Portland Trail Blazers call city council's proposed Moda Center term sheet a 'non-starter'

The distance between the City of Portland and the Trail Blazers on a future deal to fund the city’s portion of a Moda Center renovation is "pretty significant," according to City Council President Jamie Dunphy. The Portland Trail Blazers made their case directly to Portland City Council Thursday, calling the city's proposed Moda Center term sheet a "non-starter" and laying out, for the first time in a public meeting, the team's biggest concerns with a long-term arena renovation deal. The nearly hour-long presentation marked the first public appearance by Trail Blazers leadership before the council since negotiations over a new lease and public funding package intensified earlier this month. "In the past few weeks, this process has become increasingly adversarial. Every day we see contradictory statements from public officials, and I too feel your frustration, but there's time to reset this conversation.