Denver again delayed making a decision over whether to spend $800 million over 35 years on an expansion of the National Western Center in a close-call vote that split the City Council on Monday evening.
The two-week postponement comes as community advocates say they need more time to analyze the agreement and to try to negotiate for additional investment in the surrounding Elyria-Swansea neighborhood from the National Western Center Authority — the group that operates the facility.
The advocates say they want to see an additional $16 million lump sum for the community investment fund under an agreement they’re developing with the National Western Center Authority.
“We can address some of the questions that have been unanswered and we can possibly negotiate some more revenue or some more benefits for the community investment fund with these two weeks,” said Alfonso Espino, one of the community advocates.
The National Western Center Authority says they can’t afford to pay that. They estimate that under the current terms of the agreement, they are already planning to dedicate at least $22 million to the community investment fund over the next 35 years through various measures.
“We get up every day to create community benefit,” said Brad Buchanan, CEO of the National Western Center Authority. “Every decision we make is looking through the lens of community benefit.”
In a 7-5 vote, the council decided to postpone the vote until June 2. City officials say it’s unlikely that the agreement between the entities will change during that time. Espino argues that even if that’s true, they’ve successfully gotten concessions from previous delays.
“We feel that it’s important to make the gesture,” Espino said.
Council members Serena Gonzales-Gutierrez, Flor Alvidrez, Sarah Parady, Paul Kashmann, Amanda Sandoval, Stacie Gilmore and Jamie Torres voted in favor of the postponement.
“I’m asking for a little bit more time so that his conversation can continue,” Gonzales-Gutierrez said when proposing the postponement.
Council members Chris Hinds, Darrell Watson, Amanda Sawyer, Diana Romero-Campbell and Kevin Flynn voted no.
“I will continue to fight for more funds to go to (community investment fund),” Watson said. “I also know that in two weeks, the response that’s going to come back to the community is that there is not going to be a $16 million dollar lump sum.”
This is the second time the council has postponed the vote in two weeks. If they don’t take action on it June 2, it will automatically be approved.
The National Western Center Authority said they’ve already agreed to several community benefits, including a 4,000-square-foot community center and 5 acres of open space. They also plan to set aside 1% of all their hotel fees to go toward the fund and will offer all attendees the ability to round up their purchases to donate to the fund.
They say they will continue to look for other ways to donate to the fund. The dollars will be used for anti-displacement measures in the community to prevent gentrification caused by from the project.
Several council members who ultimately voted no said they agree with the efforts from the advocates to try to protect their community.
“You are right. You have been displaced, you have been marginalized, you have lived in one of the most polluted zip codes in the state,” Sawyer said. “I’m just not sure that the language of this agreement is going to change any in two weeks.”
The project represents the next stage of a massive project on the 250–acre campus, which has been under redevelopment since 2019. The city and its partners in the project want to expand the facility into a year-round exhibition with agricultural education and entertainment.
The public-private partnership chose Community Activation Partners, a consortium of contractors, as the developer. That group includes Fengate Asset Management, Hensel Phelps Construction, McWhinney Real Estate and Sage Hospitality.
The plan would include building a 4,500-seat equestrian center, a 570-stall stable, a 160-room hotel, 30 to 40 units of workforce housing and 580 parking spaces.
The principal cost is estimated to be $400 million and would be financed over 35 years through annual payments of up to $23 million. Without any refinancing, that would amount to about $800 million.
It would be paid for from revenue from Ballot Measure 2C, a 2015 voter-approved measure that permanently extended taxes on hotels and car rentals to support the National Western Center.
Construction would begin this fall with a goal of completion by 2028.
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