A turbulent debate over a proposed professional women’s soccer stadium has largely come to a close at Denver City Council.
Members voted Monday night to approve five items that will allow the owners of the Denver Summit FC to build a future 14,500-seat stadium at the site of the old Gates Rubber Factory, at South Broadway and I-25.
“This is a monumental day for South Broadway, for women’s soccer and for women’s sports, and for Denver as a whole,” said Mayor Mike Johnston, in a statement.
The city will release $50 million for the purchase and improvement of the land for the Denver Summit FC’s future private stadium and another $20 million for improvements to the neighborhood.
Earlier this month, the city broke down how the $50 million would be spent. A bulk of the funding — $35 million — will be used to purchase the land itself, which will be lent to the team. Should the team ever leave the site, the city will be able to retain ownership of the land.
Some council members raised concerns about that arrangement.
“We're letting them build this private stadium on land that will be owned by a public entity, which means they will not have to pay property taxes ever on that land,” said Councilmember Sarah Parady.
The city was able to carve out $70 million for the project by moving several projects out from the capital improvement fund. Those projects will be funded by interest dollars collected from a 2017 bond package.
Another $15 million in funding would be allocated to improvements like excavation and utilities.
The city projected that onsite work will exceed initial estimates, but the team’s ownership will be responsible for any cent more than the $50 million the city has dedicated.
City officials also said they hope to pay for a new pedestrian bridge to serve the stadium with money from state and federal grants and other sources.
The funding and other related items passed on a 10-3 vote, with council members Stacie Gilmore, Shontel Lewis and Parady opposing them.
The team recently committed to a community benefit agreement with surrounding neighborhoods.
A major part of the agreement is the creation of a community investment fund, which will take money from the team and direct it toward local needs, like scholarships, equipment donations, help with housing stability and more.
The initial investment in the fund from the team will be $400,000. Annually, the team will contribute $300,000.
The team also committed to an art fund, partnerships with schools and community groups, and leasing space to local businesses.
Several community leaders told the city council that the neighborhoods unanimously supported the project and the benefits they would receive.
Denver’s family homelessness crisis entered the soccer stadium debate.
For weeks, unhoused families, largely Venezuelan immigrants, have been coming to city council meetings begging council members for help.
On Monday, they spoke again, alongside advocates from the Housekeys Action Network Denver, who blasted the council for spending tens of millions on a new stadium when families were living in cars and tents.
Multiple council members addressed the criticism.
Parady declined to support the new stadium, arguing the money would be better used from both an economic and humanitarian perspective in building affordable housing.
Councilmember Kevin Flynn pointed out that the city has spent hundreds of millions addressing homelessness. Perhaps it’s time to reassess how that money is being used, he said.
“Maybe we're spending it in the wrong way, if children are still on the street,” he said.
Councilmember Flor Alvidrez, who has shepherded the stadium project, raised her voice at the unhoused families, telling them every member of the city council cares about their struggle. She described conversations in her own family about their fears if federal immigration police come tomorrow.
“We are not your enemy,” she said.
Alvidrez described her council district as welcoming and talked about some of the shelters inside it.
“This idea that we want to just hand out money to billionaires and not care about people experiencing homelessness is insane,” she told the families. “It's absolutely insane.”
What’s next?
The Summit FC will play its inaugural season at a stadium in Centennial while construction on the Denver site is underway.
The goal is for the team to begin playing in Denver in 2028.
