheritance to our descendants.
In the longer term, it creates an example for how our cities can do this right proactively and collaboratively plan its future with all its communities in mind.
I urge a yes vote on this resolution.
Thank you.
Jamie Dunphy
Thank you very much.
Keelan McClymont
Great.
Jamie Dunphy
Good afternoon, President Dunphy and members of City Council.
My name is Michael Alexander, and I have the privilege to serve as a member of the board for Arbina Vision Trust for the last decade and as its this city council resolution is an important piece of AVT's work to bring the community vision for Lower Albina to life over the next 50 years.
It enables AVT to reconnect the network of our neighborhood, to align development around the Avena with the city's adopted plans, and to create a new that are already reshaping some of the area, and to build community wealth through durable and equitable community benefits.
Over the past decade, AVT has stewarded a community-defined vision for Albina rooted in its past and in a deep belief in the possibility of repair and transformation.
This resolution gives us the opportunity to reconnect Albina as a complete neighborhood with streets where children play in safety, where people want to gather, where businesses and storefronts are owned by our neighbors, and where wealth and prosperity reach the people who have waited the longest to share in it.
Keelan McClymont
Thank you.
Jamie Dunphy
AVT's community-centered 94-acre redevelopment vision for Lower Albina makes it the natural long-term developer of the city-owned parcels surrounding the arena.
Over the past decade, we have earned local and international recognition.
We've constructed and opened Albina One, our inaugural 94-unit family-centered housing.
And we've secured rights for the first offer and refusal for the Portland Public Schools site.
We believe this resolution can be more than an element of an arena deal.
It can be a catalyst for the long-term overdue restoration of Lower Albina.
Keelan McClymont
Thank you.
Jamie Dunphy
Thank you all very much.
Keelan McClymont
Thank you.
Alex DeRora.
Next up we have Nate McCoy, Burke Nelson, Anthony Sai Arakaki, Mark Jackson, James Posey.
Jamie Dunphy
Welcome to kick us off since you are here.
Well, good afternoon, Council President Dunphy and council members.
Um, what you are experiencing today is the richness and the vibrance of the Black community.
And though we have faces before you representing organizations, we come in the spirit of our ancestors to beseech you, to encourage you to recognize and understand this is a kairos moment.
Keelan McClymont
Thank you.
Jamie Dunphy
You have the opportunity to support a transformative, revolutionary opportunity.
If we were to go ahead and wind back time and eavesdrop on table conversations and bedrooms where families lamented being uprooted from what they knew in terms of Albina, today, as a council, we can engage in restorative justice and set the record straight, not just for Black people, but for Portland and for the nation, that we have courage and we have conviction to do what is just and what is right.
We support, as a coalition of African and African American pastors, me being Pastor Mark Jackson, whom you all know, we endorse and we celebrate this moment with AVT.
Support the vote with a yes.
Thank you.
I'm supposed to go after that?
Make Burke do it.
Just kidding.
Just kidding.
Good afternoon, Council President Dunphy, members of the council, even our city administrator as well.
My name is Nate McCoy, and today I'm wearing my interim executive director hat of the Black Business Association of Oregon, while my senior policy advisor next to me will speak on behalf of NAMAC Oregon.
I'm here today to express a strong support for the resolution before you and to continue the milestones of achievement and progress made by Albina Vision Trust.
For those of us who know the saying, it takes a village to raise a child, we also understand that it takes a village to rebuild, restore, and raise up a community.
Councilmember Albina is more than just a place, as Mark said, on a map.
It is home.
It is history.
It is culture.
It is vibrance.
It is generations of Black Portlanders, including my own family, like many others here today.
It represents both what we have taken or have seen taken and what we can restore moving forward.
What makes this moment significant is not simply talking about development, we are talking about restorative justice and economic justice in one of the most desirable and historically significant parts of our city.
The Albina Vision represents an opportunity to rewrite past wrongs while creating a future where Black businesses, Black families, entrepreneurs, workers, and communities have a meaningful stake in the prosperity being created.
From the perspective of Black Business Association of Oregon, the economic participation is crucial right now.
We know what our financial climate looks like.
Community development must include pathways for Black-owned and historically underrepresented businesses to participate, grow, build wealth, and remain rooted in the community.
The beacon of opportunity is before us, and with— and happening in the Central Core is also becoming a Portland success, and we've heard it nationally.
What we— I want to end with is we have an opportunity to demonstrate that development does not have to mean displacement and investment.
We can really create a long and standing access to capital and ways to move a community forward in a Black-led way.
This is about legacy, and I implore you to vote yes and support this resolution before us.
And let me just say, I love seeing leadership.
Keelan McClymont
Thank you.
Jamie Dunphy
Thank you very much.
Good afternoon, Council President Dunphy and the rest of council.
My name is Burke Nelson, and I'm here on behalf of the National Association of Minority Contractors.
I'm proud to express our strong support for the Albina Vision Trust and its transformative vision for the city of Portland.
For the Rose Quarter and the broader Lower Albina community.
For decades, the Albina neighborhood has carried the burden of displacement and disinvestment.
Today, we have an opportunity not only to reconnect a community physically divided by infrastructure, but to restore economic opportunity, cultural identity, and generational wealth for future generations.
Albina Vision Trust's redevelopment strategy represents the type of bold, inclusive investment That can become a model for cities across America.
From NAMAC's perspective, the effort has the potential to create thousands of family-wage construction jobs, expand opportunities for minority-owned businesses, and generate long-term economic activity throughout Portland's urban core.
Just as importantly, it creates a pathway for historically marginalized communities to participate in and benefit from the prosperity generated by redevelopment.
Keelan McClymont
Thank you.
Jamie Dunphy
The closest comparison is something similar down south where I'm from.
Los Angeles had a huge economic impact around 1999 when a bunch of buildings were erected around a sports facility, much like Albina Vision Trust is doing here in Portland.
Albina Vision Trust presents a similar opportunity by combining community-centered planning, infrastructure investment, housing, commercial development, and workforce participation.
The Rose Quarter can become a thriving economic engine for the region while honoring the history and legacy of the Albina community.
NAMAC believes that true economic development is measured not only by buildings constructed, but by the people whose lives are improved along the way.
AVT's vision embodies the principle, and we look forward to supporting a redevelopment effort that creates jobs, grows minority business participation, and leaves a lasting legacy good timing.
Good afternoon.
My name is Melvin Broadus.
I'm with PCRI.
I didn't have anything prepared.
I'm going to speak from my heart, which is about to pound out of my chest right now.
Keelan McClymont
Um, pres—.
Jamie Dunphy
Uh, Council President, councilors, City Administrator, thank you for this opportunity.
I'm quite proud to be sitting among these brothers supporting an organization that is going to do something good for Black Portland.
I grew up in this city.
I was born and raised right here.
I wasn't— I'm not a transplant.
I was born and raised right here.
I've seen Portland make a lot of changes.
I've been an entrepreneur with my dad from childhood.
And yes, we were displaced.
Keelan McClymont
We grew—.
Jamie Dunphy
I grew up on Missouri Avenue during the time— pardon me— during the time they put I-5 in.
We played in the dirt while they were doing that construction.
Keelan McClymont
Thank you.
Jamie Dunphy
As kids.
And I remember what we call today Portland Black Wall Street up and down Williams Avenue.
Keelan McClymont
Mm-hmm.
Jamie Dunphy
So I remember those businesses that were there.
I went in, I visited them and bought food from them.
We went to the cleaners there.
So I'm excited to see the redevelopment of Black Wall Street in Portland, and I thank AVT for being involved.
And as on behalf of PCRI, I will say we look forward for the opportunity to participate in this development and those others that are available in the future.
So congratulations to AVT.
Thank you very much.
Thank you all.
Keelan McClymont
Okay, um, sorry, just, um, let's see here.
Uh, Anthony Sai Arakaki, Mark Jackson.
Sorry.
Thank you.
Okay, next up we have James Posey, John Washington, Andrea Bontemps, Lakeitha Elliott, Justice Reggie.
Jamie Dunphy
Thank you.
Well, I guess before I go, I want to say thank you for the consideration, and I appreciate that.
Keelan McClymont
I understand.
Jamie Dunphy
Absolutely welcome.
Uh, well, in absence of some of my other community friends that I know are here, give me just a second.
For the record, my name is Justice Rajee.
I'm the Director of Advocacy and Civic Engagement for the Urban League of Portland.
I'm also a registered lobbyist on behalf of the Urban League with the City of Portland, and I'm here in that capacity today.
Just so it's known, I am also board chair of the Williams-Russell CDC.
The Urban League supports the resolution as written.
Albina Vision Trust is the right partner for the city to negotiate with On the Rose Quarter and VMC parcels.
AVT has spent nearly a decade building the community-led 94-acre restorative vision for Lower Albina, and the city has already adopted those thoughts in the Community Investment Plan, in the North Northeast Quadrant Plan, and the Central City 2035.
So this resolution is honoring the work of a vetted public partner that's already in place.
Keelan McClymont
Thank you.
Jamie Dunphy
With that, the long-range development planning that honors the current ambition of the descendants and the relations of those displaced who experienced the disrespect and the disregard and economic harm of past public planning is key to making right where wrong prevailed and building the opportunity for healing.
Any vision for prosperity that does not root these people in the soil is bereft of credibility.
In community work over the recent decades, there has been a centering of bringing and the appointment of alignment and voice and shared visions across different organizations, those who have interest in seeing Albina restored and seeing our region restored in a place for prosperity for all.
And by supporting this work, this council takes a step of supporting that external work that has led to this moment, as was shared in the past.
Our organizations and community will not be left with nothing to show by fighting for favor over resources and opportunity.
And there's sufficient opportunity to make an impact in this city across the board.
Councilmember and the talent is there and the ability to execute is there.
Backing and support today, you can be part of that story.
Council should honor that and take the next step and show their commitment to the community and show trust and build trust by supporting this resolution as written.
Thank you.
Thank you very much.
Hi, my name is John Washington.
I'm the executive director of the Seoul District Business Association.
Which is in the Albina District and the oldest— one of the oldest business districts in the city.
I appreciate you guys allowing me to come here and say hello to you today.
Hello, each of you councilors.
Boy, I'll tell you, and as Melvin said earlier, it's always like a hot seat looking at all y'all, you know, in this panel.
But I come to express my support for any of the restorative types of things that are going on in our district.
Keelan McClymont
Thank you.
Jamie Dunphy
I mean, it's been long overdue.
It's been long overdue to see some real revenue hit the streets in Northeast, and especially around the business sector.
It's been a challenge over the last 20 years.
And just for most of you, I've been around long enough to see a lot of these things start.
And that caused me— that makes for me to be this thing my professor used to say to me in college, called me a phenomenologist.
Keelan McClymont
What's that?
Phenomenologist.
Jamie Dunphy
Phenomenologist is when you see some stuff leave the station, but you're alive long enough to see where it landed.
You know, I'm excited about this because now something is really beginning to happen.
There's some aspects of this that I struggle with from time to time because this whole notion around fair and equitable distribution of wealth sort of is a challenge, making sure that we all be able to participate in these opportunities.
So community is really important to me in these situations, and oversight is also another important aspect of this.
So I appreciate y'all allowing me to come in and let y'all know that we fully support any development that goes into our district that moves us in the right direction and moves the needle.
Thank you.
Keelan McClymont
Thank you.
Jamie Dunphy
Thank you very much.
Keelan McClymont
Hello, good afternoon, councilors.
My name is Lakeitha Elliott, E-L-L-I-O-T-T.
I am a 4th-generation Black Portlander, a person who is deeply involved in the community across a lot of sectors.
I'm also the grandmother of a 6-year-old who spends a lot of time in and near the Rose Quarter because he's the biggest Portland Trail Blazers and Portland Fire and even Portland Winterhawks fan.
So we spend a lot of days there near the Rose Quarter.
For me, it's— I believe that this work will ensure that the future for him is bright, that his story about Portland and Black Portland will be a beautiful one, that his stories will be about a place that was designed with him in mind, where he can thrive and he can prosper and he can see people who look like him in a community, again, that was built for him and with him in mind.
I appreciate the work that you all are doing to advance this work.
I especially wanna thank Councilors Kanal, Pirtle-Guiney, and Ryan for your leadership in this matter and for the ways that you all continually show up in community.
I see you all at the block parties.
I see you all at the, you know, all of the community events.
I see Commissioner Pirtle-Guiney coaching baseball in the community.
I saw Dan Ryan flipping burgers and doing the Electric Slide at a think park.
So I appreciate the way that you all show up.
Jamie Dunphy
Thank you.
Keelan McClymont
Genuinely in the community and the way that you all show up to be accountable to making sure that the city is gonna be a good steward of the lands in District 2.
It's important to note that the organizations that showed up here, including 1803 Fund, SEI, Kolas Constructions, William Russell, are all valued members of our community and valued business.
And it's important to note the way that they work together and that we show up together because they have the voices of the community behind them.
I wanna say that your, Your resolution specifically says that the development partner should have a community-oriented mission and leadership.
AVT does.
It says that they should have the ability to bring investment.
AVT does.
And experience advancing the community voice.
And they do that particularly well.
I see them show up and engage everyone across sectors in the community, neighbors, new folks, old folks.
All of the people who need to be involved and engaged in these conversations.
And so I urge you to say yes because they are the only organization that is capable of doing this work.
Thank you.
Thank you very much.
Oh, I guess it's me.
Jamie Dunphy
Okay.
Keelan McClymont
Hi, I'm Andrea Bontemps.
I'm the owner of Le Bontemps Cafe and Catering.
I am a Portland native, an Albina District native all my life.
I just want— what everybody is doing is great, and I'm glad to see— the last time I seen this much camaraderie was— I'm dating myself now— probably the '90s, the very beginning of the '90s.
And I want to feel— I feel empowered by what's going on.
I just want to make sure that Black businesses have a chance as well to sit at the table and make sure that Black businesses are also included in this expansion, because I think that's a very vital part of small businesses.
I have a business on MLK, and, and I know for years we weren't on MLK, and now I'm on MLK.
