Local music promoter Monqui Presents has teamed up with the global venue operator Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG) to construct a 4,250-seat music venue in the Lloyd Center mall. This new development puts them in direct competition with Live Nation Entertainment, which has a similar project in the works on Portland’s Central Eastside.
Monqui, a Portland-based company founded in 1983, is known for organizing shows at various local venues, including McMenamins Edgefield, the Doug Fir, and the Wonder Ballroom. AEG, owned by Colorado billionaire Phil Anschutz, who initially made his fortune in oil, has since expanded into sports and entertainment, co-founding Major League Soccer and owning the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.
“You have to have a major partner to do these things,” said Monqui founder Mike Quinn.
Quinn revealed that Monqui and AEG plan to locate their new venue in the former Nordstrom space at the west end of Lloyd Center. This space had been leased by Live Nation in 2018, but their project never materialized. Monqui and AEG intend to demolish the existing structure down to the basement and start anew, with hopes of opening by mid-2026. Quinn mentioned that they have been working on securing this deal for six years.
The announcement from Monqui comes just a week before Live Nation and its local partners, Beam Development and Colas Development Group, are scheduled to appear before the Portland Bureau of Development Services on July 10. They will seek adjustments to the zoning code for their planned 3,500-seat venue at the east end of the Hawthorne Bridge.
Live Nation and Beam are requesting to relocate required parking for 32 bikes from the property to the public right of way and to move two truck-loading spaces similarly. They also seek to reduce the “ecoroof area” from 14,617 square feet to 2,100 square feet.
Jonathan Malsin, co-founder of Beam Development, did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment on the project’s status.
Live Nation has faced criticism from other Portland venue operators and music promoters due to its size and business practices. In May, the U.S. Justice Department accused Live Nation of operating an illegal monopoly, alleging that the company used its market power to push smaller promoters out of cities, lock venues into ticketing contracts, and pressure artists to use its services.
Live Nation, headquartered in Beverly Hills, California, controls 338 music venues worldwide, including the Hayden Homes Amphitheater in Bend, the Gorge Amphitheatre in George, Washington, and Lumen Field in Seattle. The company manages 410 bands, from U2 to Pitbull, promotes concerts, and acquired Ticketmaster in 2010, gaining end-to-end control of the live music business.
Jamie Dunphy, a volunteer with MusicPortland, an advocacy group for local artists and venues, expressed support for the Monqui-AEG project, citing Monqui’s long-standing presence in Portland.
“It checks all the boxes,” Dunphy said. “It keeps local interest, it keeps local control, and it will bring in the bigger shows that we’ve been missing.”
Dunphy also noted that the Lloyd Center location offers ample parking in the mall’s old garages, convenient access from Interstates 5 and 84, and proximity to bus and MAX lines.
Unlike the Live Nation project, Monqui’s venue will be built on private property. Live Nation plans to construct its venue on land owned by Prosper Portland, the city’s economic development agency.
As part of a 20-year plan, Prosper Portland acquired three square blocks in the Central Eastside from the Oregon Department of Transportation, which had declared the land surplus. Prosper Portland sought proposals in late 2017, and Beam Development pitched a series of office buildings with industrial space aimed at bringing more jobs to the area. In May 2018, Prosper Portland selected Beam to lead the project, working with Colas.
However, after the pandemic hit in 2020, Beam and Colas shifted their focus in 2022, announcing a partnership with Live Nation to develop a music venue instead.
Quinn emphasized that their Lloyd Center project will not require any zoning code changes.
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