A key City Council member this week said she doesn’t support one of the remaining steps officials had hoped to take to finalize the deal for a new Denver Broncos stadium at Burnham Yard.
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Councilwoman Jamie Torres, whose district encompasses both Burnham Yard and the Broncos’ current home at Empower Field at Mile High, told The Denver Post on Thursday that she had concerns about where Denver Water may relocate part of its operations as the team takes over most of the utility’s land at Burnham Yard.
Her views as the representative of both neighborhoods will carry significant weight on the 13-member council, which would have to vote to approve the deal.
“I don’t see a future for Lot M with the Denver Water use,” Torres said. “We are trying to figure out what alternatives exist.”
Lot M, a 5-acre parking lot in Sun Valley near Empower Field, has been pitched as a potential site for relocating Denver Water’s emergency response facility. The building needs a new home because it’s currently located in the footprint of the proposed new stadium site at Burnham Yard.
If the city, Denver Water and the Broncos can’t reach an agreement on where the building should go, it could cause ripples throughout the rest of the complicated deal.
The Broncos announced Burnham Yard as the team’s “preferred site” for a new stadium last September. The team is aiming to open the new facility by 2031, which would require construction to start next spring.
Team owner Greg Penner this week said that the timeline is “not going to be easy” with all the work that still needs to be done. Denver Water’s relocation is one of the factors adding to that difficulty.
Denver Water, which provides water to 1.5 million people in the metro area, agreed last year to move its operations from Burnham Yard so that the Broncos can relocate, so long as its ratepayers aren’t stuck footing the bill. Most of the utility’s campus will move to a property in Denver’s Elyria-Swansea neighborhood, but the emergency facility must be centrally located to quickly respond to water line breaks and other urgent issues.
Lot M currently provides supplemental parking for season ticket holders at Empower Field. Neighbors of the site have pushed for years for the city and state to convert the area surrounding the lot into a pedestrian-friendly neighborhood without industrial facilities. Community members have fought hard against Denver Water’s plans there, calling the proposal a “significant step backward” in a letter to city officials.
Torres said that without the community’s support — or at least acceptance of the plan — the idea would have a tough time getting through the City Council process.
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“It was such a strong reaction against it and it never really eased up with more information,” she said. “For me, that signals it isn’t really a workable solution.”
Denver Water CEO Alan Salazar is still holding out hope that the utility can use Lot M while mitigating the community’s concerns, he said during a Wednesday meeting of Denver Water’s Board of Commissioners.
“I still think… Lot M is the path of least resistance,” he said.
He added in a written statement: “Denver Water has leaned into supporting the relocation of a new Broncos stadium because we recognize the positive impact a new stadium could have for Denver. At the same time, the relocation and replication of our critical facilities is also important to the community.”
Alternatively, the city could donate a different public parcel for the site, or the team could purchase another plot of land for Denver Water.
“Lot M is just one piece of the puzzle and we are exploring multiple options in partnership with the community, Denver Water and the Broncos,” said Jon Ewing, a spokesman for the mayor’s office.
A Broncos representative declined to answer a question about whether the team would be willing to pay for the plot of land Denver Water needs.
“We understand the integral role Denver Water plays in serving our community and remain committed to supporting its relocation efforts and ongoing operations,” team spokesman Patrick Smyth said.
The Broncos have taken several steps recently to advance the team’s plans for Burnham Yard, including finalizing deals to purchase land from SRM Concrete and the Colorado Department of Transportation.
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