So I just want ABT— I know them very well, they're doing a good job— and, um, and all the other groups that are included.
I just think it's— I think it's a really good idea, and I think we can all come together, and I hope you guys vote yes.
Jamie Dunphy
Thank you.
Thank you very much.
Keelan McClymont
Thank you all.
Uh, James Posey.
Next up we have Herman Green, Steven Green, JT Flowers, Lakita Landford, and Mike Schmidt.
Jamie Dunphy
All right.
Keelan McClymont
Yep.
Jamie Dunphy
I was trying to give everybody else a chance to get up here.
As a Black preacher, I got to figure out how I'm gonna get this done in 2 minutes, so I'm just gonna read.
My name is Herman Green, last name G-R-E-E-N-E.
I want to say good afternoon, council members, council president, and our city administrator.
There are moments when leadership is called upon to talk about what is possible, and then there are moments when leadership is called upon to make what is possible become reality.
Council, this is one of those moments.
For decades, we've talked about the displacement of Portland's Black community.
We've studied it, we've acknowledged it, we've even had some self-half-baked attempts to apologize for it.
And we've talked about equity, inclusion, economic opportunity, and repairing the harm of the past.
But there comes a time when the talking has to stop And we have to become a people of action.
And I believe that that time is now.
This land development partnership is so much bigger than a transaction.
It's an opportunity to demonstrate what happens when a city has the courage to move from acknowledging inequity to actually creating opportunity.
This is about more than just this partnership.
This is about ownership and who we believe should be a part of shaping what the future of our city looks like.
It's about jobs.
It's about jobs, businesses, housing, entrepreneurship, wealth creation.
It's about Black families and Black children being able to see themselves not as simply living in Portland, but helping to own, build, and shape Portland.
And if I dare say it, it's about restoring something that has been broken for generations— trust.
Keelan McClymont
Mm-hmm.
Jamie Dunphy
Albina Vision Trust has earned that.
They have built relationships in Portland and across this country.
They have developed a restorative vision that lives beyond the visionaries themselves.
And most importantly, they've demonstrated when they say they're going to do something, that they actually do it.
Do it.
So now we're urging this council to do the same.
Council, you were not elected to simply describe the Portland we hope to become.
You were elected to help us build it.
And leadership is ultimately measured by what we are willing to do when the opportunity to make a difference is sitting directly in front of us like it is today.
So for those of us who have been marginalized, underrepresented, displaced, or unheard for decades, this moment says to us, we see you, we hear you, And this time we're prepared to act.
So I'm urging this council to have the courage to move this forward, not someday, but now.
Let Portland become a national model, not because we talked about what could be, but because we had the courage to act and produce what we all know should be.
Thank you.
Keelan McClymont
Thank you.
Jamie Dunphy
All right, following that, um, good afternoon, Council President Dunphy, council members, and Administrator Lee.
My name is Stephen Green.
My family and I have lived in District 2 for the past I own Vanport Studio, a business dedicated to helping Black founders reach new heights.
I'm here today in support of the resolution to have Albina Vision serve as the city's development partner for the city-owned properties surrounding the Moda Center.
For decades, we've talked about what was taken from Albina— homes, businesses, wealth, community, and connection— but this decision gives us an opportunity to talk about what we're going to build next.
Keelan McClymont
Thank you.
Jamie Dunphy
At a Portland City Club event in 1994, Albina Bank's founding president, Leon Smith, remarked that as he looked over North and Northeast Portland, including the then under-construction Rose Garden, he saw an enormous economic opportunity.
He said the question wasn't whether redevelopment would happen, it was who would benefit from it.
30 years later, that question is back before us.
The redevelopment of the Moda Center, Rose Quarter, and surrounding properties may be one of the largest economic development opportunities Portland will see in a generation.
The question is what we want that investment to leave behind.
Albina Vision Trust has spent the last decade answering that with a vision for housing, education, businesses, public spaces, and opportunities for Black Portlanders to once again build wealth in a place where they lost so much.
And they didn't arrive at it yesterday with a development proposal.
They've spent years building relationships, assembling resources, and earning trust around a vision Portland has already said it supports.
We don't need another plan for Lower Albina.
We need a partner capable of carrying the vision forward.
Leon Smith later on in the speech said Albina is the land of possibilities, not limitations.
This is one of those moments where Portland gets to decide whether we still believe that.
Choose Albina Trust, Albina Vision Trust, and let's carry that vision forward.
Thank you.
Thank you very much.
Keelan McClymont
Good afternoon, Council and, uh, community.
My name is Laquita Lanford, and I am very honored today to be sitting here in this space exactly, and especially with these, with all of our community and with this group right here.
Like everyone in this room, I'm the new kid on the block, but I've also been in Portland for about 25 years.
I left and I came back to a city that had changed very much in the 10 years that I was gone from Portland, from 2005 until 2014.
I am the founder and executive director of Afro Village.
And I'm here today because I believe in the restoration of Albina and the opportunity before our city.
I believe in the work that Albina Vision Trust has been doing.
Wynta has been such an amazing young leader and a sister to follow.
And when I had my own issues and conversations around our housing crisis, Wynta and I, when she was the policy advisor for Chloe Eudaly, would sit down and talk about I believe in the restoration of what urban renewal, displacement, and public policy took away from Portland's Black community.
But restoration must be more than development.
As Portland makes major policy— major public investments in the future of Lower Albina, we must be intentional about who has access to the economic opportunities those invested that means Black contractors, Black-owned businesses, worker entrepreneurs, young people, community-based organizations like Afro Village should have a real pathway in participation, not to discuss after it had— decisions have already been made.
I wanted to ask myself this question, and I did yesterday.
What, what would it look like in 20 years from now if we had invested in our communities?
Councilor Smith.
What will Black Portland own because of this investment?
Not just what we build, what receive, who will receive contracts, who will start businesses, who will build careers, and who will gain property in the Lower Albina District.
I currently have an investment of $1.9 million, and we're under construction right now at 1701 North Larrabee.
And I'm happy and I'm proud to be one of the first developers in the Lower Albina District.
Jamie Dunphy
Thank you.
Keelan McClymont
I am in all support of this resolution for the Albina Vision Trust, and I say big up to what it is that we do and to continue to support all of these individuals in this space because we have championed for so long what has been a displacement and disparity in Black Portland.
So thank you guys very much.
Peace.
Jamie Dunphy
Thank you very much.
Good afternoon.
My name is J.T.
Flowers, and this is the first this is the first time in a very long time that I'm not officially representing the Albina Vision Trust in any type of capacity.
So please bear with me on timing here.
When I started working for the incomparable Wente Johannes at the Albina Vision Trust as our second full-time employee, we did not have a single square foot of land to our name.
As an organization birthed of a multigenerational effort to reposition Black folks, working folks, and historically displaced folks as agents in the lives they live and owners of the soil beneath their toes, we didn't actually own a thing.
This history of dispossession, of lack, of going without, of forced impermanence is a legacy our city has chosen for Black people.
Keelan McClymont
Mm-hmm.
Jamie Dunphy
For it was folks who sat in these very seats who made the decision to carve up our neighborhood and parcel it off to the highest bidder.
It was voters who approved public bonds to build highways and sports arenas on top of our businesses, our homes, our churches, and our places of sacred safety.
It was planners who said, we know best, while slamming doors in our faces and using blight as a scythe to hack our legs from out underneath us, to scatter us like vermin to the furthest reaches of our city.
And convince us that our collective future was somebody else's to define and ours to unwittingly live out.
We are here today because we reject that premise, because we know that together we have everything we need to make ourselves, our city, and our collective spirit whole, because we believe that every working-class neighborhood can and should also be a world-class yes.
And because we are born, as Mr. Broadus and Mr. Collis just said, from a legacy of builders, we stand before you today as a movement of wayward villagers who have poured 70 years into building a trusted community-led institution that understands what it means to actually execute on a vision.
As an entity that has brought yes.
$850 million in direct investment to our neighborhood and to our city as an effort that is now nationally recognized as the largest community-led development, not just in the city of Portland, but in the United States of America.
The Albina Vision Trust was founded to crack open and fundamentally redefine our relationship with the land, with the world, and with one another as an effort to lead a people towards possibility, towards power, and towards political agency.
We are here to move our children and their children after them closer to a tomorrow unburdened.
I gotta wrap my time up.
Okay, thank you so much.
Well, let me just chop all of this down.
I'll say this really quickly if you'll give me 30 more seconds.
The Albina Vision Trust was founded as a freedom dream.
Freedom looks like many things, but today it manifests itself simply as a decision sitting on your desk while a village of your neighbors look on to see how this group of 12 citizens will choose to etch your names into the history books.
So yes, of course, we are here today to urge your wholehearted support for this resolution.
But more so, we are here to remind you that this building, that this neighborhood is situated in a community, that this community is ours to rebuild, that this partnership is about reimagining what power looks like, and that power reimagined can transform who benefits from what we build and how we build it.
Thank you so much, and I'm sorry for going so far over my time.
Thank you very much.
Thank you all.
Um, I was, I was not going to be the one to stop Mr.
Flowers from cooking, but I will remind folks we do unfortunately have so many people to testify, we can try to stick to 2 minutes.
But that was pretty great.
Keelan McClymont
So next up we have Raina Casey, Kimberly Horner, Santina Juarez, Fawn Aberson, Ed Washington.
Jamie Dunphy
Reina, you're online if you want to go.
We're waiting for folks to get to the testimony table down here.
Keelan McClymont
Yes, my name is Reina Casey, uh, common spelling starts with a C, and I am not coming to testify as a business owner.
I'm coming to testify as a community member And a community leader to endorse this, um, move for Albina Vision Trust.
I have seen the work that they have done in Lower Albina, and not just Lower Albina, but all the way across the community, and it's been nothing but enlightening.
I ask that you guys please endorse this and you go ahead and you push this through because it's not— because it's needed.
It's needed for Portland, it's needed for Black Portland, and it's needed for the future.
Jamie Dunphy
Thank you.
Thank you very much.
Perfect timing.
Keelan McClymont
Come on down.
Welcome.
Thank you.
Good afternoon, Mayor, City Council, and members of the public.
My name is Kimberly Horner, and I am the executive director for the Portland Community Reinvestment Initiative.
We go by the acronym PCRI.
Our organization has been around since 1991.
It was formed as a result of historic discrimination and displacement of Black people in Portland.
Our organization has done a lot of work to uplift the Black community and make sure that people have a place to stay in this community and call it home.
I am here today to say I support the work that Albina Vision Trust is doing, and they're doing great work, and they are wonderful people who are dedicated to this cause.
What I would like to say, though, is I would like for the city to make sure that they are still recognizing organizations like PCRI who have been developers in this community and standing shoulder to shoulder with the city in order to keep historically displaced Black people in decent living conditions and providing them with economic opportunity to grow, to grow their families, and to grow their livelihoods.
We have a document called Pathway 1000.
Our goal is to build 1,000 units in a 10-year time span.
We have delivered on those promises.
We built King and Parks, Beatrice Morrow during COVID Thank you.
We are asking simply for the city to reconsider their efforts in delivering land and making sure that there's equitable distribution to the city's assets so that some of us can continue to do this good work.
Our organization has given other companies that you've seen come up here earlier today their first contracts.
We have uplifted people in economic opportunities.
This has nothing to do with them.
It has more to do with the city making sure that you are being fair and equitable in your distribution of assets when the time comes.
We support this, but we say please do not forget the organizations that have been the legacy organizations.
And we're here to support the effort.
We support Albina Vision Trust, but please recognize the work we do and please don't forget us.
Thank you.
Jamie Dunphy
Thank you very much.
Keelan McClymont
It's weird that I'm the last person.
I didn't mean that to happen, but, um, I will say that my name is Fawn Alverson.
I work for Flossin Media.
We're a nearly 25-year-old media and marketing agency that has been based in Northeast Portland for its entire existence.
It is a Black-owned and operated firm, and we have documented So much historical stuff over that 25 years, especially around North, Northeast Portland.
We've been around when the Black Lives Matter movement came along and we covered that.
We saw when the Trader Joe's debacle, we call it, and the Portland African American Leadership Forum put a, basically a foot down and said no more, no more displacement.
We saw 40 Black Organizations come together and meet with the mayor and change that.
They did a historic $33 million investment into affordable housing, which led to this insane movement that we've seen today.
We were around when Legacy Emanuel met with Dr. Brown and they deeded that land back.
We watched 40 organizations come together and Black organizations and submit representation and you can see where that process has unfolded today.
Now AVT is doing it again with expanding opportunities for the Rose Quarter.
I would just invite you to say that as we begin to expand these opportunities, that we make sure that we're not having any unintended consequences of contraction, because there is a formula that's working here in Northeast Portland.
There's a formula that's working for these groups.
Jamie Dunphy
Thank you.
Keelan McClymont
So your leadership right now will ensure that it stays that formula for successful living.
Jamie Dunphy
Thank you very much.
Keelan McClymont
Oh, I'm gonna stay with you.
Wait, we'll stay with you.
Jamie Dunphy
Yeah, go ahead.
Keelan McClymont
All right.
Jamie Dunphy
Hi, my name is Ed Washington, and I'm an almost lifelong resident of Portland.
Good evening.
I'm Councilor Mitch Green with Portland, and I'm here to speak on behalf of this resolution.
This is probably one of the greatest things that's ever happened, not only for the African American community in Portland, but for the city of Portland.
And it's an opportunity that hopefully we will not miss in any way.
Some years ago, I had the opportunity to go to Boston and I remember going into the Back Bay of Boston and someone pointed out to me, they said, this used to be the Italian neighborhood until they decided to run— put the first freeway through.
And my family moved here and we lived in Vanport.
We were there during the floods of 1948.
And we were bounced around from 1948 to 1950. before my mother could find a place for the family of 6.
And I think that as I've had the opportunity to get to know what the— this organization is doing, please do not miss this opportunity.
This is an organization that knows what it's doing.
They know how to do it, and they will do it well.
And Portland, don't mess this one up.
Keelan McClymont
Thank you very much.
Jamie Dunphy
Heard.
