Denver's $70M plan for women's soccer stadium faces immediate scrutiny
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A rendering of the interior of the proposed stadium for the Denver NWSL team. Photo: Courtesy of Denver NWSL
A $70 million proposal unveiled Wednesday to help build a new women's professional soccer stadium site using taxpayer money faced immediate pushback from Denver City Council members.
Why it matters: Without a stadium — which team owners said is dependent on city money — the owners could lose the franchise, Denver's chief strategy officer Jeff Dolan said.
The latest: City council members during Wednesday's South Platte River Committee meeting raised multiple concerns, including worries over using public money earmarked for other public projects, a rocky U.S. economy and a tight city budget.
What they're saying: "I don't believe that the stadium will ever be built and I wish that I did," said Councilmember Sarah Parady, alluding to the unstable economic outlook.
- Still, Dolan said the project's potential job creation and economic development justify what he called a "once-in-a-generation" investment for the city.
Context: Denver's unnamed National Women's Soccer League team owners want to build a 14,500-seat stadium and surrounding entertainment district at Santa Fe Yards between Broadway and I-25.
Zoom in: Under the proposal, the $70 million would pay for acquiring land, potential stadium improvements and upgrading the surrounding area, including building public infrastructure like parks and drainage systems.
- $50 million would be available immediately in the city's capital budget, with the remainder coming incrementally between 2026 to 2028, city finance department spokesperson Laura Swartz tells us.
The intrigue: The city would use interest earned from its $937 million Elevate Bond program to pay for projects whose funding is being moved to cover the stadium site costs.
Zoom out: The team's owner and operator, Rob Cohen, said team ownership will commit roughly $300 million collectively, including for the stadium, which he estimates will cost between $150 to $200 million alone.
Caveat: Wednesday's presentation was merely a briefing, meaning council members took no official or final action.
What's next: The NWSL stadium proposal will be formally considered by the committee on April 23.