🏀 The Moda Center funding debate heats up

Mo’ Money, Moda Problems

Yesterday, Portland held dueling meetings: a City Council work session to discuss Moda Center renovations, and the Portland Metro Chamber’s annual meeting, featuring Tom Dundon, the new owner of the Portland Trail Blazers. The question of how to pay for Moda’s costly renovations looms as the deadline for a deal between the city and Trail Blazers to reach a lease agreement nears. [🔒Portland Business Journal]

• Fixer upper? The 31-year-old arena needs an estimated $600 million in renovations. Already the state has promised $360 million, the county has proposed chipping in $100 million, and without private investment the city may be on the hook for the $120 million. [Oregonian]
• Who foots the bill: Neither the Trail Blazers nor its new owner has said if they'll put money toward the Moda Center makeover, which is owned by Portland. Other arenas have historically received at least 43% of renovation money from private funds. [City Cast Portland 🎧]
• Fighting words: Portland Mayor Keith Wilson sent a forceful open letter this week supporting the renovation and rejecting critics, saying "Criticism is easy. Long-term vision is hard, and so are good negotiations." That same day, Multnomah County Commissioners voiced skepticism about the county's proposed $100 million commitment, with Commissioner Julia Brim-Edwards asking: “What’s the ROI for this community?” [Portland.gov / Oregonian]
• What’s at stake: Some worry Blazers owner Dundon will move the team if an agreement isn’t reached. The city and Blazers have until the end of 2026 to reach a long-term lease agreement that includes renovation funding, with a City Council vote on the deal's Term Sheet anticipated in August. [🔒Portland Business Journal]

City Councilors Backtrack on Approved Budget Cuts

Hours after approving an $8.5 billion 2026-27 budget, five city councilors proposed an ordinance to pause layoffs for 48 positions that the budget eliminated. Meanwhile, an attempt to fund public safety via money earmarked for the police accountability office is expected to be introduced this week. Mayor Wilson could be the tiebreaker on votes for either ordinance. [Portland Mercury]

Tree-Killing Beetle Sightings Are Up

Oregon’s Department of Forestry is aiming to suppress infestations of the emerald ash borer beetle, which has been confirmed in three more towns in the Willamette Valley: Silverton, Tualatin and Newberg. Learn the signs of infestation and what to do if you find the beetle in nearby trees. [OPB / Oregon Department of Forestry]

Church Land Returned to Indigenous Portlanders

The former Bethany Lutheran Church property in Northeast Portland will be returned to the Native American Youth and Family Center, or NAYA, which plans to create affordable housing for Native elders. The church property sits on land historically stewarded by Chinookan-speaking peoples, including the Clackamas, Kathlamet and Multnomah tribes. [Oregonian / City Cast Portland 🎧]