A nonprofit venture between the Metropolitan Football Stadium District and Denver Broncos Football Club is exploring creating a new, mixed‐use neighborhood destination on the south end of the stadium property — now occupied by surface parking lots used only during games and special events.
In response, Denver Community Planning and Development has stepped in to lead a master-planning process to gather community input to help guide the potential development in accordance with the neighborhood plan — the 2013 Decatur-Federal Station Area Plan.
A rendering from the 2013 Decatur-Federal Station Area Plan depicts a possible future Old West Colfax streetscape.
The MFSD and Broncos’ vision is to create a neighborhood hub where people can live, work and play, as well as an enhanced game day experience for fans. City planners want to involve the community residents in a master plan for the area.
The Denver Housing Authority, in partnership with the city and county of Denver, has a mixed-income public housing development underway in the neighborhood; planners will work closely with DHA and its residents to incorporate their needs and perspectives into the master plan.
“This is an opportunity to realize the recommendations in the neighborhood plan, including improving critical transportation connections between the site and nearby transit, downtown, Sun Valley and west-side neighborhoods, the highway and the South Platte River,” said Brad Buchanan, executive director of Denver Community Planning and Development. “The Stadium District can transform its surface parking lots into a neighborhood asset, and we want to work with the community to guide that transformation and ensure it conforms to Denver’s values.”
In 2013, Sun Valley residents, businesses and property owners, including the Denver Broncos, established a clear vision for this area in the Decatur-Federal Station Area Plan. It recommended creating a year-round, mixed-use retail, entertainment, and cultural hub to complement the stadium and other area recreational opportunities, with Lower Colfax as a “main street.”
“The Metropolitan Football Stadium District, the Sun Valley neighborhood and the Denver Broncos have a long history of working together even prior to the adoption of the 2013 Decatur-Federal Station Area Plan,” said Matt Sugar, MFSD director of stadium affairs. “This planning effort is an encouraging step towards realizing the potential of this uniquely Colorado and Denver community.”
With the 2013 Decatur-Federal Station Area Plan as a foundation, a master plan will provide more detailed guidance on creating a destination in the vein of stadiums across the country looking to improve the neighbor and visitor experience, as well as improving critical transportation connections to the South Platte River, transit stations and downtown.
“This is a unique opportunity for the district to become a year-round destination with places to live, eat, shop and enjoy,” said Mac Freeman, chief commercial officer for the Denver Broncos. “Similar to what many other sports teams around the country have done, this is a great chance to turn empty lots into family friendly spaces that draw visitors throughout the year.”
The Metropolitan Football Stadium District owns the property slated for the plan. The MFSD and the Broncos hope through this future development to create a long-term, recurring income stream to support maintaining and improving the stadium, a taxpayer-owned asset.
The MFSD and the Broncos expect to replace any parking that is lost to development.
Public meetings will begin in spring 2018. For more information, visit denvergov.org/stadiumdistrict.
