Oktoobar 21, 2026 · Ordinance · 2026-362

Authorize Intergovernmental Agreement between the City, State of Oregon, and Multnomah County to establish the Oregon Arena Joint Authority

Soo koobid af fudud

City moves toward joint state-county group to oversee Moda Center renovation

This lets the City Administrator sign an agreement with the State of Oregon and Multnomah County to create the Oregon Arena Joint Authority. This new group would oversee planning, paying for, renovating and running the city-owned Moda Center. State law requires this group before state money for the renovation can be used.

Decision: Moved to a second reading, a required later vote, on October 21, 2026. No vote count was given.
Who it affects: Portland taxpayers, Trail Blazers fans and people who attend or work at events at the Moda Center.
Money: This step has no direct cost to the City and does not commit the City to any lease or funding. The broader proposed renovation would cost $573 million in public money, including $365 million from the State and $101.6 million from the County. The City's share and a 20-year Trail Blazers lease still need separate council approval.
Next: Second reading on October 21, 2026 at 6:00 pm. Separate future council votes are needed on a new Trail Blazers lease and City funding.
Official record

Waxaa qoray AI iyadoo ka duulaysa diiwaanka rasmiga ah, si toos ah ayaana loo hubiyay. Oktoobar 14, 2026

Soo koobid af fudud

City joins state and county in new group to oversee Moda Center

This lets the city sign an agreement with the State of Oregon and Multnomah County to create the Oregon Arena Joint Authority. This new group will oversee planning, paying for and running a proposed public renovation of the city-owned Moda Center. A state law requires this group before state money for the renovation can be used.

Decision: Passed, 8 to 4. An earlier motion by Councilor Green to change the item's impact statement failed, 5 to 7.
Who it affects: Portland taxpayers, Trail Blazers fans and people who attend or work at events at the Moda Center.
Money: This step has no direct cost to the city and does not commit the city to any lease or funding. The broader plan is a $573 million public renovation, including $365 million from the state and $101.6 million from the county.
Next: The council must still vote separately to approve a long-term lease with the Trail Blazers, who would have to agree to play there for at least 20 years, and to approve the city's share of the money. Lease talks with the team's management company are ongoing.
Official record

Waxaa qoray AI iyadoo ka duulaysa diiwaanka rasmiga ah, si toos ah ayaana loo hubiyay. Oktoobar 21, 2026

