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In a letter to Governor Kotek, Mayor Wilson, and Chair Vega Pederson, the Metropolitan Mayors’ Consortium, representing 24 cities around the region, calls for continued progress on the Moda Center renovation, citing the arena’s economic and cultural value across the region.
Published
The Metropolitan Mayors' Consortium has released a letter on July 15 expressing strong regional support for the proposed Moda Center renovation and thanking Portland leaders for their leadership throughout the negotiation process.
Representing 24 cities and more than 1.7 million Oregonians, the consortium says the Moda Center's impact reaches far beyond Portland, generating economic opportunity, supporting local businesses and tourism, and serving as a shared source of regional pride.
The letter also highlights the significant public investment already committed by the State of Oregon and Multnomah County and encourages city leaders to continue working toward an agreement that secures the arena's future and keeps the Portland Trail Blazers in the region for generations to come.
The day following this letter's release, the City released its first-draft term sheet for renovation, an important step toward securing a long-term agreement with the Trail Blazers. The City is continuing negotiations with the team to refine and finalize a term sheet as the City prepares for a Council vote in August.
More about the Moda Center renovations:
Read the letter here
July 15th, 2026
Dear Governor Kotek, Mayor Wilson, and Chair Vega Pederson,
On behalf of the Metropolitan Mayors' Consortium, we write to express our gratitude for your leadership in negotiating the upcoming renovation of the Moda Center.
The Blazers and Fire may have jerseys that read ‘Portland,' but they're our home teams, too. When the Blazers train, they train in Tualatin. When the Fire trains, they train in Hillsboro. Players and staff don't just live in Portland; they live in West Linn, Wilsonville, Lake Oswego, and beyond. In turn, our communities come to the Moda Center to gather, cheer, celebrate, and enjoy Portland's many hotels, bars, restaurants, and public spaces before and after events.
Together, we represent twenty-four cities in the Portland Metro Area and serve more than 1.7 million Oregonians, and our communities know the arena is a gathering place for Oregonians and visitors near and far, where we share hope and excitement for every season. Kids in every one of our cities hang Blazers and Fire jerseys in their closets, and they deserve to benefit from all the stadium creates. Just as importantly, they deserve a chance to say, ‘this is our year,' and not ‘remember when...?'
We believe in you, Portland. We share a regional economy, a workforce, and destination status. Our economic decisions affect one another. The hundreds of millions of dollars in economic activation realized annually by the stadium benefit our many communities, our shared workforce, our local tax revenue, and our regional culture.
Our region came together to ask how we can most responsibly foster the next generation of sports and entertainment and the host of economic benefits that follow. Oregon's legislature stepped up to fund two-thirds of a stadium renovation, and Multnomah County will contribute another 15%. That leaves about 21%, less than a quarter of the overall cost. We know that the best way to solve for this is to create an opportunity that best serves the community and ensures that we invest in the arena to keep our Blazers here in Portland.
To those still weighing funding decisions, we would ask that you continue to ask hard questions and negotiate professionally while acknowledging the deep mark your decisions will make on your neighbors, as well as the overwhelming commitment already made by the surrounding region. Thank you for helping write the next chapter of the Moda Center.
Sincerely,
Chair Lacey Beaty and Vice-Chair Joe Buck, on behalf of the Metropolitan Mayors' Consortium
Metropolitan Mayors' Consortium members:
Mayor Lacey Beaty, City of Beaverton
Mayor Brian Hodson, City of Canby
Mayor Jeffrey Dalin, City of Cornelius
Mayor Joshua Drake, City of Durham
Mayor Keith Kudrna, City of Fairview
Mayor Malynda Wenzl, City of Forest Grove
Mayor Michael Milch, City of Gladstone
Mayor Travis Stovall, City of Gresham
Mayor Tom Ellis, City of Happy Valley
Mayor Beach Pace, City of Hillsboro
Mayor Rachel Kazmierski, City of King City
Mayor Joe Buck, City of Lake Oswego
Mayor Jim Akers, City of Maywood Park
Mayor Lisa Batey, City of Milwaukie
Mayor Aaron Dumbrow, City of North Plains
Mayor Denyse McGriff, City of Oregon City
Mayor Keith Wilson, City of Portland
Mayor Tim Rosener, City of Sherwood
Mayor Yi-Kang Hu,City of Tigard
Mayor David Ripma, City of Troutdale
Mayor Frank Bubenik, City of Tualatin
Mayor Rory Bialostosky, City of West Linn
Mayor Shawn O'Neil, City of Wilsonville
Mayor Jairo Rios-Campos, City of Wood Village