Мода Сэнтэр цэнгэлдэх хүрээлэнг шинэчлэх санхүүжилтийн асуудлаар Портлэнд Трэйл Блэйзэрс болон хотын удирдлагууд тохиролцоонд хүрэхэд хүндрэлтэй байна.
Портлэнд хотын зүгээс багт 600 сая долларын санхүүжилт олгох нөхцөлтэй 20 жилийн түрээсийн гэрээг баасан гарагт санал болгосон ч багийн зүгээс үүнийг хүлээн авах боломжгүй гэж үзэв. Хотын захиргаа үл хөдлөх хөрөнгийн татварын нөхөн төлбөрт жил бүр 3 сая доллар төлөх, үйлдвэрчний эвлэлийн ажилчдыг ажиллуулах, төслийн зардлыг хязгаарлах зэрэг хатуу шаардлага тавьжээ. Багийн зүгээс энэхүү саналыг улс төрийн шинжтэй гэж шүүмжилж байгаа бөгөөд удирдах зөвлөл даваа гарагт хуралдаж шийдвэрээ гаргана.
Трэйл Блэйзэрс 2030 он хүртэлх түрээсийн гэрээтэй бөгөөд багийг өөр хот руу шилжүүлж магадгүй гэх болгоомжлол үүсээд байна. Гэвч багийн эзэн Том Дундон багийг нүүлгэн шилжүүлэх тухай ямар ч яриа гараагүй гэдгийг албаны эх сурвалжууд онцолж, Портлэнд хотод үлдэх хүсэлтэй байгаагаа илэрхийлэв. Хотын зөвлөлийн гишүүд санхүүжилтийн зарцуулалтад ил тод байдал дутагдаж байгааг буруутгаж буй бол багийн удирдлага зарим гишүүдийн шүүхэд өгнө гэсэн заналхийлэл нь хэлэлцээрт саад болж байна хэмээн мэдэгджээ.
Гуравдугаар сард муж улсаас 365 сая долларын санхүүжилт авахаар тохиролцсон нь багийнхны хувьд гэрээ дууссан гэж ойлгогдож байсан ч хотын захиргаа болон дүүргийн зүгээс нэмэлт шаардлага тавьснаар нөхцөл байдал өөрчлөгдсөн байна. Хотын удирдлагууд багийг шинэчлэлийн нарийвчилсан төлөвлөгөөгөө танилцуулахыг шаардаж байгаа бол багийн зүгээс бусад хотуудын жишгийг судалж, зах зээлийн бодит үнэлгээг харгалзан үзэж байна. Талууд наймдугаар сарын 12-ны дотор санал хураалт явуулж, он дуусахаас өмнө тохиролцоонд хүрэх шаардлагатай байгаа юм.
Дэлгэрэнгүй эх сурвалжийг харах
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PORTLAND, Ore. — The difference in opinion is widening between the Trail Blazers and the city of Portland as the NBA team’s new ownership looks for public funding to renovate the arena where it plays its games.
“I think we are very far apart,’’ said a team source Sunday, one of two within the Blazers who were granted anonymity to discuss the situation freely.
On Friday, the city of Portland sent the Blazers a term sheet for a 20-year-lease agreement. If the Blazers agree to the terms, the team would receive $600 million in public funds to renovate the Moda Center. Of significance, the city is asking the Blazers to pay $3 million annually for a property tax offset, which would escalate over time. Additionally, the deal would require the Blazers to hire union workers and set caps on project-cost overruns.
“The term sheet is a non-starter,’’ the source said. “I don’t know why they sent it to us, because they know very little of the stuff we would agree to. They are playing politics at this point.”
The Trail Blazers’ board of directors meets Monday and will address the term sheet to determine a course of action. The city is set to vote on the funding Aug. 12. A deal must be struck before Dec. 31 for $365 million in state funding to be included.
The Trail Blazers’ future in Portland could be at stake. Their lease ends in 2030, and there is unspoken tension about whether new owner Tom Dundon would move the team to another city. Two high-ranking sources inside the Blazers said Dundon has never mentioned relocating the Trail Blazers.
“No one with the Blazers has ever said we want to move,’’ a team source said. “We don’t want that. We want to stay in Portland.’’
