Trail Blazers, Portland Still Far Apart In Negotiations

On Thursday, the Trail Blazers and officials from the city of Portland were finally able to meet about the ongoing negotiations aimed at renovating the Moda Center and keeping the team in Portland, Jason Quick writes for The Athletic.

The two sides having a face-to-face meeting was a step in the right direction, but they came away with what was described by city council president Jamie Dunphy as a “pretty significant” gap between what either side would deem acceptable, and Quick reports that conversations turned hostile at times.

Prior to the meeting, the council said that the Blazers were reluctant to provide details about the extent of the renovation project and what it would require. At the meeting, the team showed up in force and demanded that the city go beyond the estimated $575MM in renovation costs if they want to keep the Blazers around long-term, Dirk VanderHart writes for OPB.

“The arena is only a small piece of that bigger picture,” said team president of business operations Dewayne Hankins. “Portland’s current stagnant business climate, high income taxes, and divisive political environment make this a tough city to invest in. It makes it harder to sell tickets, secure corporate partnerships and … recruit players.”

Because of that, Hankins and the Blazers made it clear that they did not intend to use additional private funding to help the restoration process.

One thing that the team has demanded is the removal of any threat of lawsuit regarding a clause that requires the Blazers to maintain the arena “in a first-class manner.” The Blazers have professed concern that a list of their repair and upgrade needs could be used as evidence of a breach of said clause, and could open them up to litigation, a possibility mayor Keith Wilson tried to downplay.

“The ruminations of the council are just that,” Wilson said. “We are not contemplating suing the Blazers, Rip City Management or other parties.“

Also of concern to the team is a proposed $3MM annual fee that would mitigate the taxes the Blazers would be forgoing, which the Blazers believe would “increase the financial obligations of the team.”

The remaining distance in negotations is signficant, given the August 12 vote that could determine if the Blazers lose their funding and begin considering a relocation.