The Oregonian reported today that SE Yamhill and Water, nestled in the century-old confines of inner-Southeast's industrial zone, may soon become home to one of the most ambitious large-capacity live music halls endeavored in Portland for some time. The venue, tentatively dubbed 300b, is purported to boast a 2,000-seat capacity, and will come replete with snazzy art-neuvo arhcitectural designs. According to the project architect, and via a post on CultureShock,

The public zone of the venue would constitute an ascending series of gathering spaces along a continuous ramp system. A skin is stretched tight around a simple concrete shell. Where people move up through the venue, the path widens and narrows - the larger volumes bulging, like elbows brushing against the boundaries of the space. These larger gathering spaces become windows out and the venue's opportunities to interact with the city.

300b's (though still tentative) completion will usher in a major new player in the struggle to get larger acts to stop through Portland on their way up or down the West Coast. Imagine! A concert hall big enough to sway acts like Daft Punk and Morrissey to rethink skipping town on their respective tours (so go the rumors of a venue just the right size being non-existent for those acts to grace us with their presences)!

Of course, there are issues being raised, if perhaps prematurely, about parking, the iffy ramps leading to the hall (widening and narrowing paths?!) and the relative absence of anywhere close by to tromp to after the show. For my money, the view alone would be worth the hype.

We reached out to Works Partnership and will post an update when we hear back.