Plans unveiled for ‘authentically Denver’ NWSL stadium, entertainment district – Equalizer Soccer

Photos provided by NWSL Denver

Denver’s National Women’s Soccer League club has entered into an agreement to build a stadium at Santa Fe Yards at Broadway and I-25 in the heart of Denver. The purpose-built stadium and recreation center is expected to be ready in time for the 2028 NWSL season. The 14,500-seat venue will overlook a public park with room for shops and restaurants to create a full-blown entertainment district.

“What I’m most excited about is the potential for a win-win-win between our needs and what we need for the team, what the city wants and helping them accomplish their goals, and also building an asset for the city at large and the communities around it that is really a venue that can be utilized 365 days a year,” Denver NWSL CEO Rob Cohen told The Equalizer.

Plans are pending final approvals from the city. Denver NWSL will fund the project and control the soccer stadium but final details about the ownership structure are still being worked out.

“There is a public process that is a normal part of these kinds of projects,” Cohen said. “The way I look at it and the ownership group looks at it, should be a part of the process. We want to have open transparent dialogue with the neighborhood, with the city. We believe if you have those conversations, and everyone is transparent that you can come to a win-win-win.”

The stadium is set to be part of an expansive plan to be built on 14 acres of land that has sat dormant for decades. The vision for the complex is to reimagine the relationship between elite athleticism and community recreation. Cohen confirmed what the renderings show, that the open end of the stadium includes some visibility from the public park.

“We want to see a stadium that interacts with the community (and) interacts with the park. There are other examples of that now around the country where you can see into stadiums whether at the college level or professional level that we think create unique atmospheres and aspects. We’re leaning into that a little.”

Cohen also said the stadium will be designed with families at the top of mind.

“We’re very focused on building amenities that are unique and different for women and families. Stadiums tend to be built and designed around men.”

Cohen calls the plan the largest investment in the history of women’s professional sports, but since design plans are not yet finalized, declined to discuss the specifics of the cost. The park will be accessible by light rail and bus and the hope is that public transportation will be the preferred method of heading to the game. There will be some parking on site and more within a quarter mile of the facility, though.

The Santa Fe Yards site, according to Cohen, has been a dividing line between different sections of Denver. The project, when completed, aims to be a bridge between different parts of the city.

“Because of highways, rivers, railroad tracks, this piece of land has actually separated and divided the neighborhoods that surround it,” Cohen added. “What we’re hoping that we can do with this project is create connectivity between these different neighborhoods and allow them a way to access (each other). If we can create that connectivity that will be something unique about the project.”

NWSL Denver is expected to announce a temporary stadium and training ground later this month. Soccer hires could begin shortly after that.

As for the new project, Cohen said, “We want to do something that’s authentically Denver. So that’s taking advantage of the weather, being outside, etc, views of the mountains.”