🚰 Higher Portland water bills?

Struggling Music Venues

It’s tough times for music venues. Landmark Saloon, Lollipop Shoppe, and The Heights have all closed in the last year and a half. The Portland Mercury reports: “Only 37 percent of independent stages identified themselves as profitable in 2024,” according to a recent report.

• Related: City Council President Jamie Dunphy, who ran for office advocating for the local music industry, has some ideas including finding funding through a revamped Portland Arts Tax, and maybe hiring a night mayor (a catchy title for someone at City Hall focused on businesses that are open after 5 p.m.). [Portland Mercury]
• Related: Philadelphia's Raheem Manning, whose formal title is night time economy director, talked to the podcast about how Portland could benefit from having a night mayor. [City Cast Portland 🎧]

Defying the trend: There have also been notable openings of late — The Off Beat, Mono Space, and High Limit Room — and Bunk Bar has returned to having live shows. It’s not all bad news out there. [Portland Mercury]

• In case you missed it: The Downbeat, another recent venue to open, has an interesting story. Among the owners is Cyrus Coleman, whose father, Tony Coleman, is a drummer and toured with B.B. King for decades. [City Cast Portland 🎧]

More expensive water bills: Portland’s project to build a water filtration plant has risen to $2.6 billion — after costs rose another $450 million. In 2022, the project costs also increased — by $300 million. At the time, elected officials offered apparently empty pledges to rein in spending. Ultimately, that likely means higher water bills (again). [Oregonian]

The plan to close schools: Why is Portland Public Schools considering closing as many as 10 schools? One answer: “We literally have 6,000 students less than we did in 2018,” School Board Chair Eddie Wang says. “That’s three high schools’ worth. That’s, like, 30 elementary schools’ worth.” [Willamette Week]

• Which schools? The district will consider buildings with deferred maintenance as well as low enrollment. The smallest elementary schools include Rosa Parks (160 students), Whitman (194), and Creston (213). [Willamette Week]
• Related: PPS has finalized a plan to furlough teachers, leaving students with three fewer days of school this spring. [Oregonian]

Visit from Trump’s homelessness leader: Local officials said that they found more common ground than expected with Robert Marbut, a senior policy advisor to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. [Oregonian]

• Shelter push: Marbut, who visited last week, supports less money for housing and more for shelters, which Portland has been expanding. But Marbut also wants work and sobriety requirements for shelter, not something Portland leaders are supporting. [Oregonian]
• The high stakes: Multnomah County estimates that more than 1,000 people would lose their homes if the county fails to qualify for federal funds next year. [Oregonian]