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Portland Offers Blazers a Fully-Funded Arena Renovation, But Will It Be Enough?

In 8-4 vote, City Council sends proposed Moda Center lease terms to Trail Blazers with nearly $400M commitment from city over 20 years
Avatar photoAvatar photo by Courtney Vaughn and Jeremiah Hayden

Amid raucous calls from protesters not to spend millions renovating the Moda Center, Portland City Council approved a lease term sheet to send to the Portland Trail Blazers Wednesday, August 12. The city is in the process of negotiating a 20-year lease agreement with the Blazers for the team’s use of the city-owned arena that […]

Posted inNews

City Sends First Draft Moda Lease Terms To Blazers, To Surprise of Council

Some councilors are frustrated over a process they say has excluded them and backed the city into a financial corner that weakens negotiating power.
Avatar photo by Courtney Vaughn

Updated: 4:48 pm July 17 The city of Portland delivered the first draft of a term sheet to the Trail Blazers management on Thursday, July 16, setting the city one step closer to a long-term lease agreement with the team for the Moda Center. No terms have been finalized, and the Council is in disagreement […]

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Should Portlanders Pay Hundreds of Millions for a Refurbished Moda Center? City Councilors Say “Not So Fast”

With local budget cuts looming and Trail Blazers ownership committing to stay in Portland, some city leaders aren’t ready to pull out the checkbook.
Avatar photo by Abe Asher

On the heels of an intense lobbying campaign by the Portland Trail Blazers, the Oregon Legislature last month passed a $365 million funding package to renovate the Moda Center contingent on the Blazers remaining in Portland under new majority owner Tom Dundon. State leaders trumpeted the passage of the funding package as an economic boon […]

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