PORTLAND Ore. (KPTV) - The Portland Trail Blazers appeared before Portland City Council for the first time publicly to address what it would take to keep the team in the city, defending their negotiating record while raising concerns about the current lease framework, the arena’s condition, and Portland’s broader business climate.
After facing criticism from councilors for not participating in public meetings, Blazers representatives showed up and pushed back, saying they have been meeting with the city’s negotiation team every week and holding near-daily phone calls throughout the process.
“We have been at the table this whole time. We’ve not left the table,” said Zandria Conyers, Rip City Chief Counsel.
The team said the city needs to clarify who they are supposed to be negotiating with—city lawyers or elected officials—and said the process has grown increasingly difficult.
“In the past few weeks, this process has become increasingly adversarial. Every day we see contradictory statements from public officials,” said Dewayne Hankins, Rip City President of Operations.
The Blazers said they were blindsided when Council approved a draft term sheet outlining what a long-term lease might look like, and cited at least 20 financial objections to the document.
“The term sheet that we got presented with has been a non-starter for us. It’s not even a document that we can respond to,” Conyers said.
The team declined to get into specifics, saying they fear a lawsuit if they discuss ongoing negotiations publicly. Mayor Keith Wilson said that concern is unfounded.
“We are not contemplating suing the Blazers,” Wilson said. “It has never been a part of our conversations in the back room or with you.”
The biggest sticking points remain money, the definition of a market-rate lease, and how much public funding Portland should provide. Hankins said no team would agree to terms that leave the franchise operating at a loss.
“No team would sign a lease that would keep business in the red for 20 more years,” he said.
The franchise said it has absorbed $1 billion in losses and put another $1 billion toward Moda Center maintenance over the past 30 years.
Beyond the arena, the team also cited state income tax and Portland’s national reputation as factors in lease discussions. Hankins said national brands have passed on partnership deals with the Blazers because Portland is not a “target market,” and that players have rejected playing for the team.
For the first time, the Blazers shared an economic impact study with the city.
Team researchers said keeping the Blazers and renovating the Moda Center—using $573 million in public dollars—would create 1,500 jobs and generate $15 billion in revenue through 2045, including nearly $1 billion in construction output.
Councilors questioned why this was the first time those numbers had been shared. They also pushed for detailed plans showing what the $573 million would actually fund, but the team said until they have money to hire architects, they can only offer concepts, including improved entrances, premium seating, and amenities comparable to newer arenas.
Council President Jamie Dunphy said the session moved the process forward.
“We now know where each other stand, roughly. We didn’t get a lot of specifics but we have a good sense of where the city is starting and where they are starting,” Dunphy said.
He told reporters he is confident council will reach a vote on the term sheet within two weeks, though that does not guarantee the Blazers will sign anything in December.
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