Services Doc2378222377 Venue Operator for Portland’5 Centers for the Arts

The City of Portland is requesting proposals for a single performing arts venue operator to manage and operate Portland'5 Centers for the Arts—five downtown Portland venues (Keller Auditorium, Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, Newmark Theatre, Dolores Winningstad Theatre, and Brunish Theatre)—effective July 1, 2027, with proposals due October 14, 2026 at 3:00 p.m. Pacific Time. Metro currently operates the venues and will cease management on June 30, 2027.

Proposers must demonstrate substantial experience simultaneously managing comparable performing arts venues, proven ability to collaborate with municipal and governmental entities, positive working relationships with labor organizations, and provide three client references from similar projects completed within the past five years.

The scope encompasses full venue management and operations including staffing, programming, booking, ticketing, financial management, and capital planning across all five properties. The operator assumes employment of all 58 full-time and 440 part-time staff represented by four unions across six locals and must make employment offers at existing terms and conditions. Portland'5 currently operates under a rental model with an annual operating budget of approximately $25 million, generating revenue primarily from services (approximately 83%), City and governmental funding (approximately 13%), and miscellaneous sources (approximately 4%). The operator must maintain existing booking policies and rental rates in Year 1, honor existing calendar commitments and Portland'5 Presents obligations, and comply with the Broadway Across America agreement through the 2032-2033 season. A portion of ticketing facility fees ($1.00 per ticket at Antoinette Hatfield Hall venues and $2.00 per ticket at Keller Auditorium and Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall) will be directed to the City's capital reserve fund. The contract term is five years with an option to renegotiate and renew for an additional five years; management of Keller Auditorium is guaranteed through the first five-year term.

Financial proposals must include proposed management fee structure, potential revenue share to the City, capital contribution willingness, and five-year gross revenue and operating expense projections with supporting assumptions. The operator bears all transition planning and implementation costs prior to July 1, 2027.

Evaluation occurs in two phases: Phase 1 written scoring (100 points) based on qualifications and experience, management approach, financial terms and capabilities, transition plan, values alignment, and corporate responsibility; Phase 2 interviews (100 points) for shortlisted proposers, for a maximum total score of 200 points. A virtual pre-proposal meeting is scheduled for September 17, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time. Optional on-site venue tours are available September 22, 2026 from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Pacific Time (RSVP required by September 21 at 5:00 p.m.). Questions are due October 1, 2026. Proposals must be submitted through the City of Portland Online Procurement Center and are limited to 50 pages, with supporting documents excluded from the page count.