Renovations at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall would reduce the capacity of the hall, but increase comfort and acoustics to the downtown Portland theatre, according to a proposal highlighted last week.
Robyn Williams, the director of the Metro-managed Portland Center for the Performing Arts, told the Metro Council and the Metro Exposition and Recreation Commission that the renovations are needed in the historic venue.
"People can't stand in a line for 20 minutes to use a restroom," she said at a joint council-commission worksession on Tuesday.
The renovations would include reducing the capacity of the concert hall from 2,700 to 2,400, adding more accessible seating, doubling the concert hall's restroom capacity and improving the venue's acoustics.
Another project, developed in tandem with the renovations inside the theater, would involve closing Main Street to vehicles between the concert hall and Antoinette Hatfield Hall and constructing a glass-encased exhibition space between the facilities.
Karl Schulz, a consultant who worked on the renovation and expansion, said the glass-encased project was important to create a visual connection between the South Park Blocks and Broadway.
"It would help activate this area and create an iconic imagery from Broadway," he said. "This design… would create a lantern effect that people would be drawn to from the park."
When MERC commissioner Judie Hammerstad compared the concert hall renovations to the Main Street project, calling the former a needs project and the latter as "probably being a wants project," Williams said an expansion onto Main Street is more nuanced.
"Main Street solves some of the needs of the Schnitz by allowing expansion of lobbies into the space, plus a lot of restrooms," Williams said. "There's some feeling on the funders side that it is a bright, sparkly thing that people love to donate to, as opposed to a fix-it."
Pedestrian access along Main Street from Broadway to the Park Blocks would be maintained during most hours, although overnight closures were a concern for Metro Councilor Barbara Roberts.
"There ought to be some way to do the pedestrian walkthrough so that it's always there, regardless of time of day or night," she said. "If you want to flare up a concern the community can have a fit about, this might be the fit."
The projects are estimated to cost about $20 million each, with a bare-bones renovation of the concert hall starting at about $14 million. Williams said the performing arts center has had some discussions with the Schnitzer family about donations, but was about a year off from a capital campaign for the project.
Williams said funding for the project is envisioned as a public-private partnership, but specific revenue streams haven't been identified yet. According to the presentation, the federal New Market Tax Credit program is one possible source of funding for the project.