Denver again delays decision on $800 million expansion of National Western Center

Denver again delayed making a decision over whether to spend million over 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 neighborhood advocates say they need more time to analyze the agreement and to try to negotiate for additional funding 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 million lump sum for the public assets fund under an agreement they re emerging with the National Western Center Authority We can address specific of the questions that have been unanswered and we can possibly negotiate certain more revenue or various more benefits for the society capital fund with these two weeks explained Alfonso Espino one of the population 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 million to the group funding fund over the next years through various measures We get up every day to create society benefit declared Brad Buchanan CEO of the National Western Center Authority Every decision we make is looking through the lens of society benefit In a - vote the council decided to postpone the vote until June City personnel 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 crucial to make the gesture Espino revealed 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 declared 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 neighborhood financing fund Watson announced I also know that in two weeks the response that s going to come back to the district is that there is not going to be a 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 it will automatically be approved The National Western Center Authority revealed they ve already agreed to several group benefits including a -square-foot region center and acres of open space They also plan to set aside 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 methods to donate to the fund The dollars will be used for anti-displacement measures in the public to prevent gentrification caused by from the project Several council members who ultimately voted no declared they agree with the efforts from the advocates to try to protect their district You are right You have been displaced you have been marginalized you have lived in one of the the majority polluted zip codes in the state Sawyer mentioned 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 acre campus which has been under redevelopment since The city and its partners in the project want to expand the facility into a year-round exhibition with agricultural guidance and entertainment Related Articles Denver postpones effort to give important raises to Mayor Mike Johnston s top appointees Denver council poised to approve new tech rules for scooters to keep riders off sidewalks Denver City Council s Suncor virtue signaling costs residents K Letters Should Denver allow exemptions for Waste No More ordinance Initiative s backer objects to changes Keeler Dick Monfort Rockies turning Denver into Loserville NWSL owner Rob Cohen plans to change that next summer The public-private partnership chose Locality 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 -seat equestrian center a -stall stable a -room hotel to units of workforce housing and parking spaces The principal cost is estimated to be million and would be financed over years through annual payments of up to million Without any refinancing that would amount to about million It would be paid for from revenue from Ballot Measure C a voter-approved measure that permanently extended taxes on hotels and car rentals to endorsement the National Western Center Construction would begin this fall with a goal of completion by Stay up-to-date with Colorado Politics by signing up for our weekly newsletter The Spot