Keller Auditorium Replacement or Refurbishment | Proposed

[eric cantona]

Originally Posted by downtownpdx

I really hope the city goes with a Keller revamp. Abandoning this historic location across from the fountain would be a mistake and suck the life out of the neighborhood. A nice revamp of this mid century auditorium is a much better move IMHO.

The Keller opened in 1917 and was remodeled in the late sixties. It is definitely NOT an architectural masterpiece. It needs significant upgrades to remain viable for touring groups and artists to perform there. It also needs extensive seismic upgrades. To truly bring it up to current theatrical needs the City would have to abandon 2nd Ave to allow the theater to expand east.

While I agree that demolishing it would have an outsized affect on Forecourt Fountain and the Halprin Sequence, I don't believe that it is reasonable to do all the work to make it function in the modern era. I think the PSU project should move forward then, when completed, find another use for the Keller. Maybe a museum? The Historical Society used to operate out of the building.

[maccoinnich]

I would have expected to find myself in favor of a renovation, given that I'm quite fond of the existing building and love the fountain. And yet, the more I think about it, the more I prefer the PSU proposal.

The Keller Reimagined proposal is more-or-less a complete rebuild of the building, from the facade to the stage to the raked seating. Nothing that's visible today would remain.

If we were looking for a new site for a Broadway-capable theatre, and the Keller didn't already exist, that site would never be seriously considered. The Portland 200' x 200' block just isn't big enough. To deal with that, the Keller Reimagined proposal further narrows SW 2nd Ave and extends the building over SW 3rd—and still doesn't provide the same capacity and improvements to the back-of-house (especially loading) that the PSU proposal does. The sheer size of the PSU site allows for a venue that's purpose designed for the need, while also building a smaller theater run by PSU and a hotel, should a hotel developer bite.

I wish I had a good answer to the question of what happens to the existing site if the PSU proposal moves forward, but I don't think that should weigh so heavily on the decision making process.

[maccoinnich]

PSU taps Portland development firm for hotel, conference center development



A local development firm has officially signed on to develop a hotel and conference room as part of Portland State University's larger strategy to bring a Broadway-capable theater to downtown Portland.

The university announced Tuesday it has entered exclusive negotiations with Portland-based Colas Development Group. The firm is a partnership between the family-owned construction company Colas Construction and real estate investment and a development firm led by Ndamukong Suh's HMS Developments.

The negotiating agreement with Colas Development Group includes plans to develop a 150-key hotel and conference center at the south end of downtown Portland.

It will complement the planned multi-use Performing Arts + Culture Center development the university has been planning over the last few years. PSU will be the overall developer of the complex.

...continues at the Portland Business Journal.

[urbanlife]

Originally Posted by maccoinnich

...continues at the Portland Business Journal.

This looks like a great addition. Does this include the little one story waste of space building on the corner of the block?