The battle lines are rapidly hardening in the Portland arena renovation funding right, and the message from Trail Blazers owner Tom Dundon is stark and clear: Don’t expect me to help pay for it.
A day after Portland Mayor Keith Wilson publicly pleaded with the city council to approve up to $120 million in municipal funding to renovate the Moda Center, Dundon appeared at a Portland Metro Chamber event late Wednesday and said private financing is not part of his vision to upgrade the 31-year-old, publicly owned venue.
“It feels like we’re making a pretty big investment by staying here and paying these tax rates,” Dundon said at the event, which the business group held at the Moda Center.
While not a specific and overt threat to leave town if the renovation funding bill fails, Dundon did little at the session to dismiss existing fears that he would do so.
“I think everybody can characterize things however they want. I don’t see it the same way, but I’m not trying to get people to agree or disagree with me,” he said.
