A 90-seat bar with art shows, live music and pool tables could open inside a century-old West End building at 714 SW 11th Ave.

Emporia LLC filed a liquor license application with the City of Portland on Sept. 9, proposing to transform the former Deutsches Haus into a venue called Emporia, according to the city's liquor licensing notice. The public comment period runs through Oct. 9.

The application lists Chadwick Gibson as the owner behind Emporia LLC, Hoodline reported. Gibson is the founder and director of Smart Objects, a contemporary art gallery based in Los Angeles. His personal website states he splits time between Portland and LA.

Emporia is seeking a Limited On-Premises license, which under Oregon rules permits beer, wine and cider but not distilled spirits. The city filing lists proposed hours of noon to midnight Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday, and noon to 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday. Live music is planned Wednesday through Sunday from 6 to 10 p.m.

The entertainment lineup goes beyond music. The application includes dancing, DJ sets, art shows, pool tables and analog games. The city classified the business type as "Other," not as a bar or restaurant.

The building was completed in 1926 as the Deutsches Haus, the headquarters and social hall of the German American Society of Portland. The society sold the building in January 2019, citing its age and needed repairs. Since the 2019 sale, the space has housed a dance studio, a physical activity center and a music hall for a private school, Hoodline reported.

Emporia would join a growing cluster of entertainment venues in the West End. McMenamins announced March 13 plans to convert the historic Taft Home at 1321 SW Washington St. into a hotel with three restaurants and bars. McMenamins co-founder Mike McMenamin said at the time, "It's truly a piece of living history right in the heart of Portland," according to the Portland Tribune.

More than 500 new apartment and hotel rooms are under construction within five blocks of the Emporia site, Hoodline reported.

Residents who want to weigh in can email comments to [email protected] or mail them to the Liquor Licensing Program at 1900 SW Fourth Ave., Suite 5000, Portland, OR 97201. Comments must include the sender's name and the premises address. After the comment period closes, the city will forward a recommendation to the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission (OLCC), which makes the final licensing decision.