PORTLAND, Oregon (KPTV) – The Portland City Council announces it is shifting plans for the iconic Keller Auditorium into high gear.

Instead of agreeing on a plan to renovate or replace the building, the City Council is asking the two groups with competing proposals – Portland State University and the Halprin Landscape Conservancy – to work together.

According to city officials, Halprin Landscape is pushing for the theater’s renovation, while PSU is hoping for a brand new performing arts complex at Portland State University.

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City leaders say they want both groups to work on a joint plan for the basement.

Both organizations told FOX 12 that they would like to work together on a solution that would benefit both groups and the city of Portland.

In a statement, the company said, among other things, that it looks forward to “working with the city and the Halprin Landscape Conservancy over the next 45 days on a solution that will bring life to the downtown area while supporting economic growth.”

The Halprin Group echoed that statement, saying in part, “We want to replace competition with collaboration to create a big win for everyone who enjoys attending shows and concerts in Portland.”

The biggest sticking point in renovating the iconic building in its current form was that such a renovation would close the auditorium and leave groups like the Portland Opera and Broadway Across America without a venue to perform in Portland.

The city council is expected to decide in the fall which proposal it supports.

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