Last week, the Denver City Council was expected to give Denver’s NWSL owners $50 million in taxpayer money for construction of a new soccer stadium. The city could also spend an additional $20 million in improvements near the stadium. The team continues to claim that they are on a quick deadline because of a “promise it made to the National Women’s Soccer League” to have the stadium ready for the 2028 season. One council member finally challenged why everything was being rushed “because of agreements between private parties.”
The council delayed voting on the release of this money because of a “lack of key information.” For example, council members still do not have a specific breakdown of how and where the money will be spent. The council president seemed flustered that she “had to ask several times” why the team wasn’t giving them all the information. When the team’s attorney was asked for the project’s final cost numbers, she told the council that she didn’t have them due to their construction estimates not being finished.
Multiple council members admitted that there was “frustration with being asked to vote on a measure while missing details”:
How exactly will the city pay for a new bridge that would be built for the new stadium? State grant? Who knows?
Will tax increment financing be used to subsidize this entire project? Maybe?
In the past, the city said that they would pay $20 million for “improvements around the stadium.” Is that still happening? Possibly?
Where is the Community Benefits Agreement that the team promised to have in place before the final vote to approve the funds? Bueller? Bueller?
Now, the team is not happy. How dare the council not give them $50 million of taxpayer money with the limited information that the team gave the city and council? So, Denver Summit FC is looking to other cities because of the “challenges” it is having with the Denver City Council. Let me get this straight. The team gave the council a “blank document” with few details about the project…yet the team calls this delay “frustrating”?
Thankfully, this doesn’t seem to be moving the council members, who continue to demand the requested information from the team:
“Denver wants this team here … but Denver cannot be pressured into rushing through an agreement worth millions of dollars without a finished community benefits agreement, completed infrastructure planning, and transparent financial terms” – Greeley Tribune, 11/17/25, Councilwoman Flor Alvidrez, who represents Baker.
Presently, this is where we are at. The team continues to tell the media that they are somehow being “being open and honest” with the city, council, and public. They are being so honest that everyone is in agreement about having no idea about the true details of the project.
