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Advocates for a headquarters hotel serving the Oregon Convention Center are looking to play the lottery.

According to a memo from Metro‘s Visitor Venues, Metro plans to ask the Oregon Legislature next month for $15 million in state lottery funds to help pay for construction of a Hyatt Hotel with a minimum 600-room block near the OCC. Metro is currently negotiating with Mortenson Development and the Hyatt Corp. over the amount of public subsidy that will be included in the $157 million to $200 million project.

Mortenson’s original RFP proposed a public contribution of between $15 million and $30 million. The public and private entities have yet to come to an agreement over the amount and in December Metro staffers requested a Dec. 13 deadline be extended.

According to Metro’s website, it has not been identified whether the $15 million in lottery funds would be allocated in the form of a loan or a grant. With $4 million already promised by Metro and the Portland Development Commission, the public’s share could amount to $23 million.

That’s in addition to a room tax rebate Hyatt is requesting that could be worth $111 million.

Proponents of the development have also been floating the idea of the city guaranteeing a loan for the project in lieu of issuing money, in the way of conduit revenue bonds. Details on that option have not been made available.

In its memo, Metro sites precedence for the use of the lottery funds by pointing at 1987, in which year the legislature contributed $15 million from the lottery pot for the $90 million construction of the OCC. Metro contends that the OCC has more than repaid that investment and that a headquarters hotel would do likewise.