Both the Blazers and city politicians have accused the other of foul play. Some city council members are upset because they feel the Blazers haven’t been transparent in how the public funds would be spent.
“I think the Blazers have been behaving poorly,’’ councilor Mitch Green said. “They thought because they passed the state legislature (for $365 million in funding) that the deal was done. But we have a set of councilors who are asking tough questions. And this is Portland, Oregon, where people want more public transparency than there has been.’’
The Blazers say their reluctance to share renovation plans is twofold: 1) Most of their renovation plans are “ideas or concepts.” 2) They were offended when councilor Steve Novick in June threatened to sue them for not maintaining the Moda Center as a first-class venue.
“We don’t even want to respond to the term sheet until they remove that gun to our head,’’ a source said, referring to Novick’s threat.
Another Blazers source said they don’t want to share plans of what they want to renovate until they are assured the information they provide won’t be included in a suit.
“On the one hand, they say we haven’t kept the building up,’’ one Blazers source said. “But at the same time, they are saying, ‘What’s wrong with the building?’ There’s a lot of talking out of both sides of their mouth.’’
Included in the Blazers’ renovation concepts are a new atrium entrance on the north side of the arena, which would ease the flow of traffic entering and exiting the building. Also, the arena operates with one main kitchen; the hope is to have kitchens on all three levels to enhance fans’ concession experience. There are also concepts for eliminating some of the 300-level seating and building a bar, as well as updating the club-level seating.
Green, the councilor for Portland’s fourth district, said he and the 11 other councilors want to be informed before agreeing to a deal.
“We need to see a scope and scale of what this money is paying for,’’ Green said. “That’s pretty basic. So, they need to make a good-faith effort on that. You’ve got a city council that is not a rubber-stamp council, and, depending on where you sit in the city, that may be a good or bad thing. But those are the stakes, and those are the conditions (the Blazers) face. What’s standing between the Trail Blazers and a bunch of public money for a stadium deal is their willingness to accommodate this council.’’
In March, the Blazers thought they had a deal with the city after securing a $365 million commitment from the state for renovations to the Moda Center. That sum is contingent upon the city of Portland agreeing to release $120 million in funds and Multnomah County adding $88 million. The Blazers say a handshake agreement with Mayor Keith Wilson, the city and the county was made in March, and are confused why there has been a shift.
“They have made this a bit of a political football,’’ said a second source inside the Blazers. “They’re asking for things that change the deal dramatically.’’
Elliott Kozuch, a spokesman for the city administrator, confirmed there was momentum with city officials in March toward reaching an agreement, but nothing concrete.
“While city leadership did endorse the conceptual funding proposal in March, it was always clear that City Council and County Commission approval would be required to formalize the local government commitments,’’ Kozuch said.
Kozuch said the Blazers have worked with the City Administrator’s office by sharing some of their plans, but added that the city needs to see more.
“The Trail Blazers shared high-level concepts for potential upgrades to the arena, but the city has not received a formal design review or detailed project plan. A complete understanding of proposed improvements will require additional information as negotiations continue.’’
Where those future negotiations are headed remains unclear, but right now each side is digging in, believing they have the leverage.
A Blazers source said the team has been examining other recent arena deals in Oklahoma City and Utah, and may start looking for a new deal in Portland — which might even include asking for a new arena in Portland.
“The city’s delay has given us time to study what a market deal is,’’ the Blazers source said. “And let’s just say the $600 million deal that was supposed to be done six months ago was a way-below-market deal.’’
Meanwhile, Green said the threat of Dundon leaving Portland doesn’t move him.
“Every indication I read about Tom Dundon is that he makes decisions based almost solely upon whether or not it’s going to increase his profit,’’ Green said. “If he moves the team, it’s because he thinks he can get a better deal. And if I’m in Tom Dundon’s shoes, and I’m trying to do that calculus, then I’m going to be evaluating the cost of moving the team versus the cost of coming to the table and making these councilors happy. Right now, it’s a matter of $120 million. Like, if Dundon came out today and said ‘I’m gonna pick up the tab on the $120 [million] … that would probably get us to the finish line tomorrow.’’
In the meantime, a fanbase waits and worries, wondering whether the business of basketball will lead to no NBA basketball in Portland in 2031.