That's all I have to say.
Thank you very much.
Keelan McClymont
Just, just checking to see if Santino Juarez is here.
Okay, that completes testimony.
Jamie Dunphy
Okay, thank you very much.
Colleagues, we are now into both technical and clarifying questions as well as council discussion.
Uh, feel free to jump into the queue if anybody wants to say anything.
Councilor Green, kick us off.
Thank you so much.
Uh, thank you to everyone who provided testimony.
That was extremely moving.
And, uh, before I ask my questions, I just want to say, uh, wholeheartedly I am 100% on board.
I can't wait to vote Yes.
But the thing I want to make sure I understand is in the resolution at the very end, it says, be it further resolved, the binding agreement shall return to City Council for consideration on a concurrent timeline as long as the long-term lease for the Moda Center and for a period to not exceed 12 months.
I guess what I want to know is, as we go down this road, are we committed to being exploring this development partnership relations— develop partnership relation, even if other things related to the Motor Center get sideways?
Because I would like that to be the case.
Thanks.
And we see that as the case as well, Councilor.
We don't see anything happen on this site that would change this agreement from the standpoint of our willingness to work with AVT and having a partnership with AVT with the development of this property.
We know whatever happens with MODA can change some of the dynamics of the money that's associated with the site that'll be developed there.
But we have a commitment to do that with AVT.
Thanks so much.
And I just want to— thanks for acknowledging that.
And I just want to sort of lift up a lot of what I heard, which was there are always going to be distributional winners and losers.
When you do development work in the city of Portland.
And we have put our thumb on the scale in the past that has harmed Black Portlanders.
And so I want to thank the sponsors of this resolution for saying we have an opportunity to put our thumb on the scale in a different way and, you know, provide some opportunity here.
And that's how I see it.
These are public lands, and this is a partner who has been, I think, a good good faith steward, I think is the best way to put it.
And so I'm supportive.
Thanks.
Thank you, Councilor Green.
Councilor Murillo.
Keelan McClymont
Thank you, Council President.
Thank you so much to everybody who came and delivered such beautiful testimony today.
It's really a privilege to get to hear from all of you.
And I want to give special thanks to WINTA.
Because Wynta and I know each other from my first day at City Hall when I was doing constituent services a few years ago.
And I knew absolutely nothing about how City Hall worked before I stepped into this place.
I come from, you know, my mom's— she was a single mother.
We're immigrants.
We aren't normally invited into this space and understand how to navigate it.
And I didn't know anyone in the building, and it was very intimidating.
Jamie Dunphy
Thank you.
Keelan McClymont
And Wynta was the first person who came to say hello to me, and she gave me all the tools that she had developed doing constituent work and just showed me the ropes about what it was like to be in City Hall.
And she had no reason to do that, to come and help someone new who wasn't in her office, but that's how she approaches the work, and she always engages people no matter who they are or where they come from or their perspective.
She just does it with such wisdom and grace.
And I'm very grateful for everything that AVT has done in the community.
We had a really great conversation about the development and housing projects that AVT has already worked on, the fact that the vast majority of people that are housed in those spaces are single mothers, and how significant and important that is.
And that's exactly the type of thing that I really value and care about.
So—.
Jamie Dunphy
Councilor Smith.
Keelan McClymont
I'm just very grateful for everyone coming here today and talking about it.
I'm really excited to vote yes on this, and I hope that you guys have a big celebration in chambers, outside of chambers, wherever.
I wish we could step out and skip the rest of the meeting and join, but we got other important topics.
And so yeah, thank you so much and appreciate you.
I am excited to vote yes.
Jamie Dunphy
Thank you, Councilor Morillo.
Councilor— oh, jumping around in the queue there, y'all.
Councilor Novick.
I just, I wanted to thank WINTA and ABC for the tour they gave me of the area a few weeks ago, and also to thank you for giving us something to feel good about today before we get into the Keller-PSU knife fight that's going to follow.
Thank you, Councilor Novick.
Councilor Knoll.
Thanks everybody for being here.
Thank you to all the testifiers.
Next time any of y'all hear that there's no Black Portland or Black Portlanders, just remember that, you know, if you look and if you have reasons to bring people out for issues that matter to them, people show up in this space.
It's more for the city employee side.
And also, thank you for the reminders of the legacy of why there are fewer Black Portlanders than there used to be and the reminders throughout that.
Keelan McClymont
Thank you.
Jamie Dunphy
Of the history of the city and of, uh, specifically Albina.
Um, I've been really— I, I think many of us get emotional when we think about the history of this, in particular our, our individual relationships with Winta, actually, uh, and, and with JT and so many of the other folks who've been involved and are involved as well.
I did want to just make one point because I made my, my main argument earlier, and it's kind of, um, piggybacking off of something that, um, Councilor Green mentioned with relation to distributional winners and losers.
In the history of this country, city after city, county after county, state after state, and certainly at the national level, we've seen government attempt to divide communities of color against themselves through both intentional and unintentional actions that create 2 things: first, scarcity, and then competition.
Which Latino group is going to speak for Latinos?
Which Asian American group is going to get the funding to run the only museum in town?
Which immigrants are going to get to speak at that one event for it?
Which Black-led organizations are going to get the only money that we award?
And the way out of that is to stop doing the only.
The way out of that is to get rid of the scarcity and to stop making it where there can only be one.
And so what I'm really excited about, given that no organization speaks for any community as a whole and that this is not the only opportunity— in fact, it's not the only opportunity we've taken so far thank you.
And so the reason why we are at this council to partner with organizations that are rooted in Black communities in Portland is to get away from that scarcity and say that anybody here with a vision can win.
Anybody here can benefit as long as you are serving the community as AVT is.
And I appreciate that we're talking not only about the organization Albina Vision Trust, but we're talking about the Albina vision and about the trust we can create here.
So with that, thank you so much, and I encourage everyone to vote yes.
Thank you, Councilor Kanal.
Keelan McClymont
Councilor Smith.
Thank you, Mr. President.
I've been thinking about this for a long time, and I think it's so important that we support this resolution.
We support restoring connections yes.
Replacing isolated parking lots with a street grid, it helps to stitch together neighborhoods that were historically divided, improving walkability and access for residents in Lower Albina.
I believe the vision includes plazas, parks, and pedestrian-friendly thoroughfares, and to be able to transform a transit hub into a a true community destination, not just a place to park.
If we're going to truly improve transit integration, we need a modern redevelopment, and that modern redevelopment is AVT in partnership with the City of Portland, and I like it.
Jamie Dunphy
Thank you.
Keelan McClymont
I think that we have endless opportunities for housing stabilization, housing opportunities.
Developing the site, it will create an opportunity to incorporate multifamily housing, including affordable housing units, directly adjacent to high-capacity transit.
That will support the city's density and equity goals.
New construction allows for the implementation of the modern green building standards, sustainable stormwater management, and energy-efficient systems that aging infrastructure often lacks.
So I'm excited.
I'm excited about reducing urban heat islands.
Transitioning from vast expanses of asphalt parking to landscaped urban environments significantly reduces the heat island effect, and it improves local air quality.
I have a respiratory problem, so I need great air quality.
I need to make sure that we're supporting those projects that produce these kinds of outcomes.
And a world-class destination upgrading the surroundings of the Moda Center, it will elevate the visitor experience in the city of Portland and matching the quality of the venue with modern, inviting, and safe public spaces.
And I want to make sure that we support and spend our public dollars on year-round utilization by creating a lively district.
Jamie Dunphy
Thank you.
Keelan McClymont
The area becomes a destination of non-event days, ensuring the district remains active, safe, and vibrant throughout the year rather than solely during games or during concerts.
And with all of that said, um, Mr. President, I support this project wholeheartedly, and I would like to put a vote to this today as an emergency.
If we have 9 votes, let's do it and not come back.
Jamie Dunphy
This is a resolution.
We don't need to—.
Keelan McClymont
It's a resolution.
Jamie Dunphy
We will be voting on this.
Keelan McClymont
Okay, well, let's vote on this.
Jamie Dunphy
Okay, as soon as councilors have their say, we're going to a vote and then take a break.
Keelan McClymont
All right, all right, all right.
I hear you.
Thank you.
And thank you for, um, for the sponsors, the 3 sponsors in District 2.
Many people think I'm the councilor for District 2.
I am too, kind of.
I'm that ghost counselor that walks around, but I appreciate you all pulling this together and getting the language, uh, that makes sense and that's meaningful.
And I appreciate all that you have done.
Um, Councilor, uh, Pirtle-Guiney, are you on?
Jamie Dunphy
She is, yes.
Keelan McClymont
I am here, Councilor.
Yes.
You know I have much love for you, so thank you so much for, uh, getting this together and making sure we had the, the, the right language.
And Councilor, um, Ryan, Councilor Kanal, I'm very proud of you all and the representation that you do in District 2.
Uh, I have many family members and friends in that district, so I am always looking for opportunities to help uplift District 2.
So thank you very much, and thank you, Miss Winter.
Jamie Dunphy
Thank you.
Keelan McClymont
Um, for giving us a platform to be able to do something not just like Lakeitha said, not just to survive, but for us to thrive.
And this is what's going to happen in this community when we come together.
We can thrive in a way that's world-class.
So thank you so much for, uh, leading this effort.
Jamie Dunphy
Thank you, Councilor Smith.
Councilor Ryan.
Thank you, Council President.
Several times this afternoon we heard, I have to follow that.
You were all that good.
You really were.
There were so many moments where your truth, your knowledge, your wisdom, your vision, your passion, your love was spoken.
And I'm just delighted to follow up and say, yes, of course.
Uh, Alpine Vision Trust, you continue to live out your name.
You really named yourself well.
The vision that got you here with a steady decade of dialogue and building relationships.
I see you, Michael Alexander, and the trust that you've cultivated in that decade.
I see you, Wynta.
And I heard you also, all of you today say that enough words, it's time for action.
Let's go.
Let's vote on this and move it along.
Thanks.
Thank you, Councilor Ryan.
Councilor Avalos, last word and we're gonna move to a vote.
Oh, let's see.
We can't hear you.
Try muting and just unmuting again.
Something's going on.
Uh, we can hear it, but it's like fuzzy.
She's saying— what's that?
She's trying.
She's good.
Keelan McClymont
Kind of.
I got nothing to say.
Jamie Dunphy
Oh wait, no, there you go.
There we go.
We got you this time.
Just lean a little closer to the microphone.
Keelan McClymont
Closer and louder.
I'm sorry, I'm having so many tech problems today.
So totally calls the bad.
Um, thank you again to everybody who, uh, spoke today.
What I said was that we had quite a star-studded day in City Hall with so many community leaders coming to support an important project.
I want to thank Winta for your work, and in particular for working with me on our amendments.
I'm really grateful for getting that passed and feeling really good about the overall— the way that the resolution has landed and securing that we are making this commitment with AVT.
We're protecting the city and AVT and the community.
Jamie Dunphy
Thank you.
Keelan McClymont
And I'm really eager to see what comes back and to help you all enact your vision.
So thank you for your service and your leadership.
Jamie Dunphy
Let's get to voting.
Thank you, Councilor Avalos.
Keelan, can we please call the roll on this?
Keelan McClymont
All right, calling the roll on document 2026-285.
This is a resolution.
Koyama Lane.
Proud to vote aye.
Jamie Dunphy
Moreno?
Angelita Morillo
Aye.
Keelan McClymont
Novick?
Steve Novick
Aye.
Keelan McClymont
Clark?
Olivia Clark
Aye.
Keelan McClymont
Green?
Mitch Green
Aye.
Keelan McClymont
Zimmerman?
Eric Zimmerman
Aye.
Keelan McClymont
Avalos?
Jamie Dunphy
That was an aye.
Keelan McClymont
Smith?
Loretta Smith
Aye.
Keelan McClymont
Kanal?
Sameer Kanal
Aye.
Keelan McClymont
Pirtle-Guiney?
Elana Pirtle-Guiney
Aye.
Keelan McClymont
Ryan?
Dan Ryan
Aye.
Keelan McClymont
Dunphy.
Jamie Dunphy
Congratulations.
Aye.
Keelan McClymont
The resolution is adopted with a vote of 12 ayes.
Jamie Dunphy
Thank you all.
Colleagues, the time is currently 3:50.
I'm gonna give us until 4 o'clock to come back for, at which point we will take up the Keller item, the performing arts venue item.
We will not, we will certainly not make it to the Zenith item today, and that will be continued to a future hearing.
Thank you.
See you in 10 minutes.
I'm calling us back to order.
Thank Thank you all for your patience while we experience a little bit of humanity.
Can we please call item number 9, Keelan?
Keelan McClymont
Document 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.
Jamie Dunphy
Thank you very much.
Colleagues, this is a resolution.
Christopher Hare from Council Operations is here with a committee staff summary report.
Hello, Christopher.
Good afternoon, Council President, Councilors.
For the record, my name is Christopher Hare, and I'm reading on behalf of Kevin Alvarez, who serves as staff to the City Life Committee and prepared this committee staff summary.
The resolution before you, document number 2026-270, was first heard in the City Life Committee on July 28th, 2026, and again on August 11th, yes.
This resolution accepts the recommendations of the city's future of large-scale performing arts work and supports advancing planning and pre-development for a potential new city-owned, approximately 3,000-seat Broadway-capable venue as part of the proposed Performing Arts and Culture Center at Portland State University, PSU.
The resolution directs the Deputy City Administrator to stand up a staff project thank you, Mayor.
Keelan McClymont
Councilmember Herbold.
Jamie Dunphy
Thank you, Mayor.
The resolution requires the city to engage a project team of technical experts with PSU to complete predevelopment functions, including a detailed financial plan with a fully defined capital stack and a comprehensive philanthropic strategy, and a project commitment agreement with PSU by December 1st, 2026.
As amended in committee, the resolution does not authorize, appropriate, or commit city funds for development or construction beyond funding previously authorized by City Council and requires the Deputy City Administrator to return to council with a detailed financial plan before yes.
4 Amendments were approved in the City Life Committee on August 11th, the full effects of which can be read online in the posted committee staff summary.
