Even as Denver's investing more than $233 million in expanding the Colorado Convention Center with a new terrace, the existing 2.2 million square foot structure is falling into ill repair because there isn't enough money for upkeep.
The city is more than $62 million behind in deferred maintenance costs and the Denver Arts and Venues estimates that figure could have ballooned above $70 million.
That's according to a document sent by Denver Arts and Venues to Mayor Mike Johnston obtained by Denverite through an open records request.
"The challenge with the Convention Center has been that the sources of funds for capital improvement are not keeping up with what's needed for a building of that magnitude, with the kind of almost daily activity that happens in the facility," Arts and Venues head Ginger White said.
For a decade, Denver allocated just $1 million a year on maintenance. In 2023, the city raised that figure to $5 million -- but it's still not enough, according to the agency.
Escalators need upkeep. The carpet needs replacing. So does the roof membrane that prevents flooding.
In emergencies -- like when an escalator quits working -- the city has money for repairs, White said.
Some of the repairs the city knows it needs cost more than the $5 million dedicated manually to Convention maintenance, so Arts and Venues is working with the Department of Finance about how to fund those projects and do daily upkeep, White said.
"It's a balancing act," she added.
Denver spends among the least in the nation for maintenance at similarly sized convention center, according to the report from Arts and Venues.
"Using 2019 as a comparison to other convention centers, CCC's operating gap (revenue less expenses) is the lowest in its competitive set," the report reads.
If the Convention Center isn't functioning, that reduces the amount of money the city can spend on daily operations and addressing the big issues that matter to residents.
The building likely comes in second place to Denver International Airport in attracting individuals who pay for hotel rooms, said White. Visitors, in turn, pay the city's Lodger's Tax that raises money for the city's general operating expenses, helping pay for Denver to function.
The Convention Center's carpet and roof have not exactly been the priority of Johnston, who came into office with sweeping promises about ending homelessness in four years -- and fuzzier plans about maintaining everyday operations.
"There are certainly needs across the city and growing needs," White acknowledges. "Fixing escalators doesn't have a lot of sex appeal or doesn't feel like it's going to move the needle when you're trying to address some of the concerns of Denver residents: people who are experiencing homelessness or other things."
As she sees it, triage, when it comes to some of those flashpoint issues, is necessary.
Ending homelessness, too, is a priority of city boosters trying to attract conventions to Denver. So is reducing crime and finishing construction on the 16th Street Mall. All three will make the city more appealing to groups looking to book their conventions in town.
While the city's not able to take care of the Convention Center as is, why is it adding a new $233 million terrace that will expand the facility to 2.4 million square feet?
The expansion will make the Colorado Convention Center more competitive with convention centers nationwide that are also expanding and make the city center more attractive to people looking to throw events, White said.
"It's going to be a great addition," she added.
There will be a new ballroom, landscaped outdoor areas and "a birds-eye view of Downtown and the Rocky Mountains," according to the project's website. The city's upgrading technology and building new networking spaces, and the new project will be integrated into the existing building.
The expansion has created 2,691 new jobs and some will include training for Denverites who are unemployed.
According to city estimates, the project will add $4 billion in economic impact.
The new addition is expected to be complete by the end of the year and is on budget, according to White. The building will open in the spring of 2024.
The addition, which will also require maintenance, will not necessarily increase how much the city is spending on repairs.
At the end of the year, Arts and Venues will reassess the conditions of the convention center.
The last time that was done, according to White, was in 2016.
Things could be even worse than the city knows, and Arts and Venues speculates the costs may have exceeded $70 million.
Mayor Johnston's spokesperson Jordan Fuja told Denverite he's waiting until the evaluation is complete to decide priorities for the next several years.
"We'll have better data with aging systems being what they are and costs being what they are," White said. "We've chipped away at that $60 million list, but we'll see what the new report reveals."
This story has been updated with comment from Johnston's office.
