Roadblocks remain for Broncos' new stadium plan
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Burnham Yard in Denver. Photo: RJ Sangosti/Denver Post via Getty Images
Before the Denver Broncos can break ground on their new stadium in Burnham Yard, the team's owners must clear a series of high hurdles.
Why it matters: The Broncos' lease at Empower Field at Mile High ends after the 2030 season, a tight deadline to build a new stadium and entertainment district.
State of play: One of the first steps is crafting a community benefit agreement negotiated by the La Alma and Lincoln Park neighborhoods and developers, the Denver Post reports.
- The contract can include requirements like building an early learning center, funding youth programming or building bike lanes — all of which developers had to do as part of the construction of Ball Arena.
The intrigue: Once completed, the Denver City Council gets involved. The council will vote on a land-use plan and the zoning for the Burnham Yard area.
- The members also are expected to face a vote on whether to give the Broncos' owners a tax break to redevelop property that is considered blighted.
Between the lines: For now, the state still owns the Burnham Yard property, but the team says a conceptual purchase agreement is nearly finalized.
Reality check: The former railyard is an environmental concern. It's near a Superfund site and a recent report found contaminants in the soil, including petroleum hydrocarbons, lead, arsenic and chromium, the Post reports.
- The team would likely need environmental permits to clean the site before it can build.
What they're saying: "It's a big chunk of land in a major American city with a sports team that is popular," John Spear, a professor of environmental engineering at the Colorado School of Mines, told the newspaper.
- "So where there is a will, there will be a way to clean up as fast as possible so people can use it as fast as possible," Spear added.