Our Next Keller

08/14/2024

Renovating the Keller seems the obvious choice. Many civic leaders and other Portlanders support it; it reuses an existing historic building; & at an estimated $290M, it is far less costly than the estimated $450M needed to build a new center at PSU, although that would be larger.

As the Portland City Council gets closer to making its decision about the future of the Keller Auditorium, many questions remain — including what kind of decision the council needs

08/12/2024

While we favor the Keller renovation as the best option for the city, Portland should not make that decision at the cost of its arts organizations’ vitality. In taking up the resolution next week, City Council members should clearly identify non-negotiables that will guide their ultimate decision.
https://bit.ly/3WKDgGv

Portland City Council is asking the teams behind competing proposals for renovating or replacing Keller Auditorium to try to work out a compromise. While seeking additional ideas is fine, the Council must move forward with a decision this year and ensure that arts organizations are protected, the ed...

08/09/2024

See below for a statement on the upcoming City Council action regarding the future of The Keller Auditorium:

“We are eager to replace competition with collaboration to find a big win for everyone who loves attending shows and concerts in Portland, for those who work in our arts and culture economy, and for our downtown neighborhood. Over the next 45 days, we look forward to working with the city to explore and find a solution that is great for Portland. The Keller is a beloved part of Portland’s past and is ready to play an even bigger role in our future,” said Karen Whitman with the Halprin Landscape Conservancy.

08/06/2024

"For certain, The Keller needs a complete renovation, inside and out. But in Portland, we reimagine and restore. We don’t abandon and bulldoze buildings when renovation makes more economic and environmental sense. Soon, the city council will decide whether to renovate the Keller or build a new performing arts complex on the campus of Portland State University. We urge the city council to save the Keller."

Mike Lindberg and Gale Castillo write that saving the existing facility will cost far less while keeping a key hub downtown.

08/05/2024

Read our Op-Ed with Restore Oregon on exactly how renovating the Keller Auditorium will preserve resources, strengthen Portland's economy, and revitalize downtown. Our Next Keller

https://tinyurl.com/2s6264vs

08/05/2024

Revitalize and renovate The Keller! Share your thoughts with us here: https://speak4.app/lp/g801qsxs

08/02/2024

$1 BILLION isn’t necessary to give Portland a fully renovated performing arts center with better acoustics, seating, and other amenities as good as a brand new venue. The Keller can be renovated for $300 million including funds to support Keller users and workers, and stage productions either at The Keller or at alternate venues during 18-22 months of construction. Renovating The Keller costs less, puts sustainability talk into action and would more quickly give Portland a world-class performance venue open and accessible to all.

The construction firm leader said combining the interests of current Keller supporters with those who want a new facility could prevent Portland from losing valuable performance dates.

08/02/2024

Tell Portland City Council why you think they should choose to renovate The Keller! https://speak4.app/lp/g801qsxs

08/01/2024

Renovation of the Keller offers greater opportunities to reinforce decades of public investments. The Keller already has a world-renowned fountain & sequence of open spaces nearby, & it will be the strongest catalyst for vibrant private development.
https://bit.ly/4dhf9Xn

Letters to the Editor can be submitted to [email protected] with full name and place of residence.

07/31/2024

"...Here’s another vital factor that must be considered when the City Council makes its decision: What becomes of the fountain’s environs if the auditorium moves elsewhere? Could the auditorium block become a parking lot? Or a high-rise condo? Imagine how the public would feel if the fountain becomes a “forecourt” for a parking lot, or the private front yard for upscale condo owners?"

There's a fundamental reason why the city should choose to renovate Keller Auditorium rather than build a venue elsewhere - the "stunning" Keller Fountain that was designed to sit at the auditorium's entrance, writes Fred Leeson, past president of the Architectural Heritage Center. The city should i...

07/30/2024

We agree - renovating The Keller IS Portland's best option! Please share this post and take action here: https://bit.ly/4fikeQx

https://bit.ly/4dhf9Xn

Letters to the Editor can be submitted to [email protected] with full name and place of residence.

07/27/2024

Listen to what Joyce has to say and share your Keller story with us here: https://speak4.app/lp/g801qsxs/

07/26/2024

An outside analysis of a report intended to study the potential economic impacts
of temporarily closing the Keller Auditorium for renovations found it to be a “worst-case scenario” and “overstated.” Read the full analysis here: https://bit.ly/3WmvUsT

07/25/2024

We agree, Jamey. The Keller IS important to downtown and brings 400,000 people into downtown each year. Revitalizing The Keller would bring it into this century and make it an even better place for our performers, patrons, and visitors.