The full impact statements on this item includes financial and budgetary impacts, economic and real estate development impacts, community impacts and community involvement, 100% renewable goals, and economic and real estate development analysis.
53 people provided verbal testimony in committee on July 28th, and 68 submitted written testimony prior to committee action.
General themes of testimony included divided testimony on whether the city should commit to the project before a vetted budget, capital stack, and financial plan exists, with opponents citing deferred maintenance at Portland's 5 venues and recent budget reductions, and supporters saying that the public commitment is what unlocks philanthropic and private investments.
Conditions of the Keller Auditorium, with supporters describing seismic, acoustic, sightline accessibility, and backstage deficiencies that renovation would not resolve, and opponents describing the revenue yes.
As operational and revenue generating and renovations as less expensive and more environmentally sound course.
Interest in avoiding a prolonged closure of the Keller with ArtsWork and IATSE Local 28 members supporting construction of a new venue before renovation to preserve touring revenue and employment.
Issues of location and partnership with supporters citing PSU's land development experience and educational role alongside downtown revitalization benefits.
Thank you very much.
Councilor Pirtle-Guiney, this came out of your committee.
Any opening remarks?
Keelan McClymont
It did.
Colleagues, this resolution came out of the Future of Large-Scale Performing Arts Ex Officio table, which was convened by the mayor.
As part of the effort to help us determine what the future of our venues in our city should look like, the mayor invited stakeholders from across the performing arts ecosystem to provide guidance to the city as we consider the future of the Keller Auditorium and the potential for a new venue at Portland State University.
Broadly speaking, the group recommendation from this table was to advance the PSU Performing Arts Center and to maintain programming at to Keller to avoid economic disruption as development is undertaken, as Christopher Hare noted.
It was also recommended that concurrently planning for Keller's future should be initiated to allow for construction to begin there following the opening of a PSU venue.
Those 2 things are both captured in the resolution before us today.
The resolution was heard over 2 meetings to ensure that we had sufficient time to hear from a significant number of testifiers.
Testifiers and to do the work of deliberation and adoption of amendments, as was noted in the committee staff summary.
I want to thank Councilors Zimmerman and Avalos for bringing amendments forward, and Councilor Clark, who does not sit on the City Life Committee but sponsored one of those amendments.
There was a significant amount of work and engagement done in committee, and though the recommendations that came forward were not I think that we worked hard to capture both the majority recommendation and some of the concerns that were raised in the item that you have before you today.
Um, making sure I didn't miss anything here, I apologize, Council President.
I would note that the vote came out of committee on a 4-1 vote, and as we move forward, if there are questions about the amendments or the work done, I'm happy to answer them.
I know my fellow committee members can as well.
But we seek your support today in moving this forward.
This is a resolution which ultimately at the end of the day is directing the administration to start conversations, to take the next step, and to see what is possible in advancing the recommendations that came out of the convenings that the mayor pulled together.
We'd like to see that work move forward, and we hope we have the full council support in that today.
Thank you, Council President.
Jamie Dunphy
Thank you, Councilor Pirtle-Guiney.
Colleagues, there are 53 people signed up.
It's nice that all 53 who testified at committee signed up again.
Good to see you again.
Um, and also I will note that it is 4:15 right now and we are technically scheduled here until 5.
Uh, it is my priority to hear testimony of everybody who is here, so I have asked staff to prepare to be here as late as 6.
6 O'clock will be my absolute drop-dead time.
If we can't get through it, sorry, that's the end of our testimony.
We will not get to council discussion today.
We will not get to a final vote today.
And we will not be getting to the following item.
But I want to hear all of your voices.
So we will hold our technical clarifying questions and council discussion for later.
And Keelan, can we please call our first panel of testifiers?
Keelan McClymont
Yep.
And I will just give a very quick reminder.
I'll call up testifiers in groups of 5.
Each individual will have 90 seconds.
For those testifying in person, you'll see the timer countdown displayed on the monitor in front of the testifier.
Testimony table for those testifying virtually.
The timer is displayed in Zoom.
You will hear the timer sound twice, once when there are 30 seconds left, then a second time when your time is up.
Before you begin your testimony, please state your name for the record.
Our first panel of testifiers includes Anne Cudd, Duke Castle, Sarah Schwartz, AJ Romero-Gemmel, and Julie come on down, folks, and welcome.
Feel free to jump in.
President Cudd.
Thank you.
Good afternoon, Council President Dunphy, Council Vice President Clark, and members of Portland City Council.
For the record, my name is Anne Cudd, and I proudly serve as president of Portland State University.
I'm pleased to testify in support of the resolution to advance a new Broadway-capable venue on the PSU campus.
In 2023, as I was just assuming my presidency, PSU responded to a city request to submit a proposal in a public process exploring an alternative location for the city's Broadway-capable auditorium.
We are a willing and enthusiastic partner.
We are here to serve students and the university's signature performing arts programs, To serve the city and to benefit Portland's arts ecosystem.
We are here also because we know that our city, community, and campus have a bright future.
We see opportunity with this resolution to generate a deeper, broader, inclusively dynamic vision for downtown Portland.
We envision a thriving Halprin Sequence filled with storefronts, restaurants, and most importantly, people.
As a public university, we are operating from a position of mission and vision, not as a bottom-line corporation.
As you know, we've also done our homework, and we bring resources to the table, including the largest developable piece of property downtown and bond financing, philanthropy financing, and more.
We're excited about this resolution because at PSU, We always see ourselves as a partner in tackling the big issues facing our city.
Figuring out the financing for this project is no different.
We look forward to getting in a room, rolling up our sleeves with city staff to find creative solutions and to support our city's growth-ready creative sector.
Thank you for your time and consideration of this important step forward.
I appreciate I'm Duke Castle.
Jamie Dunphy
Can you hear me?
Yep, go ahead.
Great, thank you.
Um, well, I'm here to strongly recommend, recommend that you do not pass this resolution.
We all know how this is going to turn out.
A plan will be developed for the PSU venue that will be more expensive than upgrading the Keller, and it will be more expensive than upgrading the Portland Arena.
At a time when we don't have the money and with a new venue that we really don't need.
A plan to modernize the Keller was presented to the previous City Council that showed how all the Keller concerns can be successfully addressed at a cost significantly less than what we're going to find out, uh, it's going to cost us at PSU.
Why would we continue to put staff time and resources into a project that we can't afford?
Thank you.
And will make us in many ways worse off.
Some feel that this project will revitalize the city.
Frankly, I believe that speculative fantasy.
The PSU project will draw business away from restaurants and hotels in the central part of our city.
The hospitality industry struggling to fill the rooms they have now; they don't need another competitor to make things worse.
And this project also, I don't believe, is.
Uh, going to solve PSU's problems.
Written student testimony indicates that they feel making PSU more affordable with additional student housing will have a greater impact than this project.
Unions have a legitimate concern about theatrical skills being lost.
However, other cities have solved this problem by investing in temporary venues.
We should do the same.
The real need for our community is to bring more businesses to the downtown core to continue to deal with homelessness and to fill the missing gaps in our police force.
Councilor Dan Ryan made it very clear in his City Life test comments that it's time to end this.
Thank you.
Sorry, we are out of time at this point.
Okay, thank you.
I would just, I would just say— Sorry.
All right, thank you very much.
Keelan McClymont
Good afternoon.
My name is Sarah Schwarz.
I'm the president of the PSU Foundation and the project lead for the Performing Arts and Culture Center.
3 years ago, when the city asked Portland State to explore what a Broadway-capable theater on our campus might make possible for Portland, we answered with a bold vision: a cultural campus that goes beyond a Broadway theater to create opportunities for audiences, thank you.
Thank you, Mayor.
This proposal will support Portland's most diverse and diverse arts ecosystem.
Since then, the proposal has undergone extensive technical analysis and scrutiny of advisory groups, and we have had thousands of conversations with artists, arts organizations, business leaders, donors, students, investors, and community partners.
The result is this: PSU has identified funding for the academic and community spaces It will own and operate.
Development partners are at the table.
The state of Oregon and early philanthropic donors have stepped forward, and $230 million has already been aligned with the project.
What is critical now is understanding how the city can best fund the Broadway theater it will own.
Today's resolution does not commit the city to any particular path.
It authorizes city staff to work with PSU to evaluate funding strategies and provide council with the information it's requested.
We must move swiftly forward.
Councilors, your partners are at the table, and we're excited to start building this vision with you.
Thank you for your consideration, and we hope you will support the resolution.
Jamie Dunphy
Thank you very much.
Good timing.
Council President Dunphy, Vice President Clark, and members of the council, thank you for letting me speak today.
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 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.
You're going to hear from a lot of people today.
I don't think there are a lot of students registered, so take that into mind.
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.
Keelan McClymont
Thank you.
Jamie Dunphy
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 these broader impacts of having a Broadway-capable venue on our campus, provides access to training facilities and mentorship opportunities that our students would benefit this matters especially because PSU is Oregon's access institution.
With Portland State having multiple designations for serving underrepresented communities, this helps PSU advance our mission as Oregon's access institution.
Locating academic space next to professional theater space will give PSU performing arts students a direct view into potential careers following graduation.
Thank you.
Thanks.
Thank you very much.
Keelan McClymont
Chair Dunphy and council members, for the record, my name is Julie Vigeland.
I'm a South Waterfront resident, a lifelong advocate, patron, volunteer, and supporter of arts and culture in Portland.
Simply, thank you for your extraordinary work.
The recommendations before you reflect years of study, public engagement, and thoughtful deliberation.
I have spent much of my life championing the arts because they enrich our community.
They strengthen our economy and create the shared experiences that help cities thrive.
That is why I am encouraged by the recommendation to move forward with planning for the Performing Arts and Culture Center with a Broadway theater at its heart.
What excites me is not simply a new venue; it is the opportunity to welcome new audiences, connect students to the arts.
Strengthen artists and arts organizations across our region, and inspire philanthropy.
I know from my personal experience in fundraising for major projects that donors are drawn to bold visions, strong partnerships, and projects that can make a lasting difference.
This is that kind of opportunity.
At some point, every generation becomes a steward rather than a beneficiary.
Our responsibility is not only to preserve what we inherited, but to widen the circle of opportunity.
I believe this project can do just that.
Let's let future generations look back and say that we had the vision to invest in what Portland could become.
I urge you to vote yes on this resolution.
Jamie Dunphy
Thank you all very much.
Keelan McClymont
Next up we have Leroy Bynum, Daniel Pollack-Pelsner, Linda McKim-Bell, Amy Donahue, Chuck Dillard.
Jamie Dunphy
Welcome folks, come on down.
Reminder, you have 90 seconds apiece.
Please make sure to introduce yourselves for the record.
Good afternoon.
I'm Leroy Bynum, the Dean of PSU's extraordinary College of the Arts, and I am again excited to speak to you on behalf of the Performing Arts and Culture Center proposed for PSU's campus.
As a career-long lover of the stage and a lifelong champion of diversity and access, for me, the process of developing this proposal has been all about serving and uplifting Portland's entire performing arts ecosystem.
At the same time, the arts educator and administrator in me know all too well the transformative power of performance venues to elevate the arts and the artists while also bringing cultural, economic, and social vibrancy to the communities they serve.
Moreover, for performers like myself, there are 2 unassailable certainties: First, all artists need venues that allow them to look and sound their best.
And second, all audience members need and deserve to see and hear clearly what is being presented on the stage.
This requires the intentional creation of state-of-the-art tunable acoustics for complementary sightlines, achievable with certainty only when a performance hall is built from the ground up.
PSU excels in training amazing performing artists.
We also have leaned in with intention to building the talent pipeline for the backstage professionals Portland so desperately needs.
So thank you for inviting us to propose building Portland's Broadway theater on PSU's campus.
We remain honored to partner with you in creating a center for everyone.
Thank you very much.
Good afternoon.
My name is Daniel Pollack-Pelsner.
I teach theater at PSU.
I grew up in Portland where my folks took me and my sister to see shows at the Keller, and my wife and I are delighted to be back in the city taking our kids to shows alongside their grandparents.
But what drew us back here was not a single building, it was a whole performing arts network.
And I write about performing arts across the country for the New York Times and the New Yorker, and what we find in every city that creates a center that truly transforms a neighborhood, that truly galvanizes a city, is that it's never a standalone structure.
It's always a partnership between commercial theater, universities, city government, private philanthropy, local arts organizations, and the business community.
That's what can uplift a whole city, and that's what can change the story around Portland.
And I think we all know we need a new story for Portland.
When national arts editors ask me to write about the Portland arts scene, It's almost always to answer the question, what went wrong?
And I can understand the impulse to kind of hobble along with the status quo or to have a fantasy that the Keller could be redeemed, even though every study has showed that it's physically impossible in its current space.
But I think we don't want to pass up the opportunity to change the narrative.
If we can lift up students, if we can lift up arts organizations, we can lift up arts organizations.
This is our chance for our kids to tell the story.
Keelan McClymont
Thank you.
Jamie Dunphy
Of how we got it right.
Thank you.
Thank you very much.
Keelan McClymont
I'm Linda McKim Bell, a PSU alum, neighbor, and volunteer advisory council chair for the Senior Adult Learning Center at Portland State.
I urge you to approve the PSU Performing Arts Center Auditorium Complex to keep our beloved city on an upward trajectory and to make a bold statement that will empower our urban renaissance.
I live at Terwilliger Plaza Retirement Community, a stone's throw from the proposed project.
For me and many Portlanders, the wounds of a massive and ill-advised urban removal project are still palpable.
The PSU Performing Arts Center complex would breathe new life into the area.
We seniors living in the forest of high-rises and retirement communities near there need places to meet, places to enjoy the arts, and gathering spots to get together.
Right now it's just a wasteland, and it's time for Portland to think big.
Remember in the past when city—.
Jamie Dunphy
You got 30 more seconds, don't stop.
Okay.
Keelan McClymont
When city fathers invited Frederick Law Olmsted here to plan out the parks they were thinking big.
A little town on the river inviting people from New York to come out and fix our parks up.
