Could new Broncos’ ownership lead to push for a new stadium?

With the Denver Broncos prone to safe a brand new proprietor earlier than the beginning of the 2022 common season, the subject of a brand new stadium is already a factor. Russell Haythorn of Denver 7 coated this report final week with feedback from Broncos present President Joe Ellis and others relating to the potential for a brand new stadium combat with the brand new proprietor coming in.

“It’ll be the No. 1 determination the brand new proprietor must make,” stated Broncos President Joe Ellis. “How are we going to proceed long-term relating to the stadium? There are all types of issues that go into evaluating a brand new stadium. From a giant image perspective — that will probably be challenge No. 1.”

Empower Area at Mile Excessive is just not an outdated stadium. It can flip 21 years outdated later this August and has went by way of a $30 million improve in 2012. The stadium itself value $400 million to construct with 75% of that financing coming instantly from Colorado taxpayers.

Ellis revealed that the price of the following stadium would make that unique value seem like peanuts compared.

“It’s estimated at $2 billion and the estimates by no means are available in,” he stated. “And also you’ve received all these environmental inputs with inflation and provide chain points, uncooked supplies. So this factor goes to value fairly a bit greater than $2 billion.”

If the brand new proprietor does find yourself getting a brand new stadium deal alongside related phrases, the State of Colorado would see their prices balloon from the $300 million they spent on Empower Area at Mile Excessive to $1.5 billion this time round.

That estimated value from Joe Ellis could possibly be a little bit excessive contemplating the Buffalo Payments new stadium will are available in at $1.4 billion, with state and native governments solely masking 60% of these prices at $850 million.

Stadium offers are virtually all the time extremely contentious occasions. The Payments threatened to maneuver to Toronto and, I’m positive, the brand new Broncos proprietor must make related threats if a brand new stadium is one thing that could be a must-have for them.

As a fan, there are a few concerns that put me into the professional new stadium class.

1. The primary is that I’ve by no means actually appreciated the brand new stadium. I grew up within the 80s and 90s figuring out that few NFL stadiums might muster the homefield benefit like that outdated Mile Excessive did. The brand new stadium simply didn’t give that very same form of vibe. It may well get loud, for positive, however ask any outdated time season ticket holder if the brand new stadium matched the outdated.
2. Internet hosting the Tremendous Bowl. Should you ever wish to see a Tremendous Bowl hosted in Denver, you’ll must assist the constructing of a model new fashionable facility.

The largest con (apart from the large price ticket) is that the brand new stadium would seemingly have a retractable roof. I completely hate that. Soccer was meant to be performed outside.

Nevertheless, if a brand new stadium does grow to be a hot-button challenge for the brand new proprietor we are able to count on it to dominant the non-football associated Broncos’ discourse simply as closely because the seek for a brand new proprietor has.

The place do you stand on the potential for the Broncos to land a brand new stadium?

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