Officials hoping downtown Portland benefits from Schnitzer gift to PSU

Oregon’s governor, other state and local leaders, and a well-known Portland philanthropist are betting on the arts when it comes to reviving the City of Roses’ depressed downtown.

The Harold and Arlene Schnitzer CARE Foundation is pumping $10 million into arts education programs and facilities at Portland State University, whose 27,000-student campus is a major focal point of the city’s downtown. School leaders announced the gift Tuesday at a press conference at the school’s art museum, also named after the Portland philanthropist.

Portland State president Ann Cudd called the gift a sign of the Schnitzer family’s commitment to PSU and downtown Portland.

“This contribution will help us enhance our campus spaces in ways that will make a profound difference in the lives of students, faculty and in the life of this remarkable city,” said Cudd.

Half of the $10 million donation will help fund the construction of a new building for PSU’s art and design school, which includes a nationally ranked graphic design program. The free-to-the-public Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art at PSU will receive $4 million. Remaining money will go towards other campuswide improvements like outdoor art and lighting fixtures.

PSU is also renaming its existing art and design program the Schnitzer School of Art + Art History + Design, which will occupy the new arts building funded by the Schnitzer donation.

State and local leaders lauded Schnitzer’s gift, calling it an investment in Portland’s struggling downtown, an area that has yet to recover from the economic downturn brought on by the COVID pandemic, the social unrest of summer 2020 and the arrival of illicit fentanyl.

Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek, U.S. Rep. Earl Blumenauer, D-Portland, and Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler all attended the announcement. The leaders said the $10 million will both solidify PSU’s campus as a downtown arts destination and help revitalize Portland’s downtown core.

“We’re here today because we all believe in Portland,” said Kotek. “We know that to believe in the success of downtown Portland is also about believing in the success of Portland State University.”

A task force convened by the governor’s office put forth recommendations to address the city’s problems late last year. The more immediate proposals call for an increased police presence downtown, expanding social services for people experiencing homelessness and removing plywood from building facades.

But among the longer term suggestions are ideas to once again make Portland’s downtown a destination. Those include investments in the arts, things like art education, music venues and museums. With its centrally located campus, PSU is poised to become a key player in the city’s reimagined downtown.

Cudd, who has been Portland State’s leader for less than a year, was placed on the governor’s downtown task force just a week after taking over the school’s top job.

“[The task force] was a great opportunity to meet all the city leaders and to hear about the issues of Portland,” said Cudd. “But also to see how much vibrancy there was and hope and optimism in the community for a rebirth.”

Research from the national arts advocacy nonprofit Americans for the Arts has shown that investment into arts programming and organizations has helped cities recover both economically and socially from the pandemic.

Arts and culture is no small business in Oregon. Data from 19 locations in the state showed the industry contributed $829 million to Oregon’s economy in fiscal year 2022. Nearly half of that economic activity came from arts spending in Portland alone.

Mayor Ted Wheeler said this latest gift from Schnitzer will help attract even more people to arts and culture events downtown.

“We’re getting our grounding and we’re on our way back,” said Wheeler. “And Jordan Schnitzer’s continued commitment to Portland is a prime example of this city’s comeback.”

Convincing Portland’s business community that Portland is on a comeback may be a hard sell.

Downtown businesses in Portland have experienced a rough few years. Small shops in particular say expenses are going up faster than revenue, and say rent or wage assistance from the city would be welcome. Surveys show downtown foot traffic is slowly increasing but some business owners say city and state leaders need to do more to make downtown visitors feel safe.

This is not the first gift from the Schnitzer family to Portland State.

In 2013, Arlene Schnitzer donated more than $2 million to support the glass tower construction at PSU’s Lincoln Hall. Four years later her son Jordan gave $5 million to the school to help build its art museum. Including Tuesday’s gift, the Schnitzer family has given PSU more than $21 million. Several academic programs and awards are also named after the family.

The Schnitzer family has given to other causes throughout Oregon, including OPB.

OPB business reporter Kyra Buckley contributed to this story.

Editor’s Note: This story was updated to reflect the correct name of the foundation making the gift to PSU.