Trail Blazers leadership went before Portland’s city council on Thursday after weeks of public sparring over the team’s lease and proposed $600 million renovation to the Moda Center.
Despite mixed messaging from Blazers brass, the team reiterated its desire to reach an agreement and stay in the city over the looming threat new owner Tom Dundon could potentially relocate it
“We want to get a deal done,” Trail Blazers president Dewayne Hankins told the council.
The team secured $365 million in funding in March, but the bonds are contingent on the city ($120 million) and county ($88 million) approving those contributions via vote.
Hankins attended the session with Blazers CFO Joe Loomis, team lawyer Landus Anderson, team spokesperson Charles Boyle, and chief legal counsel Zandria Conyers. They were joined by Mike Wilkerson, an economic consultant for ECOnorthwest, who provided projections of the team’s impact on the local economy.