Full title: Authorize Intergovernmental Agreement between the City, State of Oregon, and Multnomah County to establish the Oregon Arena Joint Authority
Status: Passed
Document number: 2026-362
Introduced by: Mayor Keith Wilson
City department: Spectator Venues and Visitor Activities Program
Requested council date: October 21, 2026
Purpose and background: This ordinance authorizes the City Administrator to sign an intergovernmental agreement, similar in form to Exhibit A, with the State of Oregon and Multnomah County to establish the Oregon Arena Joint Authority. The Joint Authority will oversee the planning, financing, development, renovation, and long-term governance of the proposed publicly funded renovations of Moda Center arena. Establishing the Joint Authority is a requirement under Senate Bill 1501 to access State funding provided for Moda Center renovations in conjunction with a long-term lease from the Portland Trail Blazers. The State's funding commitment remains contingent on several other actions, none of which are yet finalized. These include binding commitments of funding from both the City and the County and an agreed upon lease requiring the Portland Trail Blazers to play in the renovated arena for a period of at least 20 years. On August 12, 2026, the City Council approved a resolution proposing an initial draft term sheet for a new lease agreement. The City and Rip City Management have not yet agreed on the essential terms of a long-term lease. Negotiations with Rip City Management are ongoing.
Financial and budgetary impacts: This specific action does not have a direct financial or budgetary impact on the City. It is a necessary administrative step in the process of advancing a Moda Center renovation project funded in part by each the State of Oregon, Multnomah County, and the City. For the project to advance, additional legislative actions will be required by the City to approve a new long-term lease with Rip City Management and the Portland Trail Blazers and to approve the City funding necessary for the project. Approval of this ordinance does not commit the City to any arena lease terms or funding obligations. The following financial and budgetary impacts are about the broader proposal for renovation of Moda Center. The economic activity to the region and state of the Rose Quarter event campus is estimated at over $600 million in annual economic impact including nearly 6,000 full and part-time jobs, and total labor income of over $290 million. Roughly 75% of this economic activity is attributable to the Portland Trail Blazers and 25% to other activities at the Rose Quarter arenas. The greater economic impact of keeping the team at the Moda Center for the long term is important to the long-term economy of the city, region, and state and associated public revenue streams. The economic activity generated from operations of the Blazers and the Rose Quarter Campus produced approximately $17.9 million in total tax revenues to local and State economies in FY 2022-23, of which $11.3 million was attributable to the Trail Blazers and $6.6 million to the Rose Quarter Campus. Prior to acquiring Moda Center in 2024, the City commissioned a Facility Condition Assessment of the arena that recommended phased investment of roughly $500 million would be required to keep the arena operating in good condition for 20 more years. The project, as currently proposed by the State legislation and the City's initial proposed term sheet (approved by the Council on August 12, 2026), leverages $365 million from the State and $101.6 million from the County for a $573 million publicly funded project to renovate and transform the arena into a state-of-the-art facility. Establishment of the Oregon Arena Joint Authority is a necessary step to delivering this project as envisioned.
Economic and real estate impacts: Approval of this IGA to establish the Oregon Arena Joint Authority creates a pathway to public investment of $573 million in renovations of the Moda Center including $365 million in funding from the State of Oregon. However, several other critical steps would need to be taken by the City, the County and Rip City Management/The Portland Trail Blazers before the project can proceed. Approval of this action does not have a financial impact on the City, as it only establishes the Joint Authority. Any binding City financial commitments and the approval of the terms of a new lease for Moda Center operations will be subject to separate City Council review and approval. According to a 2023 Economic Impact Analysis commissioned by the City from Crossroads, LLC Consulting Group, the economic activity to the region and state of the Rose Quarter event campus is estimated at over $600 million in annual economic impact including nearly 6,000 full and part-time jobs, and total labor income of over $290 million. More recent economic impact information is not available, however recent years have seen similar event activity and attendance to FY 2022-23, and as a result, it is reasonable to assume similar annual economic impacts.
Community impacts and community involvement: This ordinance to establish the Oregon Arena Joint Authority is one step in the larger effort to negotiate a new long-term lease with Rip City Management and the Portland Trail Blazers in conjunction with a publicly funded renovation of Moda Center. While there has not been any significant public engagement around the establishment of the Joint Authority, there has been significant outreach and engagement around the overall project and the City's role in it. The Portland Trail Blazers and Moda Center are important community assets hosting hundreds of events every year with annual attendance of approximately 1.4 million people (over 1.7 million when including events held at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum, which is also operated by Rip City Management). The Portland Trail Blazers are a source of civic pride and a unifying force for many Portlanders and Oregonians. The economic, social, and cultural benefit of the team continuing to play at Moda Center is profound. The Portland Trail Blazers have a long history of giving back to Portland and Oregon. Since 2009, the Trail Blazers Foundation and Trail Blazers, Inc. have donated more than $17 million to local communities. The Team is dedicated to philanthropic efforts with particular focus on racial equity, environmental and educational initiatives. To gather community sentiment about the project and the City's financial participation, the Portland City Council hosted an online survey and series of park pop-ups in June 2026. Over 18,000 people took the survey both independently and at the pop-up events. The non-statistically valid results reveal that public investment in Moda Center is a divisive issue with a majority of respondents feeling either strongly supportive of the project or strongly opposed. It is not known who will testify, but given the general interest in the Moda Center and the Portland Trail Blazers, it is reasonable to assume some interested parties will provide testimony.
100% renewable goal: Rip City Management has led the nation with efforts to improve the environmental performance of Moda Center and Veterans Memorial Coliseum. Moda Center was the first major arena in the country to achieve LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Platinum status, and recently the Veterans Memorial Coliseum was awarded LEED Gold status. This action approves the establishment of the Oregon Arena Joint Authority. The Authority will oversee the public's investment in Moda Center renovations. Ultimately, Moda Center is anticipated to become significantly more energy efficient as a result of this the renovation project as many systems that have been in place since 1995 will be upgraded and replaced with modern technologies. More information on efficiency upgrades will become available when the project progresses into design and construction.

