Tomorrow, the Patricia Reser Center for the Arts opens to the public, marking the culmination of a decades-long effort to bring a world-class performing arts venue to Beaverton. Here’s what you need to know.
📍 Yes, it is in the suburbs, but it’s located less than 300 feet from the Beaverton Central MAX Station, making it accessible to the entire Portland area via the Red + Blue lines. There’s also a 270-space parking garage attached to the building.
👏 The Reser’s Mainstage Theater has seating for 550 (350 at ground level and 200 in the balcony), with state-of-the-art equipment for concerts, theatrical productions, and more. It’s the first facility of its kind to be built in the region in 30+ years.
🎨 A free, on-site art gallery will feature rotating exhibits from PNW artists. The first, “Celilo – Never Silenced,” tells a visual story through the paintings of Indigenous artists about the sacred tribal fishery on the Columbia River, which was flooded with the completion of The Dalles Dam.
🗣️ Education + outreach are a priority for The Reser; workshop + meeting spaces, as well as the outdoor plaza, will be available for the community to host a variety of events, from masterclasses to dance recitals.
💰 $55 million: The project received both private + public funding. The center’s namesake and local philanthropist, Pat Reser , contributed $13 million, while additional dollars came from the city’s hotel tax, as well as $12 million from 960 donors across 18 states.
🏗️ Design + construction were done by Skanska USA Building Inc.
, Gerding Edlen
, and Opsis Architecture
. Ground broke in Nov. 2019, and work was only slightly delayed during the pandemic. Expansive windows and wood elements are meant to evoke stepping into a beaver dam, blurring the lines between urban and natural environments. Pro tip: Look for Mount Hood from the lobby’s upper walkway.