Portland Taps Kristin Dennis for $600 Million Moda Center Talks as $120 Million City Share Looms
Updated
Updated · Willamette Week · Jun 22
Portland Taps Kristin Dennis for $600 Million Moda Center Talks as $120 Million City Share Looms
1 articles · Updated · Willamette Week · Jun 22
Summary
Kristin Dennis, Metro Council’s chief of staff, will serve through mid-August as a special adviser to Portland City Council President Jamie Dunphy on Moda Center funding negotiations.
The assignment signals a push to help the council decide whether Portland should contribute up to $120 million toward a $600 million arena renovation already backed by Oregon and Multnomah County.
That vote is uncertain: several councilors, especially progressives, have resisted subsidizing the project and argue new Trail Blazers owner Tom Dundon should not pressure a cash-strapped city with relocation threats.
Wednesday could sharpen the standoff, with Dundon appearing at the Portland Metro Chamber summit at Moda Center while the council holds a work session on the deal Dunphy declined to reschedule.
Any agreement needs at least seven council votes, and failure to strike one could intensify concerns about the Trail Blazers’ long-term future in Portland.