And wow, what a treasure for us.
This will be your treasure for the future.
Jamie Dunphy
Thank you very much.
Keelan McClymont
Good afternoon, President Dunphy and members of the City Council.
For the record, my name is Amy Donahue.
I am an architect and a partner with Bora Architecture and Interiors.
Thank you for this opportunity to testify on behalf of this important resolution, which I wholeheartedly support.
40 years ago, civic and arts leaders brought an audacious vision to life— the Portland Center for the Performing Arts— boosting the creative scene and exposing the community to a broad set of art forms.
Today, we have the chance to make another bold step forward.
The PACC will increase access to the arts for our entire population.
It will be an economic driver in the downtown core and beyond.
It will be a resilient facility that can safely accommodate audiences and the back-of-house operations required to stage a wide variety of productions.
My career has been focused on design for the performing arts.
While our Portland block size makes for a really wonderful pedestrian experience, a 200 by 200 block cannot accommodate a 3,000-seat hall and its programmatic needs.
The PSU property will offer a gracious welcome to the community.
Performers will have adequate dressing and support spaces.
Production crews will have easy load-in as well as storage capacity.
A venue with these capabilities will attract more productions for a Portland community that is really hungry for the arts and for a new story.
We have the opportunity— you all have the opportunity tonight to do something remarkable for our city.
Like our new airport and East County Flagship Library, this project can be a civic triumph, a place that draws audiences from near and far to visit our dear city and be part of its exciting revitalization.
Thank you.
Jamie Dunphy
Thank you.
Good afternoon, President Dunphy, members of the council.
For the record, my name is Dr. Chuck Dillard, and I am proud to be the director of the School of Music and Theater at Portland State University.
I strongly support advancing the PACC because I see daily how our current facilities limit our students and our ability to serve Portland.
Our students study, rehearse, and perform in a converted high school, not a purpose-built arts facility.
Our award-winning choral program rehearses in a lecture hall because we have no suitable space.
Our 3 bands rehearse in a room so small that it is an actual OSHA violation for hearing safety.
And yet yet as fall term approaches, our classes in our popular Sonic Arts and Music Production program and in Theater Arts are beyond capacity, and I am forced to turn students away.
While other areas struggle on campus with declining enrollment, the College of the Arts is experiencing growth and vitality.
What is happening in the arts at PSU is clearly on the right track, but our facilities cannot keep pace with our successes.
The PACC could change that.
Preparing Portland's next generation of performers, educators, and arts leaders.
PSU's motto is, let knowledge serve the city.
Let me offer an amendment: let art serve the city too.
Because the creatives, thespians, scholars, artists, and musicians who will study at the PACC are exactly who will keep Portland's weird spirit alive.
Thank you.
Keelan McClymont
Thank you all very much.
Next up we have Carol Morse, Charlene Hannibal, Mark Raggett, Christine Vernier, Helen Ying.
Jamie Dunphy
You're first seated, you get to go first.
Keelan McClymont
Okay, good.
Uh, hello, councilors.
My name is Christine Vernier.
My husband David and I co-founded Vernier Science Education, and for many years we've been proud supporters of education, the arts, and organizations that strengthen our community.
First of all, I have to thank you so much for voting to approve the Albina Vision Trust resolution.
That's transformative for our city.
And I really feel that the performing arts center and culture at Portland State is transformative for our city.
We appreciate the thoughtful work that has brought us to this point.
After years of study, advisory committee work, and community input, the recommendation has been consistent the Performing Arts and Culture Center at Portland State is the strongest path forward.
What excites us about this project is that it's much more than a Broadway theater.
It is an opportunity to support students, artists, and arts organizations while contributing to the economic and cultural vitality of downtown Portland.
This is an opportunity that Portland cannot afford to pass by.
Jamie Dunphy
Thank you.
Keelan McClymont
Today's vote sends an important signal to philanthropists, private partners, and other funders that Portland is serious about realizing the vision of this resolution.
I encourage you to approve this resolution.
I thank you for your time and consideration and for all that you do for our city.
Jamie Dunphy
Thank you very much.
Good afternoon, Council President Dunphy, Vice President Clark.
My name is Mark Raggett.
I'm with Associate Principal at GBD Architects, our offices in downtown Portland.
We strongly support this resolution as it will advance the new performing arts and culture center at Portland State University at a time when our city needs new attractions.
Adopting this resolution will allow the current Keller Auditorium to continue operating, bringing the signature Broadway plays and musical events to downtown, as it has done for years, while the planning, design, and engineering can continue on a next-generation mixed-use facility just a few blocks to the south.
We support investments that will bring more activity, energy, and vibrancy back to downtown.
We recognize that Portland continues to lag behind other American cities in its recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, and that what is needed are more reasons for more people to come visit and stay longer in downtown.
This resolution will enable city staff to continue to do the work necessary to ensure that this project meets the city's expectations for successful new regional and cultural attraction in Portland.
We are also excited about the potential of the new performing arts and culture center to catalyze new development in downtown.
Our firm has a long history designing and developing some of the largest development projects in and around Portland, each of which is anchored by a cultural, institutional, and/or employment center, including the Brewery Blocks, Hassel Yates, Slabtown, and multiple blocks in South Waterfront.
We see potential for the creation of a compelling new district around the PSU Center and believe that the facility can serve as a new anchor in downtown, creating demand and attracting outside investments for new housing near Portland State University, the South Park Blocks, and the Willamette River.
In conclusion, we strongly support and encourage the Portland City Council to support this resolution moving the significant project for Portland forward.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Good timing.
Keelan McClymont
President Dunphy and members of the Portland City Council, my name is Helen Ying.
I'm a former educator, Portland State University alumna, longtime community leader, and a neighbor of the site where the proposed PACC would be located.
In 2024, I testified because I believe accessible arts and cultural spaces strengthen individuals, families, and neighborhoods.
Since then, serving on the city's FOSPA steering committee in a technical role reviewing data and evaluating options has further affirmed my support for PSU's PACC.
Today I speak as a community member who understands what this this resolution is good for PSU, good for Portland, and good for the community.
For PSU, the new venue strengthens its mission as an urban-serving university and creates meaningful opportunities for students, faculty, and families.
It also builds on significant state and philanthropic commitments already secured.
For Portland, this approach protects, enhances, and enhances the campus's the economic activity generated by touring productions supports downtown recovery and activates the Hal Prince sequence year-round while allowing the city to imagine— reimagine the Keller without shutting down our large-scale performing arts ecosystem.
And for the community, this plan expands access for artists of color, community-based arts groups, and young people who struggle to find affordable venues.
Jamie Dunphy
Thank you.
Keelan McClymont
It supports small businesses and reflects Portlanders' values: inclusion, accessibility, creativity, and cultural vibrancy.
I respectfully urge you to adopt this resolution.
Jamie Dunphy
Thank you very much.
Keelan McClymont
Good afternoon.
My name is Charlene Hannibal.
I'm a 4th-generation Portlander, former Oregon Ballet Theatre dancer and PSU student, and co-founder of Open Space, a nonprofit professional dance company and school.
I grew up in local public schools at OBT and in many ways at the Keller Auditorium.
My generation had opportunities to perform throughout our city at the Schnitz, Newmark, and Lincoln Hall.
We weren't just learning to dance, we were participating in the civic life of Portland.
Those experiences told us that these theaters in the city belonged to us.
I love the Keller, from the color-coded dressing room floors to the smell of the green room to those red velvet seats.
I know it by heart.
That stage holds an outsized place in my life and in the cultural memory of this city.
But it's time for a change.
The Performing Arts and Culture Center, alongside a reimagined Keller, is a once-in-a-generation investment in Portland's performing arts ecosystem.
For organizations like Open Space, the proposed smaller community theater at PSU is essential.
Portlanders need affordable and accessible spaces where local companies and schools can perform again.
Jamie Dunphy
Thank you.
Keelan McClymont
Children become students, students become artists, artists become teachers and arts leaders.
I had the privilege to grow up in these theaters.
I chose to come home and invest in this city.
Please give the next generation that same opportunity.
Thank you.
Jamie Dunphy
Thank you very much.
Keelan McClymont
Hi, I'm Carol Morris, and I reside in District 4.
I'm the retired president of the PGE Foundation, and I've been active in arts advocacy, fundraising, and grantmaking for 25 years in this city.
Portland is ripe for a state-of-the-art performing arts center.
Our city now has a cutting-edge airport, an art museum, and soon a renovated major sports arena for our beloved Trail Blazers.
The performing arts deserves the same attention.
I have been impressed with PSU's track record of fundraising and building major facilities through public-private partnerships on time and on budget.
The proposed Performing Arts Center at PSU already has $250 million in commitments through state bonds and PSU philanthropy, with more in the pipeline once City Council gives PSU the go-ahead to proceed.
This project would be transformative for arts and culture in the region.
Don't pass it up.
Please vote yes today so the City of Portland and PSU can officially begin to determine the cost and timeline of the Performing Arts and Culture Center at PSU.
Thank you.
Jamie Dunphy
Thank you very much.
Thank you all.
Keelan McClymont
Next up, we have Earl Blumenauer, Jen Hartman Luck, Carl Abbott, Nancy Courtney, Jean-Pierre Villette.
Jamie Dunphy
Come on down, folks.
Everyone wants to go first?
Keelan McClymont
Jump on in.
Congressman?
Jamie Dunphy
Ex-congressman.
Former congressman.
Keelan McClymont
Careful now.
Jamie Dunphy
Well-deserved former.
Yeah, my heart almost stopped.
Thank you very much, Mr. President, members of the council.
I've had great fun listening to the testimony here before and watching what's happening with the momentum here.
Keelan McClymont
For—.
Jamie Dunphy
I would like to begin, if I could, by just acknowledging I appreciated Councilor Clark referenced Gloria Steinem.
I'd like to reference Judith Ramaley, who was a transformative president of Portland State who just passed away and was trustee until she passed.
I'm delighted to work with Anne Cudd, the right president for the right time.
I helped start the fight against the Mount Hood Freeway in Southeast Portland.
I was today with the thank you.
Metropolitan Study leading a tour of the waterfront and a plan to revitalize it.
I am excited about the prospect here to showcase the work that we can do going forward.
The arts and education are going to lead the revitalization of our city.
I'd like to dedicate my testimony today to the memory of Bill Nadeau.
I think I've given all of you a copy of his biography.
And it wasn't just that he convinced me to wear a bow tie.
Bill Nadeau involved that notion of how to deal with creativity and get things done.
And I have a feeling I'd know how Bill would respond to the challenge that you're facing today.
He'd say, do both.
Build the center at Portland State and think creatively about what to do with that marvelous space that is going to be available.
Next month, you're going to be invited to Portland State University for the opening of our new art center, a mass timber structure that is an example of why Portland State has been the major developer since 2010 in downtown Portland.
Over $1 billion.
Keelan McClymont
Thank you.
Jamie Dunphy
Well, I don't think we have to make false choices or be competing against one another.
I think there is the vision, the resources, the opportunity to take advantage of this.
Keelan McClymont
Thank you.
Jamie Dunphy
You're out of time.
Let me just say, I would volunteer at any point to give you the rest of the story, uh, if you would give me that.
But thank you for your courtesy and what you are doing.
Thank you very much.
Thank you, sir.
I got to follow that.
Okay, great.
Good afternoon, Council President and councilors.
My name is Jean-Pierre Veillette.
I was born here.
I went to the schools here.
I paid the taxes.
I've done business in Portland for over 40 years.
I have won and I have lost in the cycles of Portland's economy.
I travel with the chamber on best practice trips.
I've served as a trustee on boards, sat on many public committees, sponsored scholarships, run youth sports, and taught classes at the art school, all while raising a family.
I say all that so you understand I'm not a bystander.
I have skin in this city's future, and I am asking you to invest in the Performing Arts and Culture Center because I have seen with my own eyes what this city can become when we choose culture over decline.
I am here because my mentors were the people who built this culture out of almost nothing.
Keelan McClymont
Thank you.
Jamie Dunphy
Michelle Rousseau and Sally Haley came to Portland not long after the war that had taken so much from this country.
They didn't arrive in a city with galleries and stages waiting for them.
They arrived to very little, and they built it.
Rousseau taught at the Museum Art School right as returning soldiers on the GI Bill filed— filled its classrooms.
He spent his life fighting for artists to be treated as professionals in this city, advocacy that helped lay the foundation for the public art now woven into Portland's identity.
The museum art school took people broken by war and gave them purpose and strength when they needed it.
I'm going to skip through.
We have inherited a legacy, and right now the Schnitz is selling out its shows, and there is a real appetite to grow what Broadway means for the city.
That driving force of what we inherited did not disappear.
It is telling us something if we are willing to listen.
Culture is how a city remembers who it is, It is how Portland made these investments before and benefited greatly when it mattered then, and it matters now.
The Performing Arts and Culture Center is our turn to do the work.
It is not a luxury project.
It is a kind of investment that grows the whole pie.
I am asking you to support this project.
Thank you very much.
Keelan McClymont
Hello, my name is Jen Hartman Luck, the producing artistic director of the newly unpaused Oregon Children's Theatre.
And, uh, when I was in 8th grade, I saw my first professional musical at Gammage Auditorium at Arizona State University.
It was Phantom of the Opera.
I was in the back row of the 3rd balcony, and that night I became an arts person.
Gammage became an anchor in my life.
I went on to major in theater at Arizona State.
I worked in that venue, performed there.
I got my diploma on that stage.
That building helped launch my career.
For me, there was no Arizona State State without Gammage Auditorium.
Years later, as a graduate student at the University of Texas at Austin, another building came into my life to become an anchor— Bass Concert Hall.
That building shaped me as an educator and an arts leader.
And then something else happened.
I became a patron, a seasoned subscriber, a donor.
That is the power of a performing arts center on a university campus.
It can take that kid in the back row and turn them into a student, an artist, an educator, a donor, and a nonprofit leader.
I'm here today as I begin my 4th season in Portland as producing artistic director of Oregon Children's Theatre, and I am here advocating for the Performing Arts and Culture Center at Portland State University.
