---

RELATED

Denver Broncos Name Burnham Yard as Preferred Site for New Stadium

---

“That building or the area, Burnham Yard, is not yet zoned for a stadium,” Leech said, noting that permits must still be secured before the site becomes official.

The Broncos expect design to begin this year, with construction starting as early as 2027, and a spring 2031 opening aligned with the expiration of the team’s lease at Empower Field at Mile High.

Scope, Schedule and Public-Sector Coordination

Large Development Review materials filed with Denver’s Community Planning and Development department describe a redevelopment spanning roughly 150 acres with 5 million to 7 million sq ft of mixed-use development, excluding the stadium. The venue would anchor the west side of the site, with entertainment uses to the east and residential districts north and south.

Planning boards show more than 15 acres of open space—exceeding Denver’s 10% minimum requirement. Leech said the club intends to integrate green space throughout the district rather than concentrate it in a single park.

The project is unfolding through coordinated city and state processes. The state of Colorado purchased the 58-acre Burnham Yard property in 2021 and later secured freight and track easements before the Broncos designated it as their preferred location.

The Large Development Review is now proceeding in parallel with a City of Denver Small Area Plan and negotiation of a Community Benefits Agreement.

City planning documents indicate the stadium and mixed-use district are expected to be privately funded by the Walton-Penner Family Ownership Group, with public participation limited to surrounding infrastructure improvements and no new taxes. Total project cost has not been disclosed, though The Denver Post has reported estimates of at least $4 billion.

The site remains zoned primarily for industrial use, with rezoning discussions ongoing. Leech confirmed that no architect has been selected. “There is no timeline on renderings right now,” he said. “Haven’t even chosen an architect.”

Project boards indicate design continuing through 2027, with construction anticipated in 2027 or 2028. Phase 1 would include demolition, enabling infrastructure and the stadium itself, structured to allow overlapping approvals and construction. Subsequent phases would deliver mixed-use buildings beyond 2031.

Environmental remediation tied to the site’s history as a railyard is not yet outlined. Early materials reference demolition and site preparation, but remediation scope and cost allocation are undefined. The delivery method and construction partners have not been disclosed.

Infrastructure and Mobility

The site sits adjacent to RTD’s 10th & Osage light rail station, and planning materials anticipate upgrades to accommodate event-day demand.

“Light rail is going to be a big thing,” Leech said, noting the plan maintains the existing station with possible additional service capacity.

Presentation materials refer to a potential special-event stop tied to future Front Range Passenger Rail, expanded bus staging, and integration with the 5280 Trail and the regional bike network. Roughly 7,000 parking spaces—similar to current stadium capacity—would be primarily in structured and subsurface garages rather than surface lots.

According to the city’s voter-approved $950-million Vibrant Denver bond program project list, $89.2 million is allocated for 8th Avenue Viaduct and multimodal improvements and $50 million for 6th Avenue Viaduct repairs and pre-design for a future replacement. Those projects aim to improve east–west connectivity along the Burnham Yard corridor independently of the stadium but will directly connect with redevelopment.

In a September 2025 public statement, Denver Water said relocating operations-and-maintenance facilities would be required and that the Broncos had agreed to cover all relocation costs to avoid impacts on ratepayers.

So while the stadium itself is expected to be privately financed, these public asset integrations tie delivery into city capital planning, state land ownership and utility coordination—each operating on their own timelines.

NFL Stadium Construction Cycle Intensifies

The Broncos’ 2031 target places the project within an active NFL capital cycle that ENR has been tracking across multiple markets.

The Buffalo Bills are constructing a new stadium with a targeted 2026 opening, a project ENR has detailed for its structural steel sequencing and winter construction logistics. 

---

RELATED

Project Team Battles Elements to Complete Buffalo Football Stadium for Next Season

---

In Nashville, the Tennessee Titans are replacing Nissan Stadium with a $2.2-billion enclosed venue slated for 2027, featuring a large ETFE roof system delivered on an accelerated schedule. Meanwhile, the Washington Commanders are advancing redevelopment plans at the RFK Stadium site, where land control and public–private financing have shaped entitlement timing.

Across these projects, recurring themes include climate-controlled venues, mixed-use districts designed for year-round activation and delivery schedules anchored to fixed opening seasons. 

For Denver, the 2031 deadline tied to the lease expiration at Empower Field places similar pressure on entitlement timing, environmental clearance and the procurement of long-lead structural systems.

Until rezoning is secured and a design and construction team is selected, Burnham Yard remains a “preferred site” rather than a fully entitled project. But with a defined phasing framework and a publicly reiterated opening target, the Broncos have moved firmly into execution planning.