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The City of Portland ordains. Section 1. The Council finds: By the authority granted in Oregon Revised Statute (ORS) 190.110, state agencies may enter into agreements with units of local government for the performance of any or all functions and activities that a party to the agreement, its officers, or agents have the authority to perform. The City-owned Moda Center is the multipurpose sports and entertainment arena at 1 North Center Court Street in Portland, Oregon, and Oregon's primary and largest indoor sports arena and is a significant driver of regional economic activity. On March 31, 2026, SB 1501-B was signed by the Governor. The Act declares an emergency, making it effective upon passage and is codified at Laws 2026, chapter 74. In Senate Bill 1501-B, the Oregon legislature approved a funding package for renovations to the Moda Center funded by debt instruments secured by income tax revenues generated by wages paid for services performed at the Rose Quarter or related to activities or operations at the Rose Quarter. Section 2 of SB 1501-B authorizes DAS, in consultation with the Governor and Attorney General, to negotiate and enter into an agreement with one or more public bodies to establish a joint authority to own and oversee operations of the Moda Center. Section 3 of SB 1501-B establishes the Oregon Arena Fund in the State Treasury, separate and distinct from the General Fund. The Oregon Arena Fund consists of money appropriated, allocated, deposited or transferred to the fund by the Legislative Assembly or from any public or private source and interest earned on moneys in the fund. The moneys in the Oregon Arena Fund are to be continuously appropriated to the Oregon Department of Administrative Services for the purpose of paying expenses of the joint authority, including, without limitation, expenses related to construction, renovation, capital improvements, repair, on-going capital expenses, deferred maintenance, arena operations and debt service at the Moda Center. SB 1501-B also requires that the City of Portland and Multnomah County make binding and substantial commitments to finance construction, renovation, maintenance and deferred maintenance of the Moda Center and related debt service. On August 6, 2026, the Multnomah County Board of Commissioners adopted Resolution 050, affirming the County's commitment to the renovation of the Moda Center and providing direction to the County Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer on the terms to be included in future agreements regarding Moda Center renovations and the County's funding commitment. On August 12, 2026, the Portland City Council adopted Resolution 37750 authorizing a non-binding term sheet with Rip City Management, LLC and Trail Blazers Holdings, LLC outlining the terms for a renovation of Moda Center, a 20-year lease commitment from the team, and conditions for the City's funding commitment to the renovation and on-going capital expenses. The Parties have agreed that funds for renovations to the Moda Center will improve visitor experience, install more energy-efficient systems that will lower the building's carbon footprint, and update lighting and audio-visual systems. The Parties believe that funding Moda Center renovations are investments in the region's economic and cultural vitality and are needed to safeguard the state and city against loss of Oregon's only National Basketball Association (NBA) franchise, the Portland Trail Blazers (the "Blazers"), and to ensure the Moda Center is a state-of-the-art, world-class arena. The City-approved non-binding term sheet was sent to Rip City Management, LLC committing public funds from the State of Oregon, the County, and the City and further outlining the formal terms to be negotiated on behalf of the joint authority, State of Oregon, County and City in formal definitive documents and amendments to existing agreements that necessitate the renovation of the Moda Center and lease commitment to keep the Portland Trail Blazers in Portland for a minimum of 20 years. The Parties desire to enter into this Agreement to establish a joint authority for the purpose of negotiating formal definitive documents, operational oversight of the Moda Center, and to act as steward of the public investment into facility renovations. On October 1, 2026, the Multnomah County Board of Commissioners approved a resolution directing the County Board Chair to sign the Joint Authority Agreement for the Moda Center Improvement Project, attached as Exhibit A to this ordinance. The State, County, and the City will enter into separate agreements or an amendment to this agreement in the future as needed to reflect mutually agreed upon modifications to the terms contained herein. NOW, THEREFORE, the Council directs: The City Administrator is hereby authorized to enter into an Intergovernmental Agreement with the State of Oregon and Multnomah County establishing the Oregon Arena Joint Authority, in a form substantially similar to the form attached as Exhibit A.