A yes vote is investment in the infrastructure that helps a city attract and retain students, artists, educators, families, businesses, and cultural organizations like Oregon Children's Theatre.
The PACC will become an anchor for local arts orgs, for the generations of PSU students, and it will invite young people to imagine a future here in downtown Portland.
Thank you.
Jamie Dunphy
Thank you very much.
Keelan McClymont
Carl.
Good afternoon.
Jamie Dunphy
I'm Carl Abbott.
I'm a retired educator and historian.
In my life before retirement, I taught a course on downtown development for urban planning students.
We explored the factors that make downtowns vital and viable, and PACC ticks the boxes.
Now, rather than to go through that familiar list, I decided I want to point to something similar in the city of Birmingham, England.
Keelan McClymont
Thank you.
Jamie Dunphy
That city combined a new symphony hall with a conference center, connected them with a concourse in the city core to a historic canal network.
It's been a smashing success.
Spillover effects on the urban center— of course, they spell it funny over there.
If they can do it in Britain, we can do it here.
Portland has sometimes settled for small or convenient half measures.
At a time when we want the arts and education to help revitalize downtown, we need to invest in purpose-built, world-class facilities.
The PSU proposal, rather than beginning with compromise, advances Portland's highest aspirations for the arts, their audiences, and the community.
I urge you to move this resolution forward.
Thanks for your time.
Keelan McClymont
Thank you.
Jamie Dunphy
Thank you very much.
Keelan McClymont
Okay, uh, checking to see if Nancy Courtney is here.
Next up we have Rose Etta Venitucci, Bob Nadeau, Emily Horton, Charlotte Rich, Terry Goldman.
Hey, Bob.
Jamie Dunphy
Hey, how are you?
Keelan McClymont
I'm good, how are you?
You want to sit ladies first.
Hi, my name is Rosetta Venitucci.
Good afternoon, President Dunphy, councilors, um, and everyone else.
Thank you for giving professional problem solvers the opportunity to weigh in.
Stagehands solve problems every day, and we do it effectively and efficiently because the curtain IATSE has worked in the building since 1917, and we are all in support of a new city building on the PSU site with a later 1,800-seat renovation at the current Keller site, which supports your goal of resurgence and renewal.
The entertainment industry has been bringing people back downtown.
Today I appeal to you with words from Broadway.
I'm sorry, I can't hear you.
Because the sun should come out tomorrow.
You can't stop the motion of the ocean or the rain from above, but you can ease on down the road and get this project started.
Let's ease on down the road, the Halperin sequence, together, because now is the time to seize the day, to stare down the odds and seize the day.
It's too late for second-guessing, too late to go back to sleep.
It's time to try defying gravity.
Everyone deserves the chance to fly.
It's a tale as old as time, true as it can be.
Barely even friends, but then somebody bends unexpectedly.
So let's let it go.
Let's not hold back anymore.
Please vote yes today and let's ease this down the road.
Thank you.
Jamie Dunphy
Councilmember I'm going to sing it now.
Keelan McClymont
You're going to sing it?
Jamie Dunphy
President Dunphy, councilors, my name is Bob Nadeau.
Actually, I'm Bill Nadeau's son, but I'm also the chair of the Halpern Landscape Conservancy.
On behalf of tens of thousands of Portlanders who want to save the Keller, I urge you today to reject this resolution.
If PSU wants to build a new theater on their campus, they should do it on their own.
The proposed location of the new theater is lousy.
It's isolated from downtown and requires a new parking structure, subsidized— and a subsidized hotel.
With downtown struggling, don't take 400,000 people a year away from the Keller.
Keelan McClymont
Thank you.
Jamie Dunphy
The fountain and downtown.
This plan is financially reckless and risky for both the city and PSU.
And interestingly, in all the testimony up to now, nobody has talked about what it costs.
A total price tag of close to $1 billion with no funding in sight, no evidence that a market exists for a reduced Keller, and with $300 million in deferred maintenance for the existing 5 venues, and this plan offers no guarantee that the Keller will ever be renovated.
The Keller is popular and profitable.
Let's build on that.
If the Keller were as dangerous and outdated as some claim, why would Broadway Across America have just renewed their contract for 7 years?
Put a full-scale Keller renovation on hold.
Instead, approve the Keller Affordable Fix, a 5-year, $15 million plan to improve and maintain Portland's largest theater while supporting downtown's recovery.
Let's invest in what Portlanders already own, and it has worked for more than 100 years.
Thank you.
Thank you very much.
Keelan McClymont
Good afternoon, Council, and every other hardworking person in this room.
My name is Emily Horton.
I am a District 1 working stiff.
I am not lucky enough to have name recognition or a family legacy, but I am lucky enough to be a proud union stagehand.
I am a wardrobe worker in IATSE Local 28, and I have worked in the performing arts for over 30 years.
I grew up here in Rockwood, taking field trips to Oregon Children's Theater, attending shows like the opera's Porgy and Bess and Broadway's Sunday in the Park with George, and of course, OBT's The Nutcracker.
I graduated on stage at the Keller Auditorium, and now I proudly work for these companies.
Councilor and while I grew up in Portland, I did not go to college here.
I had to leave the state to find a university that offered a theatrical education where I could work side by side with professionals in the industry, studying university-level academics while building a professional resume and earning a degree.
I left the state to find a program like the one Portland State is building, a program that I know leads to success in the industry.
My work-study job was for an award-winning regional theater, allowing me to graduate with minimal debt and a professional resume that allowed me to transition into a full-time career seamlessly.
My peers and I have health insurance, retirement dignity, and most of us have safe, stable places to live.
We love our jobs and have worked tirelessly for decades to excel and thrive in 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 in the number that these performances do.
These are our jobs that you are voting on today.
Growing up in Rockwood in the '90s and going into the performing arts took intelligence, courage, investment, and commitment, and I'm asking you all for the same investment and commitment to the workers and children of District 1 today.
Please vote yes on the PSU project.
Thank you.
Jamie Dunphy
Thank you very much.
Good afternoon, Council President and Council Vice President and councilors.
My name is Terry Goldman, and I am the general manager of the Porter Hotel, located one block from Keller Auditorium, a frequent patron of events at Keller, and a parent of a professional musical theater actor.
I'm here as someone who has who sees firsthand the economic impact the Keller has and its current in the businesses surrounding it.
When there's a show at Keller, the restaurants in my hotel are busy, the bars are busy, and our hotel rooms fill up.
Guests make a night of it.
They dine downtown, stay overnight, and support the businesses that have invested in this part of the city.
The Keller isn't just a theater; it's an anchor that brings people downtown and creates activity that benefits hotels.
Restaurants, retailers, and the people who work in those businesses, including the employees who work at the Keller in a variety of different roles.
Like many Portlanders, I recognize that Keller needs investment.
It's an older facility and it deserves attention, but there's a big difference between improving something that works and spending an extraordinary amount of money that we don't have to build something entirely new.
As a business leader, I look at this through a practical lens.
If I have a profitable asset that is attracting customers and generating economic activity, I would invest in maintaining and improving it.
I would not spend hundreds of millions of dollars to relocate it and hope that the same success follows.
I respectfully ask you to focus on preserving and improving Portland's Broadway theater, the Keller, instead of investing in a new project at this time.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Thank you very much.
Thank you all.
Keelan McClymont
Charlotte Rich.
Next up we have Terry Goldman, Diana Stewart, LeJune Thorson, Tom Reichert, John Russell.
Jamie Dunphy
You called me twice.
I already went to the last retardate.
Keelan McClymont
Thank you.
Uh, and then Cynthia Hampton.
Jamie Dunphy
Welcome, folks.
Jump right in.
Keelan McClymont
Good afternoon, Council.
My name is Diana Stewart.
You have heard a myriad of reasons to vote no on this resolution— the unknown cost, the lack of a clear plan, countless unknown, unmet competing city needs, including the Albina District projects that you voted on just now.
If city money goes to the PSU projects, which programs, which city employees, and which nonprofits will be sacrificed in exchange?
But there's one issue that no one has addressed.
Last week, the city posted an RFP seeking a qualified P5 management entity to replace Metro, who will be turning over management of the P5 yes.
Venues on June 31st, 2027.
This will be one of the biggest determinants for future success of arts organizations in Portland.
The city already has responses by a number of qualified firms to last year's RFI, which tell a consistent story.
For example, ATG Entertainment, the 3rd largest Broadway theater operator in the country, states plainly in their RFI response that Keller is Portland's Portland's only Broadway-capable venue, and touring Broadway is the primary venue driver for the entire P5 portfolio.
In fact, 4 of the 5 national firms who responded are telling you the same thing.
P5's financial sustainability depends on Broadway staying at the Keller.
Approving a competing 3,000-seat venue at PSU before you've even chosen a P5 manager risks pulling the foundation out from underneath the arts systems you're attempting to preserve.
Please vote no.
Thank you.
Jamie Dunphy
I'd just like to very quickly note the RFP has not actually been released yet.
Keelan McClymont
I think the RFP went out last week.
Jamie Dunphy
No, it was—.
Keelan McClymont
Oh, it was held back?
Ah.
Jamie Dunphy
So the RFI from last year was a more narrow scope, but the RFP has not been released yet.
Keelan McClymont
Ah, soon?
We were told it would be last week.
Tuesday, so that's what I was relying on.
Thank you.
Jamie Dunphy
That's government.
Keelan McClymont
Hi, I'm LeJune Thorson, president of the Downtown Neighborhood Association.
We're asking you to vote no.
Before taking on another expensive project, let's take stock of what we already own.
Let's figure out whether the city needs a new venue.
Jamie Dunphy
Let's look at all our current venues and the improvements and maintenance each need.
Keelan McClymont
Let's develop a maintenance strategy, and let's find ways to improve the revenue potential of each venue through new management of P5.
Only then should we even contemplate building a new performing arts center.
Jamie Dunphy
There are other reasons why this is a bad idea.
First, the city's loss of decision-making autonomy in the commercial condominium financial structure.
Keelan McClymont
Compare that with the control the city has.
Jamie Dunphy
If you don't know what this is about, you should do some research about the Vanport Building.
Keelan McClymont
Second, the real possibility that the Keller will become another subsidized venue instead of the profit generator it is now.
And third, the financial losses to the hotels, garages, restaurants, bars, coffee shops.
These are real businesses and real jobs.
This is real money we're talking about with real trade-offs.
Jamie Dunphy
Councilmember Herbold.
Keelan McClymont
We're cutting basic city services.
Let's not be distracted by the state money.
That's real money too.
Support the affordable fix.
Make the necessary improvements at the Keller without a shutdown, and the Keller will serve us for many more years.
Taxpayers are paying attention and seeing the real costs and trade-offs of this commitment.
Show us, the taxpayers, you can be good stewards of our money.
Thank you.
Jamie Dunphy
Vote no.
Support the affordable fix.
Keelan McClymont
Thank you.
Jamie Dunphy
Thank you.
Keelan McClymont
Good afternoon.
I'm Cynthia Hampton.
Members of council, President Dunphy, and community.
I am a third-generation Portlander.
I am a community activist.
I've served on Symphony Board and others here for many years.
I am a believer in community and responsible partnership.
I'm privileged to be on the Halperin Landscape Conservancy.
So it's our collective responsibility to work together to ensure municipal coherency and careful urban planning.
Thank you.
The Keller is truly downtown in an existing neighborhood with more than enough parking, hotel rooms, and residences.
The waterfront project is right there.
The Keller plan includes a public plaza that extends from the entrance to the renowned cherished Halperin Fountain, revivifying the Fountain District.
This is all done as a brand new building, totally redoing the Keller, more seating, backstage fix, no trucks in the street, and half the cost of the PSU.
Please consider voting no.
Please be responsible with our monies and restore our trust in our public government by voting no on this issue.
Jamie Dunphy
Thank you very much.
Keelan McClymont
Go ahead.
Hi, I'm Tom Reichert, and I have the great fortune of living in one of the harbored Harrison Towers on Harrison Street.
Been there for 9 years.
I am an MD-PhD.
I was head of biomedical engineering at Carnegie Mellon, so I know a lot about modeling and, and about building things.
I had the extraordinary good fortune to wake up having moved, knowing nothing about Portland except that it had more friendly people than any other place I'd ever been.
Jamie Dunphy
Thank you.
Keelan McClymont
To find that I lived at the very edge of what is probably one of the great developments in any city in the United States, and that's the Halperin Open Sequence.
I'm sure you all know that last year it was named by the American Society for Landscape Architecture as the most successful and most wonderful redevelopment program in the 20th century in the world.
So what we have is a world, world-famous development that immediately borders the Keller Auditorium, and it has been successful quite a long time.
None of us really know the details for the proposal that you're asked to consider today.
Jamie Dunphy
Yes.
Keelan McClymont
We haven't seen where the buildings are going to be exactly, but if you walk down there, which I hope every council member will do, if you walk down there, it's an extraordinary experience because you're right aside of the 405.
If you take a sound meter, which I did, you find yourself in a barely tolerable— you find the sound level higher than the City of Portland will approve.
Jamie Dunphy
Thank you.
Keelan McClymont
Thank you.
Jamie Dunphy
Sorry, we are at time.
You're over time there.
Thank you for your testimony.
Good afternoon, members of council.
John Russell.
For the record, I asked my friend JT Flowers to read my remarks, but he had to leave.
I hope you know that several years ago, the city and Metro each contributed $200,000 to redevelop Philip Keller.
And what came out of that was a dream team, an international dream team.
And I can say that having developed PacWest Center across the street with Hugh Stubbins, the 4th winner of the AIA Annual Award.
There was 100 given since.
It was Michael Curry, undoubtedly the best artist in this city, and Stewfish of London.
Keelan McClymont
All they do are performance buildings.
Jamie Dunphy
But I think there seem to be 3 obstacles to council approval for renovating the Keller the way those geniuses have done.
One, the head of Broadway Across America took us to dinner and said what I need was a staggered construction so that it doesn't interrupt my 8 or 9-month season.
We said, we think we can do it.
