{"id":1399,"date":"2026-06-09T12:04:07","date_gmt":"2026-06-09T12:04:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\/?p=1399"},"modified":"2026-06-09T12:04:07","modified_gmt":"2026-06-09T12:04:07","slug":"heres-how-the-broncos-plans-for-new-stadium-in-burnham-yard-could-hinge-on-a-5-acre-parking-lot","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\/?p=1399","title":{"rendered":"Here\u2019s how the Broncos\u2019 plans for new stadium in Burnham Yard could hinge on a 5-acre parking lot"},"content":{"rendered":"
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For the Denver Broncos to meet the team\u2019s 2031 deadline to move into a new stadium at Burnham Yard, they must begin construction by next spring.<\/p>\n

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And for that to happen, they need to reach agreements with landowners and finalize the purchase of all the property in the planned stadium\u2019s footprint.<\/p>\n

But one of the most critical and complex negotiations, with Denver Water, has hit a potential snag over whether a hotly contested 5-acre parking lot in Sun Valley \u2014 which now serves as supplemental parking for season ticket holders at Empower Field, the Broncos\u2019 current home \u2014 should be part of the deal.<\/p>\n

The plot of land, called Lot M, is in the middle of a key corridor that neighbors want to see changed from an industrial hotspot to a cozier, more pedestrian-friendly community.<\/p>\n

Denver Water officials hope to move part of the utility\u2019s operations there as they make room for the new stadium on its campus next to Burnham Yard. They have identified Lot M as a prime location for Denver Water\u2019s central emergency response facility if the Broncos\u2019 plans for Burnham Yard come to fruition.<\/p>\n

But residents of the surrounding area have complained for years that the nearby cloverleaf interchange for Colfax Avenue and Federal Boulevard divides the community and creates unsafe conditions for pedestrians and drivers.<\/p>\n

In recent weeks, opponents and supporters of the Lot M plans have kicked off a series of back-and-forth letters to the city over whether Denver Water should be able to take over the property.<\/p>\n

The complication is symbolic of a larger theme: While the Burnham Yard deal may seem to some like it\u2019s all but finalized, there are still dozens of steps before the Broncos can put shovels in the ground.<\/p>\n

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Everything that\u2019s happened so far has been like the setup of a Rube Goldberg machine \u2014 an overly complicated system that incorporates things like domino cascades, marbles rolling on a track and rubberband-powered levers to complete a task.<\/p>\n

The Broncos, Denver Mayor Mike Johnston\u2019s office, Denver Water and community groups have all begun placing the figurative dominoes, toy race cars and pulley system that will make up the process to build the stadium.<\/p>\n

But no one has tipped the \u201cstart trigger\u201d yet by making key final decisions.<\/p>\n

While there\u2019s some disagreement among close observers of the project about when exactly that chain reaction must begin to meet the 2031 deadline, the consensus is that major decisions need to be made in roughly the next two months.<\/p>\n

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\u201cThe timing of everything is constantly on my mind,\u201d said Denver City Councilwoman Jamie Torres, whose district includes both Empower Field and Burnham Yard. \u201cThe complexity of this is just hitting everybody in the face.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Broncos must relocate several components of Denver Water\u2019s sprawling campus, much of which sits on the site of the future stadium; begin negotiating with the surrounding residents for a community benefits agreement; win various approvals from the often-skeptical council; finalize the purchase of the bulk of Burnham Yard from CDOT; and still acquire another critical plot of land from SRM Concrete.<\/p>\n

Before construction can start, a crew will also have to clean up the area through environmental remediation. Team officials will likely seek tax-increment financing for the project, too.<\/p>\n

While the overall task isn\u2019t impossible, it becomes more difficult with each passing week, sources familiar with the negotiations say. The team announced Burnham Yard as its \u201cpreferred site\u201d for the future stadium in September.<\/p>\n