Portland Metropolitan Exposition Center
Encyclopedia
The Portland Metropolitan Exposition Center, usually referred to as the Expo Center, is a convention center
located in the Kenton
neighborhood of Portland, Oregon
. Opened in the early 1920s as a livestock exhibition and auction facility, the Expo Center now hosts over 100 events a year, including green consumer shows, trade shows, conventions, meetings and other special events. Located on the north side of Portland near Vancouver, Washington
, it includes the northern terminus
for the Yellow Line
of Portland's light-rail transit system.
In 1942, the Center suspended livestock exposition operations and served as a Civilian Assembly Center under President Roosevelt
's Executive Order 9066
, which allowed for the internment
of Japanese
and Japanese American
s. Three thousand five hundred people of Japanese descent were confined there for a period of five months, while they awaited transfer to internment camps in California and Idaho. Torii Gate, an installation piece by Portland artist Valerie Otani, acts as a memorial honoring the people held at the Portland Assembly Center in 1942.
For three months in the summer of 1959, the Oregon Centennial Exposition was held at the site. Among various attractions, the centennial exposition featured a railroad line that used two trains built for the then-new Portland Zoo Railway (now the Washington Park and Zoo Railway), on temporary loan.
Multnomah County acquired the facility in 1965; it was renamed the Multnomah County Exposition Center. It became home to the annual Multnomah County Fair in 1970, and the fairs were held there through 1990. After the Metropolitan Exposition and Recreation Commission of Metro
, the regional government for the Portland metropolitan area, took over ownership and management of the facility in 1994, the complex was renamed Portland Expo Center. It has since undergone major renovations.
Events at the Expo Center include the Portland Better Living Home and Garden Show, Antique and Collectible Show and the Christmas Bazaar.
Hall D, the newest building in the complex (built in 2001), replaced an older exhibit hall. It has 72000 square feet (6,689 m²) of space, a 30 feet (9 m) ceiling height, can be divided into two exhibit halls and can seat up to 7,000. Hall E, built in 1997 is the largest exhibit hall in the complex with 108000 square feet (10,033.5 m²) of space and a 30 feet (9 m) ceiling height. It seats up to 9,000. Halls D and E are connected by a 4500 square feet (418.1 m²) connector. East Hall, another building at the center, has 4400 square feet (408.8 m²) of space. The complex has many meeting rooms and a total of 330000 square feet (30,658 m²) of exhibit space.
Convention center
A convention center is a large building that is designed to hold a convention, where individuals and groups gather to promote and share common interests. Convention centers typically offer sufficient floor area to accommodate several thousand attendees...
located in the Kenton
Kenton, Portland, Oregon
Kenton is a neighborhood in the north section of Portland, Oregon, United States. The neighborhood was originally a company town founded in 1911 for the Swift Meat Packing Company.-Geography:...
neighborhood of Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
. Opened in the early 1920s as a livestock exhibition and auction facility, the Expo Center now hosts over 100 events a year, including green consumer shows, trade shows, conventions, meetings and other special events. Located on the north side of Portland near Vancouver, Washington
Vancouver, Washington
Vancouver is a city on the north bank of the Columbia River in the U.S. state of Washington. Incorporated in 1857, it is the fourth largest city in the state with a 2010 census population of 161,791 as of April 1, 2010...
, it includes the northern terminus
Expo Center (MAX station)
The Expo Center station is a light rail station on the MAX Yellow Line in Portland, Oregon, United States. It is the last stop northbound on the Interstate MAX extension....
for the Yellow Line
MAX Yellow Line
The MAX Yellow Line is a 5.8-mile route in the Metropolitan Area Express light rail system in Portland, Oregon. The route, which opened May 1, 2004, runs between Portland State University , in downtown Portland, and the Portland Expo Center...
of Portland's light-rail transit system.
History
The complex was originally built in the early 1920s as the Pacific International Livestock Exposition, and operated as a livestock exhibition, cattle grading, and auction facility, as well as a rodeo venue, during its early years.In 1942, the Center suspended livestock exposition operations and served as a Civilian Assembly Center under President Roosevelt
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
's Executive Order 9066
Executive Order 9066
United States Executive Order 9066 was a United States presidential executive order signed and issued during World War II by U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt on February 19, 1942 authorizing the Secretary of War to prescribe certain areas as military zones...
, which allowed for the internment
Japanese American internment
Japanese-American internment was the relocation and internment by the United States government in 1942 of approximately 110,000 Japanese Americans and Japanese who lived along the Pacific coast of the United States to camps called "War Relocation Camps," in the wake of Imperial Japan's attack on...
of Japanese
Japanese people
The are an ethnic group originating in the Japanese archipelago and are the predominant ethnic group of Japan. Worldwide, approximately 130 million people are of Japanese descent; of these, approximately 127 million are residents of Japan. People of Japanese ancestry who live in other countries...
and Japanese American
Japanese American
are American people of Japanese heritage. Japanese Americans have historically been among the three largest Asian American communities, but in recent decades have become the sixth largest group at roughly 1,204,205, including those of mixed-race or mixed-ethnicity...
s. Three thousand five hundred people of Japanese descent were confined there for a period of five months, while they awaited transfer to internment camps in California and Idaho. Torii Gate, an installation piece by Portland artist Valerie Otani, acts as a memorial honoring the people held at the Portland Assembly Center in 1942.
For three months in the summer of 1959, the Oregon Centennial Exposition was held at the site. Among various attractions, the centennial exposition featured a railroad line that used two trains built for the then-new Portland Zoo Railway (now the Washington Park and Zoo Railway), on temporary loan.
Multnomah County acquired the facility in 1965; it was renamed the Multnomah County Exposition Center. It became home to the annual Multnomah County Fair in 1970, and the fairs were held there through 1990. After the Metropolitan Exposition and Recreation Commission of Metro
Metro (Oregon regional government)
Metro, formerly known as Metropolitan Service District, is the regional governmental agency for the Oregon portion of the Portland metropolitan area...
, the regional government for the Portland metropolitan area, took over ownership and management of the facility in 1994, the complex was renamed Portland Expo Center. It has since undergone major renovations.
Events at the Expo Center include the Portland Better Living Home and Garden Show, Antique and Collectible Show and the Christmas Bazaar.
Amenities
Halls A, B, and C are currently the oldest buildings in the complex. Halls A and B have 15 feet (5 m) ceiling heights, and hall C has a 25 feet (8 m) ceiling height. Hall A features 48000 square feet (4,459.3 m²) of space and can accommodate up to 2,726; Hall B features 36000 square feet (3,344.5 m²) of space and can seat up to 2,700. Hall C, which has 60000 square feet (5,574.2 m²) of space, seats up to 4,736.Hall D, the newest building in the complex (built in 2001), replaced an older exhibit hall. It has 72000 square feet (6,689 m²) of space, a 30 feet (9 m) ceiling height, can be divided into two exhibit halls and can seat up to 7,000. Hall E, built in 1997 is the largest exhibit hall in the complex with 108000 square feet (10,033.5 m²) of space and a 30 feet (9 m) ceiling height. It seats up to 9,000. Halls D and E are connected by a 4500 square feet (418.1 m²) connector. East Hall, another building at the center, has 4400 square feet (408.8 m²) of space. The complex has many meeting rooms and a total of 330000 square feet (30,658 m²) of exhibit space.