We talked to Hoffman, and Hoffman said, yes, we can.
Secondly, we were told by the city staff when that work was done to invite— we weren't told to invite the stagehands.
When the issue came up, I talked to my friend Tim Nesbitt, who, as you may know, was head of the Oregon AFL-CIO.
He said the solution is simple, John.
You put them on unemployment, you support that, and you may have to supplement it.
But that basically— And 3, PSU is head over— head short of Damocles, the deadline on the state funding.
Everybody I talk to says there's no doubt that that funding would get extended.
So here's my summary: no urgency, half the cost, lots of critical unknowns.
Please don't commit taxpayer dollars until you know the facts.
Thank you.
Thank you very much.
Thank you all.
Keelan McClymont
Next up we have Donna Bauer, Jane Taylor, Julie Bunker, Dean Barnett, Louise Roman.
Jamie Dunphy
Just halfway there.
Sorry, we're a little bit more than half done.
Keelan McClymont
Do I begin?
Jamie Dunphy
Yeah, yeah.
Keelan McClymont
Okay, my name's Donna Bauer.
I just asked the gentleman who just spoke if I could concede my time to him, and he said he didn't think so because he seemed to be somebody who was knowledgeable in this, and it seems like there's a lot of people speaking today who have no idea about the Keller, how it's run.
I've been a volunteer for 20 years, and it was just 2 weeks ago that I got to put input into this, and 3 days ago where I was asked to sign up and speak today.
And one night, last night, I was told instead of 3 minutes I'd have 90 seconds, which I no longer have time to say, read my speech.
But I want you to know, I beg you to vote no on yes.
20 Years of volunteering.
The person who spoke about Oregon Children's Theater, we're the people, 250 of us, who went in the snow and kept it going.
We're the people during the recession.
Remember when symphonies were being lost?
The Oregon Symphony, we kept it.
We kept it because of volunteers, because of the business community, because everybody worked together.
Now Portland State is coming in it's like a competition.
They already have a name for it, and did I hear they're breaking ground on it in a week?
Jamie Dunphy
That's right.
Keelan McClymont
I mean, so real fast, it won't work because of the location.
You can't have 40 buses, school buses, on Broadway and 405 coming and going to drop them off, load in 20 minutes, take them out, and get the next group in.
40 Buses, 3,000 people on that road.
Cost— the gentleman went over it— and the need.
We have 5 theaters now.
We do not need 6.
People are struggling to keep their theaters open now.
Thank you for listening to me.
Jamie Dunphy
Thank you very much.
Keelan McClymont
Vote no.
Jamie Dunphy
Thank you.
Keelan McClymont
Good afternoon.
My name is Jane Taylor, and I'm a downtown resident.
An actor, a singer, and a director.
The best way to revitalize downtown is to significantly lessen homelessness and drug addiction.
If we can succeed at that, besides that being the right thing to do and the place for our budget dollars, if we can succeed at that, people will come downtown.
If they aren't worried about crime and open-air drug dealing, they'll come to our restaurants, and our vibrant performing arts spaces, and that includes the Keller.
And renovating that not only helps make the Keller a better venue, but also continues to support and provide money to Portland Five.
Building a facility at PSU not only threatens the vibrancy of our other performing arts venues, but it simply won't revitalize our beautiful existing downtown.
Jamie Dunphy
Thank you.
Keelan McClymont
It will cost far too much and take precious resources away from actual solutions to our city's most pressing problems.
Please do not approve this resolution.
Thank you.
Jamie Dunphy
Thank you very much.
Keelan McClymont
My name is Julie Bunker, and I'm a certified venue executive currently working as a spectator venue consultant.
I was Director of Operations for Portland Five from 2017 until 2020, and I participated in the Keller seismic study and early Keller remodel planning.
I am testifying against this resolution.
While I'm grateful for all the hard work of the committees that— all the hard work that went into the resolution, of particular concern for me is page 2 of the City Life Committee document dated 8/11.
It states, clearly states that the proposed venue is not part of the P5 Centers for the Arts portfolio.
A 3,000-seat venue designed specifically for commercial events, if not included in that portfolio, will cause a significant loss of revenue, have a negative effect on maintaining P5's existing venues, and harm local arts groups that rely on subsidized nonprofit rates.
Removing commercial revenue from the P5 portfolio makes a management agreement less attractive for potential operators.
The management agreement should be, of the current venue, should be the number one priority with potential operators deserve the opportunity to make suggestions regarding the revenue impact if the new venue is not part of the portfolio.
PSU is part of the national trend of colleges planning event venues to offset enrollment drops.
Lewis and Clark is working on a new performing arts center themselves.
Jamie Dunphy
Thank you.
Keelan McClymont
Who will own the building, how it is operated and funded, and what PSU expects out of it are questions that need to be answered.
Jamie Dunphy
Thank you.
So, yeah, go ahead.
All you.
Keelan McClymont
Yeah.
Jamie Dunphy
I am Dean Barnett.
I'm I'm here as a very interested taxpayer, and what I would like to do is summarize what I can't cover here, and much of it has been, but what I would like to summarize it with is that apparently in yes.
In 1925, there was a survey of clientele at the Keller, and that was used to characterize the direction that the various parts— and that's a third of them are from the south, and roughly 20% from each of the other directions.
Keelan McClymont
And you look at all that and you generate the numbers on how many cars, how many people, and you can get kind of a modeling.
That has been used to do a lot of things, and it has generated the no fatal flaws thing.
Jamie Dunphy
Thank you.
That we have all heard from.
But what I would like to talk about is the less than fatal flaws of the 2 offerings.
The worst of those is traffic-related, and for the port— the PSU offering, it requires a traffic, what is called a high-level traffic study because it increases traffic on Lincoln by more than 100 cars, actually several hundred at the time of a performance.
Keelan McClymont
That—.
Jamie Dunphy
Sorry, we're 30 seconds over already, so I gotta stop you there.
Okay, so what I end up with is all of these were generated in 2025.
That requires a traffic study, and there has been no request for it yet.
They're not serious.
Thank you very much.
Thank you.
Thank you all.
Keelan McClymont
Uh, checking to see if Louise Roman is here.
Next up, we have Erica Thompson, Chris Finks, Jesse Wolf, Kate Dixon, Joel Thorson.
Jamie Dunphy
Councilor Whoever wants to go first, jump on in.
Keelan McClymont
Go ahead.
Um, Joel—.
Jamie Dunphy
I'm Joel Thorson, and I'm, uh, here testifying, uh, in favor of, uh, saving the Keller, turning down the PSU request.
Um, uh, I'm testifying on my own behalf, incidentally.
Um, and, uh, I— there are 2 major concerns, very Both of them very urgent that are not very evident to the naked eye.
I'd like to call attention to City Administrator Lee, and I think his staffer is still here.
Is that right?
Keelan McClymont
No.
Jamie Dunphy
DCA Donnie Oliveira.
Keelan McClymont
That's Donnie Oliveira.
Jamie Dunphy
Okay, I'm sorry.
Keelan McClymont
Right?
Jamie Dunphy
Yeah, so he's not here, but I hope that he and his staff will take a good hard look at my written testimony because it deals with my 2 main concerns.
One is the potentially serious risk, financial risk to the city of this project.
2 Of the categories of risk, borrowing cost increases due to surging bond rates in the bond market right now, and construction cost increases due to the absence of 20 or more percent of the foreign-born labor force.
Keelan McClymont
Thank you.
All right.
Jamie Dunphy
Enough to almost ensure that this project will cost the city a lot more than it's estimated at a mere $448 million.
And I hope that it— and the other issue is governance.
I think the city administrator needs to exercise full due diligence in looking over all the documents presented from the contractors the cooperation document to all of the foundation documents of the governing body and, and not sign any of them until they ensure Portland City of getting a good deal.
Thank you very much.
Good afternoon, Council President, Vice President, and councilors.
My name is Chris Finks, and I am a board member of the Halperin Landscape Conservancy.
I've also professionally been a man who's dedicated himself to urban vitality through destination marketing for nearly 30 years, including Portland.
So this is near and dear to my heart.
My position is no.
I don't think we should advance this proposal until the financial, economic, and civic case has been fully demonstrated, which it has not.
It's fiscally irresponsible to advance now.
The city does not have a complete capital stack, a clearly defined contribution, identified funding sources, long-term operating obligations, or a full assessment of taxpayer exposure.
The timing is troubling to me.
PSU is under great financial distress, falling enrollment, and Portland, the city of Portland, similar issues with, with budget issues.
We know where we, we're facing.
The Keller already works.
It's a proven cultural and economic asset that brings hundreds of thousands of people every year into downtown restaurants, hotels, and surrounding businesses.
Location matters.
Moving the primary Broadway venue away between the I-405 and a major transit hub is troubling to me.
It's basically an island.
Credible renovation alternative already exists.
The work has been done by private sector.
We had talked about some of the renovation, and that has been vetted and done over the last several years.
Big one for me is protect property values and tax base, and I think the impact would be pretty dramatic around those areas there.
We already have had declining property values and then in turn tax revenues.
So the question is simple.
We're advancing— we, I think, don't advance.
I'd say no.
Thank you very much.
Yeah, thank you.
Keelan McClymont
All right, uh, good afternoon, city councilors.
My name is Erica Thompson, and I'm a Portland resident and principal architect at Hinneberry Eddy Architects.
I've also served on the Planning Commission for more than 5 years.
I am not here on the commission's behalf today, but through that work, I deeply understand the city's efforts to revitalize downtown.
Downtown's strongest asset is its public realm, the civic rooms, parks, and green spaces that together make a uniquely beautiful and livable city.
I fear the PSU proposal threatens the vitality of these spaces.
Authorize $44 million now and we trap ourselves in a sunk cost we cannot escape.
Given how little detail the plan offers, the real cost will probably be higher than what you've been shown.
Jamie Dunphy
Councilor Smith.
Keelan McClymont
It's unrealistic to believe the, the PSU project gets built and that any funding or will to make the Keller something meaningful remains.
I'm usually an optimist, but picture what happens if the Keller goes dark.
The businesses that depend on it struggle, vacancy rises, property values fall.
The revitalized Tom McCall Waterfront Bowl and its new venue are undermined because the blocks beside it go lifeless.
Now the alternative.
Through more modest investment, the Keller stays open, drawing steady crowds to what is already one of the largest Broadway touring venues in the country.
It creates real synergy with the reimagined Waterfront venue just 3 blocks to the east.
Together, they deliver activation, support for local businesses, and investment in the arts.
Vision does not have to cost a billion dollars.
Jamie Dunphy
Thank you.
Keelan McClymont
We need a vision that sees our city clearly and by leveraging the assets we already have delivers a tremendous return at a price we can afford.
Please vote no.
Thank you.
Jamie Dunphy
Thank you very much.
Hi there, I'm Jesse Wolf.
I'm a partner with Grummel Engineering, and I'm here to speak to the Keller structure.
In 2019, we were hired to perform a seismic evaluation of the Keller Auditorium.
We reviewed historic documents, performed a seismic analysis, oversaw material testing of structural components, and reviewed a previously incomplete report.
We followed the procedures of ASC 41, a deficiency-based evaluation procedure for existing buildings.
We compared the Keller Auditorium to the performance objective of a new building.
What we found was a highly resilient structure with few deficiencies.
In 1966, the original 1916 building underwent a structural overhaul with an intentional focus on seismic lateral upgrades.
Heavily reinforced concrete foundations, walls, and floors were installed in the building.
The remaining structure is tied to the new lateral system.
After our initial review, findings were confirmed by a peer review from another structural firm and through meetings with senior city engineers.
We then joined a design team tasked with developing a plan to upgrade the Keller to meet the standards of a high-performance arts center to the likes of Broadway.
Keelan McClymont
Thank you.
Jamie Dunphy
We devised a plan to upgrade the seating, ADU access, stage enlargements, and enhanced loading with minimal impacts to the existing structure.
The remaining deficiencies to meet the performance objective largely involve out-of-plane bracing.
As part of the architectural facelift, a new skin was proposed for the building.
This would involve the removal of the existing precast cladding, which adds unnecessary seismic mass and is exhibiting signs of deterioration.
The key to the upgrade is that the new cladding would double as a seismic bracing to resolve the seismic deficiencies.
And I guess in short, given our findings, we find that the fiscally responsible thing to do is to upgrade the Keller.
Thank you very much.
Keelan McClymont
Good afternoon.
I'm Kate Dixon, and I live in beautiful downtown Portland.
And I want to begin by thanking you for taking the time and making the effort to listen to all of us today.
We believe in what we're saying, as you know, and we care very much about the future of our city.
Today I'm here to implore you to vote no on the resolution before you.
Start with what we have as— as what we— you have and we have as taxpayers.
The Keller is not a failing building.
Thank you very much for your testimony.
In a recent year, it hosted 178 performances and it presented for nearly 400,000 people in our downtown.
It is time to invest and restore the Keller.
It is not the time for a PSU concept performing arts project, which is a $450 million theater with no answer for who pays for construction, operations, management, or long-term maintenance.
At this time, when the arts sector is struggling to stay solvent and the city budget shrinking.
This resolution sets the stage for the largest, riskiest art investment this city has known.
You are the stewards of our city assets.
Renovating the Keller keeps a city-owned building under your control and supports our existing downtown infrastructure.
My simple ask is vote no on this premature resolution.
Fix and invest in what we already own.
Keep the Keller.
Thank you.
Jamie Dunphy
Thank you.
Thank you all very much.
Keelan McClymont
Thank you.
Next up we have Sarah Sofer, Anjane Banuelos-Bolanos, Andrew Kolas, Bea Marston, Kyle Huth.
Jamie Dunphy
Welcome.
Keelan McClymont
Thank you.
Jamie Dunphy
You're all welcome to— whoever wants to jump in.
Keelan McClymont
Oh, hi.
My name is Sarah Sofer.
I'm here as a member of the Unite Here Local 8 union and as a concession worker employed by Levy Restaurants at the P5 Theaters.
And my stance on today's topic is please don't close the Keller auto please, whatever operating model you choose, make sure that you keep our jobs and our union contract in mind.
