In the escalating talks over whether public money should go to the Portland Trail Blazers to renovate the Moda Center, the public has heard little from the other national basketball franchise that calls the arena home.
That changed Thursday, when Portland Fire President Clare Hamill spoke up at a Multnomah County board hearing on the arena renovations. Hamill urged county commissioners to sign off on their proposed $101 million investment in the Moda Center.
“This renovation is a chance to build the Fire facilities at the Moda Center to genuinely first-class standards, from the ground up,” said Hamill.
The Fire returned to playing at the Moda Center this year after a nearly 24-year hiatus.
The building is owned by the city, with the Blazers’ management group as the main tenant. That group, Rip City Management, subleases the space to the Fire. While the Fire isn’t negotiating with the city or county for the Blazers’ lease — a deal that includes financing for some $600 million in arena renovations — Hamill said they support the upgrades.
FILE - Portland Fire President Clare Hamill in 2025.
Saskia Hatvany / OPB
On Thursday, she said the 31-year-old facility doesn’t meet her team’s needs.
“The current locker rooms, training facilities, medical facilities and player amenities were not built to support a second, growing franchise — let alone a women’s team competing for talent in a league where facility quality increasingly shapes where players choose to sign,” Hamill said. “Equitable access means women athletes get the same caliber of infrastructure as their male counterparts, full stop.”
The Fire are owned by Raj Sports. The group hasn’t spoken publicly about the Moda deal, but its leaders signed on to a letter last week urging Portland city officials to do whatever it takes to keep negotiations on track.
Hamill’s testimony landed during a fractious board meeting, where county commissioners traded barbs with state and city leaders over the proposal to use county dollars on arena renovations. Some county leaders have raised concerns about spending money on a city-owned building while county jobs and programs have been slashed due to budget shortfalls.
Commissioners agreed to table the decision to an August 6 meeting.
FILE - A Las Vegas Aces player drives the ball through the paint for a layup at the Moda Center in Portland, Ore., on July 9, 2026. The Portland Fire played the Las Vegas Aces, losing 88-80.
Saj Sundaram / OPB
