Alarmist rhetoric undermines credibility of case for replacing the Keller

At a recent city council hearing discussing whether the city should fund and build a new Broadway theater on the PSU campus, City Council President Jamie Dunphy declared  Portland’s Keller Auditorium a “seismic deathtrap.” Where Dunphy got this information to make such a frightening statement is unknown. No matter, it's an irresponsible accusation being used as a reason to replace the Keller as Portland's Broadway theater.  

If the Keller is truly a “deathtrap” as some claim, why did city officials recently approve a new seven-year agreement with Broadway Across America to present shows there? Why does the city continue welcoming roughly 400,000 people each year into the theater instead of immediately closing it down? 

The answer is cynical and clear: advocates of building a new Broadway theater at PSU are exaggerating Keller siesmic concerns to scare city councilors into supporting the proposal. When considering the safety of The Keller Auditorium, Portlanders deserve better than alarmist rhetoric and misleading soundbites. 

The engineering findings City Hall ignored

In 2020, the city released a seismic analysis by Miller Consulting Engineers warning that the Keller required significant structural improvements to withstand a major earthquake. That narrative is still making its rounds in the media. 

But that wasn't the only engineering assessment the city had at its disposal.

In 2019, the Halprin Landscape Conservancy commissioned an independent peer review by Grummel Engineering. However, the city would only consent to an independent peer review, on one condition: Halprin had to sign a non-disclosure agreement keeping the results confidential for five years.

What Grummel uncovered challenged the city's alarming narrative.

The Keller wasn't simply an aging brick building. It had undergone an extensive structural overhaul in the 1960s, including major seismic improvements.  When the renovation was completed, the Oregonian reported that only 17% of the original structure remained.

Grummel engineer Jesse Wolfe ultimately described the Keller as “a highly resilient structure with few deficiencies.”

The city received those findings in 2019. Yet despite repeated reminders from Halprin Landscape Conservancy, officials continued citing Miller’s more alarming conclusions without publicly acknowledging or addressing the conflicting engineering assessments. Seven years later, the peer review still has not been made public.

New evidence. Same old narrative.

In 2023, Grummel conducted additional structural work as part of a city- and Metro-supported Keller renovation study. This time, engineers tested the auditorium’s original brick walls and reinforced concrete structure and investigated the ground beneath the building. 

They found that the Keller is built primarily of concrete, which is more resistant to earthquake damage than brick, giving the auditorium an important structural advantage. They also confirmed that the building sits on solid, non-liquefiable soil, eliminating the need for hundreds of costly foundation piles recommended in the earlier approach. 

The findings supported a substantially less invasive seismic upgrade.

The full Hennebery Eddy Architects study, including Grummel's 96-page structural evaluation, was presented to City Council in 2024.

Yet the city's public narrative has remained largely unchanged.

It wasn't until September 2026 that Wolfe publicly challenged that narrative before the City Council. Even then, city officials continued relying on the older Miller assessment, while casting doubt on the credibility of Grummel's findings by suggesting its evaluation was neither a comprehensive structural analysis nor conducted by a licensed structural engineer.

Portland deserves facts, not fear.

No responsible engineer would claim the Keller is immune to earthquakes. Seismic risks are real, and necessary improvements should be made.

But there's an enormous difference between a building that needs targeted seismic upgrades and a “deathtrap” that must be replaced.

That distinction matters when City Hall is advancing a multi-theater proposal approaching $1 billion without a credible funding plan.

Portlanders deserve an independent, transparent reconciliation of the engineering evidence before committing hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars to building a new city-owned theater at PSU.

If the Keller is as dangerous as Council President Dunphy claims, City Hall should explain why it's keeping the doors open for years to come.

If it isn't, officials should stop using exaggerated safety fears to justify an expensive project Portland can’t afford.

Fix the Keller. Don't frighten Portlanders into replacing it.

Copyright (C) 2026 | Halprin Landscape Conservancy | All rights reserved.
You are receiving this email because of your interest in the Halprin Landscape Conservancy.

Our mailing address is:
Halprin Landscape Conservancy
PO Box 28367
Portland, OR 97228