Closing the Keller for the remodel would gravely impact so many employees with good union jobs who make the P5 theaters run smoothly.
We depend on the Broadway series, the ballet, the opera, and other shows to make ends meet.
Without that, jobs would be unsustainable.
Jamie Dunphy
Thank you.
Keelan McClymont
The spectrum of workers affected by these choices include people with disabilities, retired folks, those who simply can't retire, people who are supplementing their income with a second job, and so on.
We've developed a beautiful ecosystem of employees who make this operation something special.
It's not just stand workers and bartenders, but it's stage crew.
The stage crew assures collectively, we make this customer experience wonderful.
So again, please consider our jobs and our union contract when making changes to the operating model because it will affect our livelihood.
Jamie Dunphy
Thank you very much.
Keelan McClymont
Hello, councilors.
My name is B. Marston.
Jamie Dunphy
I am a member of Unite Here Local 8 and an employee of Levy Restaurant Group.
Keelan McClymont
Working at the P5 venues.
Jamie Dunphy
I'm here to ask you, please do not close the Keller for a remodel.
Keelan McClymont
Our jobs won't survive that.
As you— and as you move forward with a new operator, please ensure that we are able to keep working at all the city's city-owned venues and keep our pay, our benefits, and our union contract.
Jamie Dunphy
Closing the Keller for a remodel would be disastrous.
Keelan McClymont
Thank you.
Jamie Dunphy
There's no way we would be able to make it through that.
And it's not just about our pay, but it's also about our health insurance.
Keelan McClymont
Without making the hours to qualify, we would all lose our health insurance.
I want to make sure you know that the food and beverage workers at P5 are P5 workers, and even if we are not directly employed by the city, 12 of our 36 current employees were employed there before COVID and came back after being laid off for 18 months.
There's very little turnover.
Over the years, we have fought through contract bargaining to make these really good union jobs.
Our pay and benefits are much better than our levy workers at Moda who are fighting to have a union.
Jamie Dunphy
Please make sure that the progress is not erased and we can continue to build on our wins.
We are here again to ask you, as you make decisions about the Keller, to keep the workers in mind.
Keelan McClymont
Thank you very much.
Jamie Dunphy
Thank you.
Keelan McClymont
Okay.
Okay.
Jamie Dunphy
Um, uh, President Dunphy, um, VP Clark, um, Administrator, thank you for the moment, the time today.
I come back, um, in, uh, support of the proposal that PSU has put forth, and I come forth, um, as the group.
I, I run Colas Family Companies.
We have a development and construction company We were selected to be the exclusive developer of the hotel that would be adjacent to the, the new performing arts and culture center.
I do want to correct the record.
There's no subsidy that we are requesting at this time.
However, if you want to provide one, I would love one.
But I need to correct that record.
We went after this project because I talked about it earlier.
I'm a Portlander.
Yes.
Born and raised here.
I love this city.
And as Congressman Blumenauer talked about, it's— this is about vision.
This is about revisioning the way that we can have people come, the vibrancy that can partake when we reimagine what this looks like.
That doesn't mean that we can't reimagine the way that Keller will live and work as well.
I also am here because of the people that are next to me.
I've done the analysis on the construction side of the renovation, and contrary to what everybody says, it's about net neutral.
But we cannot forget about these people and their employment and these jobs.
We cannot.
It's very important to the vibrancy of our city, our state, and I fully support this, and I recommend that you move forward in negotiating further.
Thank you very much.
Thank you.
Keelan McClymont
Thank you.
Thank you.
Jamie Dunphy
Hello, my name is Kyle Huth.
I am a PSU graduate and a proud member of the IATSE Local 28.
I come here to speak in positivity of the PSU option because just 5 blocks south where the Keller sits is an opportunity.
It is a project combining private capital to a hotel and retail and public funding to realize a space that can both accommodate modern touring shows and also a space that can be available to smaller community events, which are sorely overlooked, and in cooperation with PSU and provides exceptional access to the next generation of theater professionals in our city.
It is a bold and ambitious plan and one that comes with a century-long roadmap to carry Portland brightly into the future.
The PSU proposal is an investment in Portland and its culture, and also an investment in preserving the living wage jobs these venues provide.
Keelan McClymont
Thank you.
Jamie Dunphy
Thank you all very much.
Thank you.
Keelan McClymont
Anjanette.
Uh, good evening, President Dunphy and members of the council.
Good evening, members of Portland City Council.
My name is Anjanette Benuelos-Balanos, and I live in District 1.
I am also a business representative for LIUNA 737.
We represent approximately 2,800 union members across Oregon and 178 registered apprentices, with another 100 people who are waiting to begin their first union dispatch.
I urge you to support this resolution moving the Portland State University Performing Arts Arts and Culture Center forward.
This project is, is about more than constructing a new building.
It is an investment in Portland's workers, students, creativity, community, and downtown economy.
The project would bring a modern, seismic-safe, 3,000-seat performance venue to downtown Portland while creating classrooms, rehearsals, studios, community spaces, and opportunity for local art organization.
Most importantly, Um, projects like this is— this are creating family wage jobs and family-supporting careers.
They give apprentices the hands-on experience needed to build stable futures while strengthening our local economy.
Portland has the opportunity to create something that will serve the community for generations.
Please vote yes on this important, important project and move it forward, but do so with a strong community labor agreement and strong labor standards that protect the workers and create equitable opportunities to ensure that this is a public investment benefits our community, and that is during construction and operation.
Thank you for your time.
Jamie Dunphy
Thank you very much.
Keelan McClymont
Next up we have Andrew Smith, Joyce Fallingstad, Anthony Samperio, Sameperio.
Sameperio, excuse me.
Russell Benton, Ernest Munch.
Andrew, go ahead.
Hi.
Jamie Dunphy
Hello, City Councilors.
My name is Andrew Smith.
I'm a resident of District 4 and a principal at Hinaberry Yeti Architects.
Having led the comprehensive feasibility study for modernizing the Keller completed in 2023, I can say with confidence that every challenge currently facing the Keller has an achievable solution.
It can be comparable to a new 3,000-seat theater And it can be done for far less cost.
We're very quickly approaching a point in our world where building new square footage is becoming the last resort compared to adapting existing buildings.
It's a simple matter of sustainability.
In difficult economic times, it's more important than ever to leverage the assets that we already have.
In that sense, Keller is a bird in the hand.
Keelan McClymont
Thank you.
Jamie Dunphy
Broadway has committed to be at the Keller for many more years, and for good reason.
Instead of committing $44 million towards a new theater on PSU's campus, I urge you to invest a third of that, just $15 million, into the Keller to make things even better for audiences, performers, stagehands, concession workers, and others for the next 7 years.
Keelan McClymont
Thank you.
Jamie Dunphy
If you proceed with this resolution, I feel confident that we'll be back here in 2 years having this conversation again with very little progress made towards what to me seems like an unachievable new theater development.
Thank you.
Thank you very much.
Keelan McClymont
I'm Joyce Fallingstead.
Good afternoon.
Good evening, Mayor, City Councilors.
I'm a nurse and a psychologist and a concerned citizen.
I'm testifying to oppose the proposal for the Portland City Council to finance, build, and operate a new Broadway theater on the south end of the PSU campus, requiring a new parking garage and other supporting infrastructure.
I'm here to encourage the approval of the Keller Affordable Fix To complete the deferred maintenance and to make improvements that would include a retrofitting and preparation for the earthquake for which we are all preparing.
I have many wonderful memories of attending events at the Keller Auditorium and enjoying the beautiful forecourt fountain.
Currently, you have authorized a 7-year agreement with Broadway Across America To continue presenting shows at the Keller until 2033.
At the same time, other venues across the city have presentations that do not always fill to capacity.
I do not think we need to increase theater seats, nor do I think it's wise to undertake new construction given our city's current financial undertaking with the Moda Center and the increased cost of fuel and building materials.
Jamie Dunphy
Thank you.
Keelan McClymont
Let us not move with haste to commit $44 million to the PSU plan when we have no details about how the money would be used.
We have no studies that a new theater is actually needed, would be financially viable, or is in the best location at 4th and Lincoln.
Let us invest in the Keller Affordable Fix plan, investing just $15 million to improve this, our beloved largest theater, which will continue to advantage downtown businesses and support the ongoing revitalization of Portland's downtown.
Thank you.
Jamie Dunphy
Thank you very much.
Yeah, please.
My name is Ernie Munch.
I'm an architect, urban planner, hoping to retire.
Um, moving this venue to the edge of the core next to I-405 would be a step back from the plate and from our needed efforts to revitalize downtown.
You need concentration of activity and investment.
It's a step back from the private investments of like the Forecourt Fountain, the public investment, the parking structures, the hotels, the restaurants that would have to be recreated I think it should be located at the PSU venue.
If PSU needs these facilities that they've talked about, and I don't doubt that they do, they should build it on their site.
But the Keller Auditorium is, you've heard, structurally sound, more sound than we thought it was, and it can be remodeled in stages to prevent closing and the unemployment that the actors feel.
Keelan McClymont
Thank you.
Jamie Dunphy
And it would cost approximately $165 million less.
And that is not including all the things that have to be recreated at the PSU site.
The environment— what we're walking away from environmentally is a whole bunch of existing building which would have to be torn down perhaps or recreated.
It's much better, much more sound to—.
Keelan McClymont
Councilmember Herbold.
Jamie Dunphy
It's cheaper to remodel and reuse what you have than it is to recreate and tear it down.
You know that the city cannot afford to have 2 of these venues, so splitting it apart might be good.
And we have a proposal that's been priced out by Hedeberry Eddy— you've heard from them— which will make it suitable for a 3,000-seat thank you very much.
Keelan McClymont
Anthony.
Jamie Dunphy
Good evening, Council President Dunphy, Vice President Clark, and members of the City Council.
My name is Anthony Samperio, and I am a political organizer with the Oregon Laborers District Council, representing over 4,000 union members, including over 2,800 with Local 737, who are primarily construction craft laborers.
In addition, our state-registered apprenticeship program has over 175 apprentices I'm asking that you support the agenda item before you this, this evening.
I'm also a delegate of the Columbia Pacific Building Trades Council and a board member of the Metro Alliance for Workforce Equity.
Portland State University's commitment to labor standards allows for several different standards that add value to public contracting, such as state-registered apprenticeship and utilization goals.
Councilmember Sameer Kanal.
Local hire requirements, and advancing minority, women, veteran emerging business enterprises.
Projects with apprenticeship utilization requirements, which can include demographic goals by race and gender, provide historically underrepresented populations in our industry with jobs that build their careers, earn family-sustaining wages, contribute to their employer-sponsored pensions, and secure their full family health care.
Please support this proposal with strong labor standards during both building and, uh, throughout operations for the lifetime of the venue.
Thank you for your time.
Thank you.
Keelan McClymont
Russell.
Jamie Dunphy
Thank you, Council President Dunphy, Vice President Clark, and members of the council and city administrator.
Thank you for your time today.
Um, for the record, my name is Russell Benton.
I'm a regional representative for the Sheet Metal Workers of SMART Local 16.
We are proud to give our public support for the proposal 4-acre development of the Portland State University, PSU, new performing arts venue and hotel development.
We are happy to announce that the PSU and Columbia Pacific Building Trades Council reached an agreement to ensure that PSU-owned portions of this project will have excellent labor standards ensuring our community will reach maximum return on their investment for this project.
The fact that the, the project workforce development agreement with PSU, which they proactively negotiated with the Columbia Pacific Building Trades Council, is indicative of an equity-centered commitment to collaboratively building economic justice in downtown Portland.
This project is unlike any other in the city of Portland has considered in recent years.
It has the potential to increase foot traffic downtown and put cranes in the air for decades to come, all while advancing the commitment to the workforce development, business development, and labor engagement through compliance pathways approach, ensuring supporting for high-roads responsible contractors, skilled trained workforce, utilization and project labor agreements.
Many studies have shown that PLAs expand local hire opportunities and to the workforce, just, and also to the disadvantaged folks that live in those areas.
So please support these, please support the working families of Portland and beyond.
Thank you so much.
Keelan McClymont
Our last testifier today is Dana West.
Jamie Dunphy
Dana, you don't have to run, but take your— I can see you.
Okay, we'll wait for a second.
Keelan McClymont
Mr. Q.
Jamie Dunphy
Fire pole.
Keelan McClymont
A fire pole.
You could have her, you know, propel in with a rigging rope.
Jamie Dunphy
I mean, you guys do rigging.
Yeah.
Keelan McClymont
All right.
Jamie Dunphy
Corny dad joke?
No?
Uh, where does King Arthur keep his armies?
In his sleevies.
His armies in his sleevies.
9 votes to remove a president, just y'all.
I'll vote yes.
I mean, honestly, let it go.
Welcome.
Keelan McClymont
Thank you.
Uh, good evening, council members.
For the record, my name is Dana West.
I'm an executive board officer with IATSE Local 28.
I've been working as a stagehand in Portland For over 20 years, and I have been attending events at Portland Five venues for my entire life.
I'm here speaking in favor of the new PSU Performing Arts Center, followed by a renovation of the Keller into a modern 1,800-seat venue.
This guarantees continuity for our largest events, such as touring Broadway shows, and protects good-paying union jobs while also creating a valuable intermediate venue for other productions and protects our artistic legacy while opening up new artistic, economic, and educational opportunities for the future.
I believe that our path forward can best be summed up with these words from Stephen Sondheim's Sunday in the Park with George.
Jamie Dunphy
Thank you.
Keelan McClymont
Bit by bit, putting it together, only way to make a work of art.
Every moment makes contribution, every little detail plays a part.
Having just the visions, no solution.
Everything depends on execution.
Putting it together, that's what counts.
Thank you all for your time.
Jamie Dunphy
Thank you very much.
Keelan McClymont
That completes testimony.
Jamie Dunphy
Okay, colleagues, I'm always happy to keep staff late in order to hear public testimony, but I'm not willing to keep staff later to hear us argue.
So with that, we are going to carry these 2 items over to a future council meeting, and we are adjourned.