{"id":214757,"date":"2025-09-10T05:52:13","date_gmt":"2025-09-10T05:52:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/214757\/"},"modified":"2025-09-10T05:52:13","modified_gmt":"2025-09-10T05:52:13","slug":"broncos-plan-to-build-new-stadium-at-denvers-burnham-yard","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/214757\/","title":{"rendered":"Broncos plan to build new stadium at Denver\u2019s Burnham Yard"},"content":{"rendered":"

Updated at 12:02 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept 9, 2025<\/strong><\/p>\n

The stadium sweepstakes may be over.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The Denver Broncos announced plans to build a new stadium in Denver, moving just about a mile from their longtime home at Empower Field at Mile High, the team\u2019s owners announced <\/a>Tuesday morning.<\/p>\n

The team\u2019s \u201cpreferred site\u201d for the new stadium is Burnham Yard, the state-owned former railyard in West Denver. The Broncos had considered moving out of the city, potentially to sites in suburban Lone Tree or Aurora.<\/p>\n

The new stadium could open for the 2031 season, the Broncos said.<\/p>\n

\u201cTogether, we are pleased to announce historic Burnham Yard in the heart of Denver as the preferred site for a world-class retractable roof stadium anchoring a dynamic mixed-use district. Once a vital railyard that played a key role in Denver’s past, Burnham Yard now represents a transformational opportunity to reimagine the future with deep respect for the rich history of the area,\u201d the team said in a statement.<\/p>\n

The addition of a retractable roof would mark a significant change from the current stadium. Many Broncos fans take pride in braving the snow and cold at Empower Field, but a roof could make the stadium more attractive to large events beyond football.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe roof would allow Denver’s games to be played in the elements while maximizing both the year-round flexibility of the stadium and its long-term value to the community,\u201d the team announced.<\/p>\n

The team plans to once again use natural turf.<\/p>\n

The Broncos say <\/a>they have \u201cconceptual agreements\u201d to buy the railyard and 25 acres of Denver Water\u2019s campus near the property.<\/p>\n

A spokesperson for the Colorado Department of Transportation, which owns Burnham Yard, said he didn\u2019t have any information on the deal. But Gov. Jared Polis said <\/a>he had been in talks with team owners Greg and Carrie Penner since 2022, with a focus on Burnham Yard.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, the site of the current Broncos stadium would return to the city government\u2019s control in 2030 if the team moves. That\u2019s when the team\u2019s lease expires, though it has the option to extend it as needed.<\/p>\n

Mayor Mike Johnston has said that the city won\u2019t spend any public dollars on the stadium itself. And the team\u2019s owners similarly said that \u201cin the spirit of a true civic partnership,\u201d they would privately fund the stadium.<\/p>\n

\"\"Kevin J. Beaty\/Denverite<\/p>\n

But the city could fund infrastructure improvements around the stadium, including reconstruction and reconfiguration of nearby road bridges. The team also could benefit from tax-increment financing, a kind of tax subsidy for developers.<\/p>\n

\u201cToday is a remarkable win-win-win for Denver,\u201d Johnston said in a press release. \u201cThe Broncos are staying in Denver, we will finally open up the historic Burnham Yard for development, and we get to reimagine the Mile High Stadium site as a thriving community in West Denver. The Walton-Penner Ownership Group\u2019s private investment into building a world-class stadium in the heart of Denver will open up new possibilities \u2013 not just for Burnham Yard \u2013 but across the city.\u201d<\/p>\n

That approach could be similar to how the city has handled the planned National Women\u2019s Soccer League stadium in South Denver, where the city is expected to put some $70 million toward roads, bridges, parks and more for the neighborhood. <\/p>\n

But there\u2019s one major difference: While the city will own the land beneath the NWSL site, the Broncos are expected to buy and retain ownership of Burnham Yard.<\/p>\n

The Broncos noted that Tuesday\u2019s announcement was \u201ca meaningful checkpoint,\u201d but added there \u201cis a long way to go and a lot of work to do.\u201d<\/p>\n

The 101 on Burnham Yard (and the Denver Water campus)<\/p>\n

Burnham Yard was previously owned by the Union Pacific Railroad, which sold it to the state for $50 million in 2021<\/a>. The site is 58 acres, shaped like a banana and dotted with aging historic railroad buildings<\/a>. It\u2019s close to Interstate 25 and the 10th \/ Osage light rail station.<\/p>\n

Companies tied to the team have been buying buildings in the area<\/a>, BusinessDen reported.<\/p>\n

The team is also interested in the neighboring property belonging to Denver Water.<\/p>\n

\u201cMaking room for a new Broncos stadium while keeping Denver Water whole has been the subject of intense discussion and negotiation between the Broncos and Denver Water for many months,\u201d Denver Water said in a statement.<\/p>\n

The utility finished construction on a new headquarters near Burnham Yard in 2019. The headquarters, known as its Administration Building, will stay on the site. But the utility will need to sell land and move buildings on the southern end of its campus.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cBuildings that currently house Denver Water\u2019s operations and maintenance, distribution, trades, fleet, meter shop, warehouse and health clinic workers will need to be relocated,\u201d Denver Water stated.<\/p>\n

The Broncos have agreed to pay \u201call costs necessary to fund Denver Water\u2019s relocation, including, but not limited to, new property acquisitions, site preparation and construction. Funds from water rates will not be used,\u201d according to Denver Water.<\/p>\n

The cost of moving Denver Water\u2019s facilities isn\u2019t yet clear. They\u2019ve already made moves on sites at 40th Avenue and Clayton Street in North Denver, as well as at two smaller properties near the current and planned stadium sites.<\/p>\n

How much could the team and the city spend?<\/p>\n

The city has been negotiating for months to land the stadium, and the mayor\u2019s administration has pushed for significant new spending in the area. Two of the most expensive projects in Johnston\u2019s Vibrant Denver bond package are being prioritized, in part, because of the Broncos\u2019 interest in the area<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The infrastructure spending proposal includes nearly $90 million to remove part of the 8th Avenue viaduct, turning it into a surface street through the old railyard. The proposal also includes another $50 million for repairs, reconfiguration and a design for a future replacement of the 6th Avenue bridge, which also crosses the railyard. City officials note that both bridges are in bad shape and would need work anyway. Voters will weigh in on the overall spending plan in the November election.<\/p>\n

The Broncos also could seek tax-increment financing. TIF captures some of the new tax revenue generated by a development and redirects it. Instead of going to general public services, the new tax dollars would help pay for the project or its infrastructure. Local officials would have to approve any TIF deal for the stadium.<\/p>\n