Nearly 60 acres of prime central Denver real estate is up for redevelopment and residents are being asked to share their thoughts as the process kicks off this week.
The Denver Broncos plan to build their new stadium and a mixed-use district at Burnham Yard, the decommissioned railyard near La Alma Lincoln Park.
Alongside that development, the city is drafting a “Small Area Plan”, a year-long process that will be “focused on how to realize the community goals of a redeveloped railyard while addressing the potential impact on the surrounding neighborhoods.” The plan will cover the next 20 years of development around the proposed stadium.
The first of several meetings will be open to the public on Wednesday at La Alma Recreation Center from 5-7 p.m. Public officials, including Mayor Mike Johnston, various city council members, city planners and Denver Broncos representatives will be there.
“Attendees will have the chance to walk through a variety of stations to share thoughts and input on the community’s needs, concerns and vision for the future,” an event description said.
Small area plans typically include recommendations about housing, displacement prevention, infrastructure needs and community resources.
Stadium planning is already well underway. The Broncos recently submitted a pre-application for construction and hopes to obtain permits as soon as January 2027 and finish construction for the 2031 season. Team owners say the stadium will be privately financed, but the team may pursue tax benefits such as tax-increment financing, which would reimburse construction costs using tax dollars generated by the project.
Plus, voters recently approved $140 million in infrastructure improvements around Burnham Yard through the Vibrant Denver bond. That money will pay for upgrades to viaducts near the site, which the team is counting on for its stadium plans.
