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The city of Portland and the Trail Blazers appear divided over yet another significant issue as negotiations surrounding the Moda Center's proposed $600 million renovation continue.
This time ... it's a lease provision that could determine who pays if the franchise ever leaves the city.
According to The Oregonian/OregonLive, the Blazers want Portland to remove the possibility of future litigation tied to a clause in the team's current lease requiring Rip City Management to maintain the Moda Center in a "first-class" condition.
Under that provision, if the Blazers were to leave once their lease expires, the city could potentially pursue legal action seeking the cost of bringing the arena up to standard.
The organization wants that possibility eliminated before moving forward.
"We need the city to take the prospect of litigation off the table by affirming the work the team has done to maintain Moda Center in a first-class condition," Blazers spokesperson Charles Boyle told The Oregonian/OregonLive. "Removing that threat is a critical first step to unlock a freer flow of information about the building and the renovation."
So far ... Portland doesn't appear interested in giving up one of its strongest negotiating tools.
District 3 Councilor Steve Novick told The Oregonian/OregonLive he expects any finalized agreement accompanying a new 20-year lease would likely prevent the city from pursuing litigation. Until then, however, he sees little reason to relinquish that leverage.
"The prospect is that they'll leave at the end of the lease," Novick said. "And we'd be crazy to give up the right to bring a lawsuit under that provision if that happens."
The latest disagreement adds to an increasingly complicated set of negotiations that remain unresolved less than two weeks before the Portland City Council is scheduled to vote on an updated term sheet Aug. 12.
Mayor Keith Wilson has proposed contributing up to $120 million toward the renovation, complementing Oregon's previously approved $365 million commitment and an expected contribution of roughly $101 million from Multnomah County.
Yet major differences remain.
A top Blazers official recently described the two sides as "very far apart," criticizing the city's proposed framework while maintaining ownership will not contribute private funding toward the estimated $600 million project.
Meanwhile ... several council members have voiced frustration over their limited involvement in negotiations leading up to the Aug. 12 vote.
Thursday's City Council work session is expected to bring the arena discussions back into public view. Whether it also brings the two sides closer to a deal remains to be seen.
Continue reading...
This time ... it's a lease provision that could determine who pays if the franchise ever leaves the city.
According to The Oregonian/OregonLive, the Blazers want Portland to remove the possibility of future litigation tied to a clause in the team's current lease requiring Rip City Management to maintain the Moda Center in a "first-class" condition.
Under that provision, if the Blazers were to leave once their lease expires, the city could potentially pursue legal action seeking the cost of bringing the arena up to standard.
The organization wants that possibility eliminated before moving forward.
"We need the city to take the prospect of litigation off the table by affirming the work the team has done to maintain Moda Center in a first-class condition," Blazers spokesperson Charles Boyle told The Oregonian/OregonLive. "Removing that threat is a critical first step to unlock a freer flow of information about the building and the renovation."
So far ... Portland doesn't appear interested in giving up one of its strongest negotiating tools.
District 3 Councilor Steve Novick told The Oregonian/OregonLive he expects any finalized agreement accompanying a new 20-year lease would likely prevent the city from pursuing litigation. Until then, however, he sees little reason to relinquish that leverage.
"The prospect is that they'll leave at the end of the lease," Novick said. "And we'd be crazy to give up the right to bring a lawsuit under that provision if that happens."
The latest disagreement adds to an increasingly complicated set of negotiations that remain unresolved less than two weeks before the Portland City Council is scheduled to vote on an updated term sheet Aug. 12.
Mayor Keith Wilson has proposed contributing up to $120 million toward the renovation, complementing Oregon's previously approved $365 million commitment and an expected contribution of roughly $101 million from Multnomah County.
Yet major differences remain.
A top Blazers official recently described the two sides as "very far apart," criticizing the city's proposed framework while maintaining ownership will not contribute private funding toward the estimated $600 million project.
Meanwhile ... several council members have voiced frustration over their limited involvement in negotiations leading up to the Aug. 12 vote.
Thursday's City Council work session is expected to bring the arena discussions back into public view. Whether it also brings the two sides closer to a deal remains to be seen.
Continue reading...
