PORTLAND, Ore (AP) — NBA Commissioner Adam Silver attended the Portland Trail Blazers’ game against the Utah Jazz on Friday night following the Oregon Legislature’s approval of funds for the renovation of the Moda Center.
State lawmakers passed the measure last week that gives the state joint ownership of the Moda Center with the city and provides a mechanism to secure $365 million for renovation of the 30-year-old building.
The legislative effort comes amid the sale of the Blazers by Paul Allen’s estate to a group led by Tom Dundon, owner of the NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes. It helped allay fears that the new ownership might move the team out of Portland.
During his visit to Portland, Silver met with local officials about the next steps. He noted that Moda Center is not just home to the Blazers, but it will also be home to the expansion Portland Fire in the WNBA.
“I’ve had great conversations with the governor and the mayor, and it’s been a bipartisan effort,” Silver said. “I think everyone in this community recognizes that, even in addition to the Trail Blazers and the Fire — and we can’t forget about the Fire, which are about to open this season — that these arenas are multiuse facilities, whether it’s conventions or trade shows, concerts, graduations, you name it. They’re part of the life blood of communities. So it’s not just for the Trail Blazers and the Fire. You need a state of the art arena here.”
Silver made the comments in an interview posted by the Blazers. He did not speak to reporters at the game.
The Blazers have maintained that the arena needed renovation to attract big events, like the NBA All-Star Game and future NCAA Tournament games. The estimated total cost of the project is $600 million.
“You need a state-of-the-art arena here. And the Moda Center has become probably the oldest building in the league. There may be a building or two that are older, but have already gone through significant renovations,” Silver said. “So you know that this work needs to be done, not just for the basketball teams in town, but for all those events, and because I know, on behalf the economy of Portland, you guys have lost out on some big events because this arena hasn’t been updated in a long time. So it’s just work that needs to get done. But it seems like the spirit is there.”
Allen’s estate has already agreed to the terms of the sale to Dundon. The NBA Board of Governors was expected to approve the sale later this month.
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