07/24/2024

"At this moment, when revitalizing downtown is a top priority for everyone from the Governor on down, it makes zero sense to abandon a city-owned building and the centerpiece of an entire downtown neighborhood."
https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5f724b5dfea23f4f75261ed4/t/6695b0809cd5174e4d6c0ec9/1721086081133/It%27s+City+Council+Decision+Time.pdf?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR1_kL7R_SGc43XR_EMhYyt2t9QPJQgIYoCRMVMdZ5XSTLfrj5Z4XxQOQoI_aem_xL-OnpDM9QyggPeZzSbYNg

07/23/2024

Some more photos from our Big Splash event last Friday. Thanks again to everyone who came out in support of and to be a part of the event! Making use of the street in front of The Keller and using the fountain as a performance space is one of the many ways we envision the future at The Keller.

07/23/2024

We agree, renovate The Keller! Share your story here: https://speak4.app/lp/g801qsxs/

07/22/2024

“In Portland, we reimagine and restore – we don’t bulldoze buildings and abandon neighborhoods when renovating makes more economic, environmental and community sense.”

07/21/2024

Abandoning The Keller Auditorium for a more expensive theater complex at PSU or Lloyd Center would leave an unusable building and empty downtown block for the foreseeable future. It creates an expensive problem for the city instead of solving one.

https://www.wweek.com/outdoors/2024/07/17/keller-fountain-flows-again-after-more-than-a-year-of-repairs/

07/20/2024

Another great regional asset becoming a reality through public and private leadership. Backers of The Keller renovation have pledged to raise $50-$100 million to help offset the cost of a fully renovated auditorium. Let’s save The Keller from the wrecking ball and make it as good as a new venue at PSU for half the price.

The groundbreaking is set for August 8 and the new ballpark should be ready in the summer of 2025.

07/19/2024

We had a blast at the Big Splash event today! Thank you to everyone who joined us and a big thank you to the Portland City Council for speaking, as well!

07/18/2024

Join us tomorrow for the Big Splash at The Keller Fountain! 11:30-1:30 PM. We'll have performances, food, and speakers and we hope to see you there!

You're invited to celebrate The Keller Fountain and make a splash - the fountain will be back on! Join us on Friday, July 19, from 11:30 am - 1:30 pm for some fun. We hope to see you there!

07/18/2024

A centerpiece of the $600+ million PSU theater complex proposal is a new hotel. Whether privately financed or publicly subsidized, the market for a new hotel doesn’t exist in Portland.

Borrowers defaulted on debt tied to the 205-room hotel at 750 S.W. Alder St., records obtained by the Business Journal disclose.

07/16/2024

More than 400,000 people a year attend events at The Keller each year. Abandoning it to build something new for twice the price of renovation, will leave an expensive dark hole in the heart of the city for the foreseeable future. The Keller is part of our past and part of Portland’s comeback.

From the Portland Rose Festival to the women's NCAA Basketball Tournament, here's how events are helping Portland rebound.

07/15/2024

Check out this Op-Ed from former City Commissioner, Mike Lindberg and three other leading Portlanders on why it’s time for the Mayor and City Council to vote to reimagine and renovate The Keller. Share if you agree!

07/12/2024

Ira Keller and fountain designer Angela Danadjieva, 1970 When the Portland City Council sits down to decide on the location of a new Civic A...

07/11/2024

"Renovating the 100-year-old Keller puts sustainability into action while the other locations require building new parking garages and other infrastructure."

Letters to the Editor can be submitted to [email protected] with full name and place of residence.

07/09/2024

You're invited to celebrate The Keller Fountain and make a splash - the fountain will be back on! Join us on Friday, July 19, from 11:30 am - 1:30 pm for some fun. We hope to see you there!

07/08/2024

At the City Council meeting in May, more than 160 pieces of written testimony were submitted, and more than 70 testified in person. Of that, 125 people and groups supported renovating The Keller. https://bit.ly/3XisU2C

Portland is choosing between a plan to renovate the Keller Auditorium and two separate proposals to replace it. Two of the three options have emerged as favorites.

07/08/2024

Portland community leaders endorse saving The Keller instead of building something new for twice the price. Read why here:

Letters to the Editor can be submitted to [email protected] with full name and place of residence.