With Dewayne Hankins on Blazers’ exclusive site agreement, Moda remodel and NBA All-Star Game
The Moda Center, which opened in 1995, is the oldest NBA arena without major renovations. It has also never played host to an NBA All-Star Game.
Lately, the “Will the Blazers be moved to Seattle?” question has been coming up again.
Which led me to thinking about the exclusive site agreement signed by Trail Blazers Inc., Paul Allen and the city of Portland and became effective on June 23, 1993.
Or at least I thought it did.
The 18-page document gives Allen lease of what became the Moda Center for 30 years in exchange for a promise that the franchise would not be relocated to another city over the duration of the contract.
So I’m thinking the agreement ends in a couple of months when I call Dewayne Hankins, the Blazers’ president/business operations, to discuss the topic.
Dewayne Hankins
But Hankins says the agreement didn’t actually take place until the Moda Center opened in 1995.
“So it runs through Oct. 25, 2025,” Hankins says.
The agreement, incidentally, stipulated that if Allen were to file for bankruptcy, the party assuming ownership of the club would be responsible to adhere to terms. And that happened when Oregon Arena Corporation, Allen’s holding company, filed for bankruptcy in 2004. A corporation owned by creditors, Portland Arena Management, took over operation of the arena until Allen bought it back in 2007.
Allen died in 2018, and his sister, Jody Allen, now runs the club. The current agreement transfers to Jody’s ownership. Hankins says the Blazers “have a 10-year option coming up that would be to negotiate a brand new lease.”
“We’re in conversation about it with the city now,” he says. “We’re not going to negotiate that in the media. (City officials) have been great partners, and I’ll leave it at that. The deadline is at the top of our minds and the top of the city’s minds. We’ve had productive conversations.”
Karl Lisle, external partners and programs manager who is leading negotiations for the city of Portland, did not return multiple phone calls for comment.
So as for the continuing rumors that the Blazers will wind up in Seattle …
“There is no truth to it,” Hankins says. “We’ve been here for 53 years. It’s such a strong market. The fan support has been incredible. It’s not even a conversation topic at all.”
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There is also the matter of renovation of the Blazers’ arena, which opened as the Rose Garden and became the Moda Center in 2013.
“That is definitely one of the things that has to happen,” Hankins says. “We have the oldest arena in the NBA that has not had a major renovation.”
Fifteen current NBA arenas opened in the 1990s. A look at some, their renovation history and lease:
Utah: Vivint Arena (1991), which opened as the Delta Center. Vivint took over naming rights in 2020, but Delta has repurchased naming rights, to take effect this July. In 2016, the arena underwent a $125 million renovation. New lease carries through 2044.
Phoenix: Footprint Center (1992), which opened as America West Arena. It became Footprint Center in 2022. Did a $67 million renovation in 2003 and another one in 2019 for $230 million. City paid $150 million of it. Suns committed to stay through 2037.
Cleveland: Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse (1994), which opened as Gund Arena. Rocket Mortgage took over naming rights in 2019. In 2019, it underwent $185 million in renovations. Cavaliers privately funded $115 million of it. Lease extended through 2034.
Chicago: United Center (1994), which has always been United Center. Renovations totaling $250 million began in 2009 and continued through 2022, primarily through private funding. Bulls and NHL Blackhawks have arena lease agreement through 2119.
Boston: TD Garden (1995), which opened in 1995 as FleetCenter and became TD Garden in 2005. Renovations began in 2006 and continued through 2022, including a Jumbotron and a new audio system paid for by a private $100 million investment. The Celtics’ lease agreement runs through 2036.
Philadelphia: Wells Fargo Center (1996), which opened as CoreStates Center (or Spectrum II) and has been Wells Fargo Center since 2010. In 2020, it began $300 million in renovations that are still underway, with funding through a public/private partnership. The 76ers’ lease expires in 2031.
Indiana: Gainbridge Fieldhouse (1999), which opened as Conseco Fieldhouse. Gainbridge took over naming rights in 2021. In 2019, a $360 million renovation project was approved. It took place from 2020 to 2022 and was funded by a public/private partnership. The Pacers’ new lease carries through 2044.
What needs to be done at Moda? A lot.
“We are just starting to put that together,” Hankins says. “All the things you would think, including a scoreboard, an atrium, improvements to the club level, stuff like that.”
Though the Blazers are responsible for maintenance of Moda Center, it would make sense that they would want some help from the city to finance the arena’s renovation. Will that happen?
“Don’t know yet,” Hankins says. “Everything is up in the air.”
The Blazers also want to have the Rose Quarter area developed. Of course, that’s what Marshall Glickman desired when the former team president opened the Rose Garden with adjacent restaurants such as Friday’s Front Row, Cucina Cucina and Jody Maroni’s Sausage Kingdom. Nobody came on non-game nights.
Hankins’ time line is vague, but he says this: “Over the next couple of years, having the All-Star game and having Women’s Final Four in 2030, we have to be up to standard of our peer markets.
Hankins’ reference is to the NBA All-Star Game, a slight that sticks in the craw of many a Portlander. Portland has never hosted the All-Star game, though it was promised the 1983 classic, then had it rescinded when league officials decided they wanted the game only in “major markets.” Two years later, it was held in Indianapolis.
The only NBA cities to not host an All-Star game are Sacramento, Memphis, Oklahoma City and Portland. Portland’s franchise began in 1970. The Kings started in 1985, the Grizzlies (in Memphis) in 2001 and the Thunder in 2008. There is little doubt which city should get the game first.
The excuse in the past has been too few hotel rooms.
“This year, Salt Lake City needed 7,500 hotel rooms,” Hankins says. “We have 10,000 (in proximity to the arena). We have enough hotel rooms. Does the league think the city can handle it now? I certainly hope so.”
Portland is the No. 21 media market in the country. The last two All-Star games were held in Salt Lake City (No. 30) and Cleveland (No. 19). Indianapolis (No. 25) gets it again next year. The Blazers have bid two or three times in recent years and been snubbed. Hankins says they will try again, perhaps with a little more purpose.
“We are pushing everything to be ready be ready for 2030 — All-Star ready,” Hankins says. “Our fans deserve it. The Allens have owned and invested in the team for 35 years. As recognition of their stewardship of the franchise, it would be great to have the All-Star Game here.”
If there is any justice, it will happen. The NBA owes Portland one.
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