The Denver Summit FC women’s soccer team is one step closer to having its own stadium south of downtown. On Wednesday, a Denver City Council committee voted to advance a package of legislation that will direct $50 million of funding toward the project.
The South Platter River Committee delayed a November vote on the package after councilors were not satisfied with city officials’ responses to their questions. In response to the delay, the Summit announced it is considering building the stadium outside of Denver.
The committee unanimously sent the deal to the full City Council, where it will be considered on its first hearing Monday. A final vote is scheduled for Dec. 22.
Under an agreement approved by the full council in May, Denver will invest $70 million overall into the project. The city and team plan to turn the vacant land, once home to the Gates Rubber factory off of Santa Fe and Interstate 25, into the second women’s professional sports venue in the country. The team has said it will spend $150 million to $200 million to build the stadium.
The Summit is obligated by its franchise agreement with the National Women’s Soccer League to build a dedicated stadium by 2028. Team president Jen Millet said the Summit will continue its conversations with other cities until the funding is officially approved Dec. 22.
“We want to do that in Denver, but that commitment came with a pretty expedited timeline,” Millet said after the meeting.
Of the $50 million the city will provide, roughly $36 million will be to purchase the land for the venue, and $15 million will go to on-site infrastructure improvements.
Interest from the Elevate Denver Bond Program will be used to fund the project. The city would move several existing projects into the bond program and use the freed-up capital for the stadium.
The city has also agreed to spend an additional $20 million on off-site improvements at a later date. Those include widening Santa Fe Drive and building an additional pedestrian bridge on the property to reach the I-25 and Broadway light rail station.
The Summit FC was announced as the 16th team in the NWSL in January after an ownership group led by Denver businessman Rob Cohen paid a then-record $110 million franchise fee. The Summit will begin league play in March, with its debut home game being played at Empower Field.
After playing at Mile High, the team will move to a temporary 12,000-seat stadium next to its training center in Centennial for two seasons, then move into Santa Fe Yards, or another permanent venue if the team decides to leave Denver.
It was also announced at the meeting that the team reached a community benefits agreement with community members representing the neighborhoods around the stadium. It outlines commitments the ownership group will make to improve the area for its residents.
While it has not been released, Millet mentioned that community members wanted commitments on sustainability, art, culture and social impact. Nearly every committee member emphasized a need to see the agreement before they agree to spend $50 million.
“We cannot vote on this on Monday, without us receiving this CBA by Friday,” councilmember Darrell Watson said.
