Denver bond proposal involving 8th Avenue viaduct stirs debate over possible Broncos involvement

CBS News

3 days ago

On Monday, the Denver City Council will have another round of discussion regarding multiple projects that would be funded under the Vibrant Denver Bond proposal. Among the many potential projects, the 8th Avenue Viaduct caused considerable debate among some members of the council.
The bridge over Burnham Yard, the former home of the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad and eventually Union Pacific, was on the shortlist for the 2017 round of bond proposals but was not greenlit for improvement. The bridge, according to DOTI, needs to be repaired, potentially removed, and rerouted to help aid rising traffic on the 6th Avenue corridor. But while the conversation centered around the traffic impacts of the bridge itself, the realization of the Broncos involvement in the land caused a stir in the committee room.
"It's impossible to ignore the Broncos as a thing in Denver. So telling you that there's no weight there or that there's no consideration there would be insulting to everyone," said Patrick Riley of the Finance Office on Monday.
"So why has it not been brought up until now is my question?" countered at-large member Sarah Parady. "You can justify any of these projects, so I don't know what the connective tissue or the line of thought was."
The Burnham Yard Development is located just east of I-25, north of the 8th Avenue bridge. That's less than two miles away from Empower Field at Mile High.
While the Broncos didn't confirm or deny their interest in the land, members of the La-Alma/Lincoln community weren't too bothered by the possibility. Simon Tafoya, a La Alma resident who is involved with the Ball Arena redevelopment as a community advocate, feels that any investment within the community — provided the developer does the necessary steps to help keep the current residents involved — is ultimately good.
"Investment in a neighborhood that has seen under-investment and disinvestment for decades is a positive sign," Tafoya told CBS Colorado, "Especially when it's merited as the bridge will need to be replaced regardless of who develops the land."
Even if the Broncos were to take over the land and the discussion of a stadium were to gain traction legitimately, there are still many steps before a shovel can be put in the ground. Currently, the yard is owned by the state, and environmental work has yet to occur. Typically, train depots have pollutants that have to be remediated. Which brings the discussion back to the traffic and potential concerns on 6th and 8th Avenue.
"6th and 8th need to get into the queue now because of how significant they are," said Cindy Patton, Chief Operating Officer of DOTI. Patton referenced that the viaduct was in the last bond proposal round as the reason why they felt prioritize the project this time around.
The Council will meet again on Monday, July 28 to discuss the viaduct as a part of the bond proposal. The Vibrant Denver Bond represents $935 million in direct infrastructure investment for a variety of projects all over the city.