Portlanders 'overwhelmingly' support Keller Auditorium renovations, poll finds

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – As the City of Portland considers proposals to renovate the Keller Auditorium or build a new performing arts facility, a new poll found a majority of Portlanders want to preserve the 107-year-old piece of Portland history.

The poll, released Friday by Our Next Keller -- a group in support of renovations -- found 66% of voters support renovating the Keller compared to 10% of respondents who want the City of Portland to build a new auditorium in a different location. That support jumped to 70% when comparing renovations to building a new performing arts center complex at Portland State University.

The polling by DHM Research comes as Portland City Council will hear presentations on the Keller's future on May 29 as the auditorium faces seismic concerns.

“The Keller is beloved, well-used, and very popular among Portlanders. 66% of voters support renovating it, while just 10% support building something new at a different location,” said Karen Whitman, a 21st Century Keller group spokesperson. “When compared to building a new performing arts complex, parking garages, and hotel at PSU, support for saving The Keller jumps to 70%.”

DHM Research Senior Vice President John Horvick added, "I think that there are a few key takeaways. One is that people really like the Keller. Another is that they think that the Keller Auditorium was important and valuable to the city. And the third, is that because I think they think it's important to the city, and because they value it, they prioritize maintaining what we have, preserving what we have, improving what we have, first, before wanting to build something new."

Additionally, the poll found that 43% of registered voters in Portland attended an event at the Keller in the last two years, with 80% of those respondents having a positive impression of the auditorium. Another 89% said it makes more sense to preserve and improve the building instead of building something new at Portland State University.

Horvick said the research firm doesn't typically get an opportunity to ask Portlanders questions about renovating or replacing buildings and emphasized that the respondents represent a breadth of Portlanders varying in age, political views, and where they live in the city.

"I think that decision-makers are going to find this sort of information very valuable, because they otherwise don't have access to it. So, I think that this is intended to help inform decision-makers about the communities, where their values are, it's also intended to help inform the community because they're going to be beginning to have this conversation amongst themselves and they might not be certain about what other people are thinking about the issue," Horvick said.

In a press release from Our Next Keller, Diana Stuart -- with the Downtown Neighborhood Association -- furthered, “In Portland, we believe in sustainability. We renovate and improve buildings; we don’t throw them away. A new Keller is a win for downtown when we need it. The Keller has existing parking, restaurants, and hotels. Abandoning The Keller would leave a hole downtown and create more problems than it solves."