Portland leaders urge support for $10 million festival stabilization and Waterfront Park study in House Bill 2,291

Mayor Keith Wilson, Portland City Councilor Dan Ryan, business leaders and festival organizers told the House Committee on Economic Development, Small Business and Trade on March 31 that House Bill 2,291 would help stabilize major Portland festivals and launch a collaborative study of Tom McCall Waterfront Park.

The bill, as summarized for the committee, would direct the Oregon Business Development Department (OBDD) to conduct a study on economic development and, in the dash-1 form read at the hearing, appropriate $10,000,000 to Travel Portland "to establish a revolving grant program for festivals or cultural events in the city of Portland" and "establish the task force on Tom McCall Waterfront Park." The summary also stated the measure takes effect on the 91st day following adjournment.

Why it matters: Testifiers said Portland's large-scale festivals are cultural and economic engines for the state whose operating models remain fragile following the pandemic. Proponents said a combination of short-term stabilization grants and a longer-term operating and infrastructure plan would protect events that drive downtown foot traffic, hotel stays and small-business revenue.

Who testified and the main points

Mayor Keith Wilson, Mayor of Portland - "The festivals need help now," Wilson told the committee, saying the city is "still recovering from the pandemic" and that festivals "bring together people from all backgrounds to celebrate music, art, food, and culture." He asked the committee to support the bill to sustain "key iconic festivals" and to avoid returning to the Legislature in two years seeking more help.

Councilor Dan Ryan, Portland City Councilor and co-chair of the Portland Arts and Economic Committee - Ryan described partnerships the city has used to activate downtown parks (including Director's Park) and told the committee that private-public cooperation can make festival investments "shovel ready." "This is a no brainer," he said, urging the committee to move the bill.

Andrew Hone, President and CEO, Portland Metro Chamber - Hone said forthcoming amendments would change the pass-through entity from Travel Portland to the Charitable Institute in some drafts and place the Tom McCall study at Portland State University's Institute for Metropolitan Studies (as a forthcoming technical amendment). He described the festivals as "gateway" economic drivers for the state and urged the committee to support the bill.

Representatives of festivals and arts groups - Megan Conway, President and CEO of Travel Portland, said cellphone data showed "nearly 80,000 visitors were downtown over the 4 days of the 2024 Waterfront Blues Festival," and that large-scale events drive visitors and hotel stays. - Christina Fuller, festival director and owner of the Waterfront Blues Festival, described her event as family-owned and said organizers shoulder "the full financial risk" for staging Portland's largest summer events. She said the festivals have been "brought to the brink" by the pandemic, rising costs and missing infrastructure. - Alicia Sullivan, executive director of the Willamette Light Brigade (Portland Winter Light Festival), said the Winter Light Festival drew broad participation and that similar events in other cities are often government-funded initiatives; she asked for state support to stabilize the festival. - Willie Levinson, representing Human Access Project, testified as an environmentalist and urged activation of the riverfront as both cultural and recreational public benefit, noting prior investments that improved the Willamette River's water quality. - Marilyn Clint, CEO of the Portland Rose Festival Foundation, described the Rose Festival's long history and cited post-COVID operating deficits approaching $3,000,000 as a challenge facing legacy events.

Questions and concerns from committee members - Several committee members raised fiscal-equity questions, asking why Portland should receive a $10,000,000 appropriation when rural communities have infrastructure needs and when Portland already benefits from transient lodging and other local revenues. Representative Rob Osborne asked whether the transient lodging tax revenues could cover the needs the bill addresses and requested specifics on administration costs. - Witnesses responded that Travel Portland, the private sector and the city have already invested in events and that the proposed state funds are intended to be leanly administered (proponents described the program as "extremely lean") and to be structured as a revolving fund to replenish itself over time through revenue-sharing mechanisms. - Committee members also asked about public safety and homelessness. Mayor Wilson said his top priorities include addressing unsheltered homelessness and expanding shelter capacity; he said the city would announce additional public-safety and homelessness actions in the coming 90 days and that activation and partnerships can support public safety.

Committee process and next steps - The committee closed the public hearing on HB 2,291 at the end of the session and did not take a committee vote on the measure during this meeting. Testimony reflected broad support from Portland elected officials and festival operators, accompanied by questions about accountability, administration, and statewide equity.

What the bill would do (as read in the committee summary) - Direct OBDD to conduct a study on economic development and establish a task force on Tom McCall Waterfront Park. - Appropriates $10,000,000 to Travel Portland (as read in the summary) to establish a revolving grant program for festivals and cultural events in the city of Portland. (Witnesses said forthcoming amendments could change the pass-through entity or technical details.)

Quotes - "The festivals need help now," — Keith Wilson, Mayor of Portland. - "This is a no brainer," — Dan Ryan, Portland City Councilor. - "The Waterfront Blues Festival is family owned and independently produced... we take on the full financial risk to make sure that Portland has a July 4 music festival," — Christina Fuller, Waterfront Blues Festival.

Limitations and clarifications - The committee summary read into the record described the $10,000,000 appropriation to Travel Portland; witnesses said amendments were still forthcoming that would refine administration, pass-through entities and the role of Portland State University in the Tom McCall Waterfront Park study. The committee did not vote on HB 2,291 at this meeting; the hearing was for testimony only.

Ending - The committee closed the public hearing and will consider the measure in future work sessions; HB 2,291 will next be scheduled for committee action or referral consistent with the committee's calendar and any forthcoming amendments.