Plus: Summer foot traffic levels.
 
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68º | 20% chance of precipitation
Sunrise 7:26 a.m. | Sunset 6:25 p.m.
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2 Broadway-ready venues downtown

Portland City Council approves plan to renovate Keller Auditorium, build new PSU venue
Keller Auditorium in downtown Portland, a three-story building with large windows along its west-facing side.
Keller Auditorium also hosts the Portland Opera and the Oregon Ballet Theatre. | Photo by Gary Halvorson, Oregon State Archives
For months, Broadway’s future in Portland has been uncertain. Should the current venue — Keller Auditorium — be renovated or replaced?

The Portland City Council has made its decision: both.

Setting the stage

At 107 years old, the city-owned Keller Auditorium is not prepared to endure a serious earthquake and needs upgrades to meet modern seismic safety standards, but closing the venue presents obvious logistical challenges.

As the only performing arts center in Portland equipped to host traveling Broadway shows, an extended closure would mean a pause in programming — disrupting union jobs and costing millions of dollars in lost revenue.

Portland State University proposed an alternative to prevent that outcome: build a new, larger performing arts complex on its campus just blocks away from the Keller. Meanwhile, the Halprin Landscape Conservancy, a nonprofit collection of local developers, championed a proposal to renovate the existing Keller Auditorium.

In August, the City Council asked PSU and the Halprin Landscape Conservancy to explore the idea of a joint project and essentially figure out a solution that makes everyone happy.

An architectural rendering shows a three-story arts venue.

A rendering shows what the future venue at Portland State University could look like.

|

Rendering courtesy of Portland State University

The show must go on

A resolution to move forward with plans for two Broadway-capable venues in downtown Portland was unanimously passed by the City Council last week. A new arts center will be built first at the south end of PSU’s campus on Southwest Lincoln Street — a project estimated to take about five years — while shows continue at the Keller. When the new PSU venue opens in 2029, the Keller will close for renovations and reopen in 2031. It will remain city-owned.

Early estimates put the total cost of the joint venture, which includes the possible addition of a hotel and conference center, at ~$857 million. Potential funding sources include philanthropic giving along with local, state, and federal dollars.

The next step is a market feasibility study to assess optimal seating capacities, financial feasibility + construction times, and traffic impacts.
Asked
 

How often do you attend a show at Keller Auditorium?
A. Never
B. 1-2 times a year
C. Several times a year
D. I never miss a show
 
 
Events
Monday, Oct. 14
  • Iron Maiden - “The Future Past Tour” | Monday, Oct. 14 | 7:30 p.m. | Moda Center | $76+ | The nights are getting longer but there’s no reason to fear the dark when this English heavy metal band is around.
Tuesday, Oct. 15
  • Grand Kyiv Ballet: “Don Quixote” | Tuesday, Oct. 15 | 7 p.m. | Newmark Theatre | $29+ | Prepare to swoon over this enchanting, uplifting love story in which our heroes are aided by the classic tale’s namesake character.
  • Malcolm Gladwell in Conversation | Tuesday, Oct. 15 | 7:30 p.m. | Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall | $25+ | Hear from the New York Times bestselling author and “Revisionist History” podcast host as he talks about his new book, “Revenge of the Tipping Point.”
Wednesday, Oct. 16
  • Queer & Trans Community Forest Bathing | Wednesday, Oct. 16 | 9-11 a.m. | Hoyt Arboretum | $25+ | Members of the LGBTQ+ community are invited to experience a guided walk through the trees to enjoy the stress-relieving benefits of “forest therapy.”
  • Portland Trail Blazers vs Ratiopharm Ulm | Wednesday, Oct. 16 | 7 p.m. | Moda Center | $5+ | Be there for the first preseason home game and see the new young core in action as they take on a team from Germany.
Events calendar here
Click here to have your event featured.
Bella Organic Farm
 
