PORTLAND Ore. (KPTV) - New Developments on the Future of the Portland Trail Blazers.
City officials announced a first-draft term sheet was sent to the NBA team on Thursday.
The new term sheet offers the city’s priorities, community feedback, and direction from local leaders. “That’s really a good positive sign,” said We Are Rip City co-chair Jim Etzel.
This development comes after a new coalition of Portland restaurants, small businesses, and community organizations banded together to launch a new campaign to modernize the Moda Center and secure the Trail Blazers future in Oregon.
It’s called “We Are Rip City.”
Coalition members say losing the Trail Blazers would be devastating for the community and that Portland’s cultural economy depends on a modern arena.
One of the co-chairs, Jim Etzel, says he’s happy to see the progress. “There’s really nothing to talk about until you have a term sheet to start going back and forth and trying to figure out how you’re going to come together on this,” said Etzel.
Etzel said, whatever happens, he hopes lawmakers and the Trail Blazers know this deal means so much more to Portlanders. “It’s really not a political deal to them; it’s about our economic future. It’s about vibrancy, vitality. It’s about the reality about where we sit as a city,” Etzel said.
One of those people is a lifelong fan Nate Reiman. “Keeping the blazers around would be worth it for the city. Brings the city together,” said Rieman.
Other fans said that with the recent signings of players, it’s important to keep the Blazers in the Rose City. “I feel like we could win the championship, the NBA championship. Like the Knicks just won it this year, why can’t we? And we have a solid team and it’s becoming better and better every year,” said fan Mark Elayass.
The city is expected to take a vote on the future of the team and those renovations in August.
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