A resort hotel company's plan to build an $824-million hotel and conference center northeast of Denver near Denver International Airport, and a separate proposal to relocate the National Western Stock Show and Rodeo complex there, have Denver tourism and city officials worried that the projects could draw hotel business away from the Mile-High City
Nashville, Tenn.-based Gaylord Entertainment Co. has announced plans to build the hotel and conference center, outside of Denver in neighboring Aurora County, with a planned late 2015 opening. Gaylord is buying the land from LNR Property LLC, Miami Beach, Fla., for an undisclosed amount; the sale is expected to close this year. The 1,500-room resort would become the largest hotel in the Denver area and could create 2,500 direct and indirect jobs, roughly 1,900 construction jobs over three years, according to Aurora city officials. They reckon it could generate more than $5 million a year in tax revenue.