News Notes
Stat
  • Foot traffic in downtown Portland reached a post-pandemic high this summer. The nonprofit Downtown Portland Clean & Safe said ~2.4 million people visited the area each month from June through August, representing a 2% overall increase — and a 6% uptick during weekends — compared to 2023.
Biz
  • Prosper Portland, the city’s economic development agency, awarded a $750,000 grant to Hacienda Community Development Corporation to restore the Portland Mercado. The commercial kitchen, marketplace, and food cart pod designed to incubate new food + beverage businesses closed in January after a fire damaged the main dining area. (Portland Business Journal)
Festival
  • Bauman’s Cider Company is getting ready to pour out its annual Cider Festival. The two-day event takes place Saturday, Oct. 26 + Sunday, Oct. 27 at Bauman’s Farm in Gervais, featuring tours of the farm’s new cider press, games, rides, mazes, and tastings from 10+ regional cideries.
Traffic
  • The Portland Bureau of Transportation will restrict work requiring street, sidewalk, or parking lane closures in specific areas from Thursday, Nov. 21 through Friday, Jan. 3. The Holiday Moratorium policy is intended to support local businesses and travelers by reducing congestion, freeing up parking, and fostering a welcoming environment.
Eat
  • Have you ever wondered why Portland has no Michelin Star restaurants? Despite a deluge of industry accolades showered upon countless local restaurants, the answer, it seems, has to do with the coordination + funding required to get the ball rolling. But when the stars align, the undertaking can attract global attention. (Portland Business Journal)
Sports
  • The Trail Blazers were the last team in the NBA to play their first preseason game when they took on the Clippers. What does Rip City’s fanbase have to look forward to next? Locked On Blazers discusses what’s in store during the exhibition season.
Stat
  • 22%. That’s how much car insurance prices are expected to increase by the end of the year. The average premium is expected to reach $2,469. Are you prepared? View Money’s “Best Car Insurance” list to shop around + see if you could save.*
Wellness
  • Meet Calmind, a groundbreaking mental wellness app that transforms your phone into a tool for better sleep. For a limited time, get a lifetime subscription at 83% off.*
 
Today Is

Indigenous Peoples’ Day

How to celebrate Indigenous Peoples’ Day in Portland
Steep cliffs and forested hills rise up along both sides of the Columbia River as the sun hangs low in the sky.
The Portland Parks Foundation acknowledges that the Columbia River was settled by Multnomah, Wasco, Cowlitz, and other nations. | Photo by @jesse.brackenbury
The Oregon Legislature voted in 2021 to recognize the second Monday in October as Indigenous Peoples’ Day — a day all about honoring the cultures and histories of Native communities. The Metro Council estimates that the Portland area’s urban Native population is the ninth largest in the US, totaling 58,135 people (or 2.8%) in 2017.

Because the holiday is still federally recognized as Columbus Day, expect closures at federal offices, post offices, and some banks.

Celebrate

Portland Indigenous Marketplace hosts events supporting businesses of color and Indigenous origin. This year, the organization partnered with Future Generations Collaborative to bring together many of those businesses for the Indigenous Peoples Day Celebration on Monday, Oct. 14, at Barbie’s Village. Attendees can expect foods like frybread, 14+ vendors to shop from, a children’s powwow performance, and a free dinner.

Follow Portland Indigenous Marketplace on social media to see what they’ve got going on throughout the year.
The Buy
 
The cutest oversized plaid chunky scarf, available in any + every color pattern to complement your fall and winter wardrobe.
 
 
The Wrap
 
Cambrie Juarez headshot

Today’s edition by:
Cambrie
From the editor
Fellow animal lovers will know that being featured on The Dodo’s social media feeds is a big deal. I was buzzing with excitement when I saw Portland’s own PDX Dinorama in the spotlight for its new sidewalk exchange dedicated to pollinators — The Bee Spot — and the sweet story of Harriet the bumblebee.
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