Proposed Central Eastside venue receives go-ahead from Portland hearings officer

PORTLAND, Ore. ( KOIN ) — Just as the city has advanced a proposal for a new music venue in the Lloyd Center, officials have permitted the development of another event space helmed by major entertainment company Live Nation.

On Thursday, Portland hearings officer William Guzman approved the conditional use review for a concert venue on Southeast Water Avenue between Salmon Street and Main Street.

Permitting and Development staff initially recommended the approval in a report filed in late June. Their report was followed by a public hearing two weeks later, which called for residents to give feedback on the proposed site.

City documents indicate that several people objected to the proposal because of its connection to Live Nation, a national brand that owns venues in nearly every major city except for Portland.

“This does not go with what Portland is,” one respondent said, in reference to Live Nation. “Portland is a grassroots community. Allowing businesses like this to come in and syphon creativity from local artists will be another dagger to the city.”

Another individual expressed concerns over the company potentially “squeezing out” local concert promoters and venue owners in the area.

Although the hearings officer mentioned these responses in his ruling, he asserted that concerns over the building’s tenant cannot be considered in his overall decision.

“The use being proposed is Major Event Entertainment, and this does not include the operator (public, private, large, or small),” Guzman wrote. “Notably, nearly all of the opposition to the future tenant also was supportive of a new music venue in Portland. The Hearings Officer rejects any opposition to the tenant’s alleged business practices as applicable to the approval criteria.”

The 62,000-square-foot, four-story space is expected to hold between 1,280 and 3,500 visitors.

Portland businesses Beam Development and Colas Construction will team up with Live Nation to build the venue.

“Creating a 3,500-capacity venue will fill a gap in Portland’s music market and support more artists and shows,” Beam’s Jonathan Malsin and Colas’ Andrew Colas said in a joint statement. “As second-generation local family businesses, Beam Development and Colas Development Group thank the many supporters of this project and look forward to the economic development and jobs this project will bring to the Central Eastside.”

Additionally, Pacific-Northwest-based concert promoters Monqui Presents have collaborated with global company AEG Presents to propose a performance space on Northeast 9th Avenue and Multnomah Street.

The 68,000-square-foot development would hold between 2,000 and 4,250 concertgoers.

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