Portland faces a defining theater decision
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
The seismically vulnerable Keller Auditorium has been at the center of a yearslong debate over whether to renovate it or replace it. Photo: Meira Gebel/Axios
Portland leaders are preparing to take up one of the city's biggest cultural and development decisions in years: whether to build a performing arts venue at Portland State University or reimagine the aging Keller Auditorium.
The big picture: The debate comes as several prominent performing arts organizations are fighting for survival because of smaller audiences after the pandemic and rising maintenance costs.
- Attendance across the five publicly owned Portland'5 venues was down 17% from a 2018 peak of nearly 1 million, according to the Oregonian.
Meanwhile, Portland Center Stage launched an emergency $9 million campaign last year to avoid shutting down and has since continued fundraising to stabilize its finances.
Driving the news: The city council's city life committee plans to discuss recommendations from two advisory groups and an economic analysis of competing options for Keller and PSU on Tuesday, spokesperson Shuly Wasserstrom told Axios.
Despite broader struggles across Portland's arts sector, the nearly 3,000-seat Keller remains a major draw — especially for touring Broadway shows — and helps subsidize other Portland'5 venues, according to an economic impact study commissioned by the city.
- The auditorium hosted 178 performances (more than 50% were Broadway related) and nearly 400,000 attendees last year.
- Its Broadway shows averaged 94% capacity and generated more than $24 million in ticket sales.
The advisory groups both recommended the city build a 3,200-seat Broadway-capable theater at PSU while keeping the Keller open during construction.
- They also urged the city to immediately begin planning a new future for the Keller or its site — potentially as a smaller theater or another public cultural space.
- This approach would avoid an estimated three to five years without touring Broadway productions while the Keller undergoes a major renovation, the groups said.
By the numbers: A venue at PSU would attract 8% more attendees, produce 12% more operating revenue and generate 16% more spending activity than a renovated Keller, per the city-commissioned projections.
- The analysis doesn't compare design or construction costs, and it acknowledges the PSU option would likely cost more than renovating the existing Keller.
The other side: Supporters of the Keller have previously argued renovating the existing auditorium would be cheaper, greener and better for downtown businesses that depend on its crowds.
What we're watching: Whether councilors advance the PSU proposal, pursue a Keller renovation, or move forward with some version of both.
🗣️ Sound off: Tell us your thoughts in the poll below.