Blazers' Dundon: Public money only to fix arena
Key takeaways
- The city of Portland owns the Moda Center, with the Trail Blazers holding a lease to play there through 2030.
- "I am going to have a hard time agreeing to give public money if I'm not seeing a private investment," Avalos said, according to multiple outlets.
- The Trail Blazers have previously maintained that the arena needed renovation to attract big events, like the NBA All-Star Game and future NCAA tournament games.
Why this matters: a sports story that could shift standings, legacies, or fan conversations.
Amid backlash over his decision to give new coach Micah Nori a reportedly low-value contract, Portland Trail Blazers governor Tom Dundon is digging in his heels that public money only should fund a $600 million makeover of the Moda Center.
"It feels like we're making a pretty big investment by staying here and paying these tax rates," Dundon said, according to multiple outlets, during Wednesday's annual meeting of the Portland Metro Chamber being held at the Moda Center.
The city of Portland owns the Moda Center, with the Trail Blazers holding a lease to play there through 2030. The expansion Portland Fire are also currently playing their first WNBA season there.