DENVER — Facilities that house several Denver Water operations will need to relocate to make way for the Denver Broncos should their plans for a Burnham Yard stadium come to fruition — a venture that the team said it will pay for.
The team's ownership group, along with Colorado Gov. Jared Polis and Denver Mayor Mike Johnston, announced a plan on Tuesday for a privately funded, retractable-roof stadium in Denver, about one mile southeast from the current stadium.
However, if this plan goes forward, Denver Water, which serves 1.5 million people in Denver and the surrounding areas, will need to make some changes, the department said in its own press release Tuesday.
Denver Water has called Burnham Yard home for more than a century and constructed new infrastructure there as recently as 2019 with its operations complex. As such, Denver Water said it has been part of months of "intense discussion and negotiation" about how to keep its operations running while making room for the possible new stadium.
Stephanie Donner, board president for Denver Water, said that the Board of Water commissioners recognize that keeping the stadium in Denver is an "important and exciting" opportunity for the community, but the department noted that Denver Water facilities currently at Burnham Yard will need to move out of the way and set up elsewhere.
“We have committed to helping make Burnham Yard home of the new stadium, with the understanding that any impacted Denver Water facilities need to be fully replaced to the same high-quality standards, and at no expense to Denver Water’s ratepayers or adverse impacts to our operations," Donner said.
The Broncos have agreed to pay all costs necessary to fund this partial relocation. This includes new property acquisitions, site preparation and construction, Denver Water said. Funds from customers' water rates will not be used for this. The total cost for this project is under review.
Denver Water, the city and the Broncos ownership group have identified some possible sites for the relocation. In some cases, the new sites will enhance Denver Water's operations, the department said.
“We will be working out the full agreement over the next few months with the Broncos and the city of Denver to ensure any transition is as smooth as possible for our employees and customers," said Denver Water CEO/Manager Alan Salazar. “Delivering a clean, reliable water supply every day, without fail and at an affordable rate remains our top priority. Our employees are rightly proud of our mission to provide water for 1.5 million people in the region, but they also understand how important a new stadium will be for the community.”
A letter published Tuesday from the Broncos owners, Mayor Johnston and Gov. Polis made a brief note about possible impacts to Denver Water. It read: "Together, we will work hand-in-hand with the Denver City Council, local neighborhoods and community organizations — including Denver Water — to shape this vision with their needs and priorities in mind."
So, what exactly will need to move to make way for the proposed stadium?
Denver Water's Administration Building, which serves as home base for about 1,200 employees, will stay at its current location at 12th Avenue and N. Shoshone Street, but the buildings that house the department's operations and maintenance, distribution, trades, fleet, meter shop, warehouse and health clinic workers will need to relocate. All of this infrastructure is on the south side of the complex.
“While this is not something we sought, Denver Water understands the significance of this opportunity for the city of Denver and the economic importance for the larger community we serve,” Salazar said. “Over the last several months, we have been exploring how we can help to keep the Broncos in Denver at their preferred location without compromising our critical mission or jeopardizing our financial or operational needs. Most important of all, accommodating a new stadium cannot be financed or subsidized by our ratepayers... Today’s announcement shines a light on the path of how we get a deal done that is important for the future of both the Denver Broncos and Denver Water — two organizations with unique ties to the region."
