In 1994 the Expo Center was transferred to Metro from Multnomah County. It came with significant repair needs to Halls A, B, and C which are more than 100 years old. There was no funding source to complete these updates. There was also little memorialization of the significance that Hall A and the land itself holds as a site of forced displacement for the Indigenous, Black and Japanese-American communities.
In 2003 and then again in 2014, Metro Council and the Metropolitan Exposition and Recreation Commission, both of which oversee the Portland Expo Center, studied its long-term sustainability. Following this study, they decided to identify a funding source that would meet Expo’s needs over time.
In 2019 they began a series of activities to determine the best use for the site that would create financial sustainability. This resulted in the Development Opportunity Study, which is considered phase 1 of this project. During the study, Metro collected ideas and proposals for a new use for the Expo Center.