Portland State University's Performing Arts and Cultural Center was presented to the Joint Capital Construction Committee of Ways and Means on May 2 as a mixed‑use arts complex intended to serve the university, the city and regional audiences. PSU and its supporters characterized the project as both academic space for the university and a downtown economic development anchor.

Ben Cannon of the Higher Education Coordinating Commission told the committee the commission did not rank the PSU project because it differs in kind from the higher‑education projects the HEC rubric is designed to evaluate. "The reason the HACC did not review that project for our ranking was because it is different in kind to these other higher education focused projects," Cannon said, adding that comparison under the HEC higher‑education rubric would be "apples and oranges."

Portland State's College of the Arts described the proposal as a multi‑partner complex. "The center will include a city‑owned large performance venue, a PSU‑owned community theater and academic spaces, options for a resident arts organization, and a privately funded hotel and conference center," Leroy Bynum, dean of PSU's College of the Arts, told the committee. Bynum said the academic portion would be supported by $85,000,000 in Article 11‑G bonds and $30,000,000 in philanthropy, and that the project would be structured as a commercial condominium with shared maintenance funding among partners.

Why it matters: Committee members and HEC staff emphasized that HEC's rubric prioritizes projects that primarily serve higher‑education functions; projects whose primary purpose is regional economic development or civic infrastructure may be evaluated outside that rubric. The committee heard that the PSU plan aims to serve academic programs and broader civic goals, and proponents highlighted projected job and economic impacts.

What was said and not decided: Committee members asked whether the project qualifies for particular bond categories; a staffer present indicated he believed it did, but the HEC emphasized the difference in rubric focus. The committee did not vote on the project during the May 2 hearing; final eligibility and funding decisions remain with the legislature during budget deliberations.

Ending note: PSU and its allies described the center as a "once in a generation" opportunity for downtown revitalization and increased arts capacity, while HEC staff urged the committee to consider the project's civic role separate from the commission's higher‑education prioritization process.