Denver, CO

Will a NWSL stadium benefit Denver businesses? Experts debate if city’s $70 million investment plan will pay off

Published

11 months ago

May 4, 2025

Will a NWSL stadium benefit Denver businesses? Experts debate if city’s million investment plan will pay off

During a recent Denver City Council meeting, Ryan Fleming and fellow business advocates stepped up to the microphone. They urged city leaders to spend $70 million to help bring a new women’s professional soccer stadium to a dormant swath of Baker, arguing it would infuse the broader neighborhood with new life and customers.

“I couldn’t understand any logic why you wouldn’t want to do it,” said Fleming, an investor in a sports bar on South Broadway, adding that the ensuing tax revenue must be reason enough to approve the project.

But the true economic benefits aren’t so clear.

Decades of research show that when cities shell out millions of dollars to build stadiums, they rarely recoup their costs — and the local economies see limited growth. That’s according to an analysis of more than 130 studies of local government stadium deals published in 2022 in the Journal of Economic Surveys. Generally, research shows the facilities only move spending within different parts of a city, rather than bringing in new dollars.

“These are money pits,” said Geoffrey Propheter, a professor at the University of Colorado Denver who researches the economics of sports facilities. “The vast majority of the burden ends up being on taxpayers.”

Still, many supporters in the community — and Denver Mayor Mike Johnston, the city investment plan’s chief proponent — see the stadium project planned for the new National Women’s Soccer League team as a sign of hope for a blighted lot that has sat vacant, collecting trash and dirt, for over a decade.

The stadium would be built on the northwest portion of the 40-acre former Gates Rubber factory site. It’s tucked between the South Platte River, I-25 and the Broadway light rail station, located near a section of South Broadway that is underdeveloped. Store fronts sit empty and pedestrians rarely venture that far down the street from Broadway’s livelier blocks to the north.

The proposed deal with the new team’s ownership group calls for the city to spend tens of millions of dollars for the purchase of the property and for site and access improvements, while the team’s ownership group will be responsible for building the stadium itself.

Johnston, who announced the proposal alongside the team’s owner in April, has called the project “a transformational opportunity.”

“It’s been sitting empty and the neighbors have been waiting for this to be really activated as an economic opportunity,” he said in a recent meeting with Denver Post journalists.

Council members, some of whom are skeptical of the city’s plan and others supportive, will have to weigh that area’s hopes for revitalization with the uncertainty of how much the project would financially benefit the whole city. The council is set to take its first full vote on Johnston’s investment proposal Monday, with a final decision following on May 12.

The mayor’s administration, which designed the proposal with the team’s ownership, has produced its own economic study. It projects $2.2 billion in economic impact for the city over the next 30 years from the stadium and neighboring mixed-use development.

That impact was calculated through a complicated economic modeling process that considers direct and indirect spending from construction as well as tax revenue and consumer purchases. It’s difficult to quantify how much of that is projected to be from the spending of “new” dollars — rather than just a reallocation of spending that would have occurred anyway in other areas of the city.

If the council doesn’t agree to pitch in the $70 million, the team is unlikely to stay in Denver, the ownership group’s leader, Rob Cohen, told the council last month.

“Show us that we matter, too”

Under the proposal, the city would spend up to $50 million for the land and another $20 million for improvements to the surrounding area. The team, which hasn’t been named yet, would build a 14,500-seat stadium there at a cost of $150 million to $200 million. It also plans to bring in partners to build a neighboring mixed-use development with housing and restaurants.

Beyond the murkiness of the economic benefits is the prospect of building one of the first stadiums dedicated to women’s sports in the world.

For many, that’s the most important consideration.

“Show us women and girls of Denver that we deserve the opportunity and facilities that the men do,” Sydnee Mitchell told the council during that same meeting in April. “Show us that we matter, too.”

The city’s economic analysis also emphasizes that factor.

“The long-term community benefits such as community pride, local identity, opportunity for women in sports and youth engagement have the potential to make this project not just about dollars — but civic identity, opportunity and inspiring the next generation,” according to the analysis.

The city report also says the project would create 1,100 jobs, with a significant portion of that coming from indirect and “induced jobs,” defined as “additional jobs created as direct and indirect workers spend their earnings in the community.”

A pedestrian bridge crosses over the railroad tracks near I-25 and RTD’s Broadway light rail station at the Santa Fe Yards site in Denver on Friday, April 25, 2025. (Photo by Hyoung Chang/The Denver Post)

The study’s authors made their calculations assuming that the neighboring development would bring in $700 million in construction spending on a hotel, restaurants and 2,500 housing units. They also assumed that only 10% of attendees would be people from outside metro Denver.

Outside studies from a broad set of economists and journals have found that the economic benefits of stadiums are often overstated in analyses like these.

One reason the city-produced research has limited usefulness, Propheter said, is because its analysts don’t consider other possible uses of the dollars.

“An economic impact study only tells you one piece of information: the benefits,” he said. “It does not tell you what are the benefits of competing uses of funds, and what are the costs of all possible uses?”

City hasn’t done full cost-benefit analysis

While the city’s study took a limited look at the opportunity costs — the trade-offs of not pursuing alternative options — the in-house economist doesn’t yet have enough information to perform a full cost-benefit analysis that considers all possible uses of the $70 million, said Laura Swartz, the spokesperson for the city’s Department of Finance.

The project may offer limited benefits to restaurants and bars in the immediate area, but it’s unlikely to have much impact on the overall economy of the city, Propheter said.

“Why is moving money from one part of the city to another part of the city a good use of taxpayer dollars?” he said.

Because of a tax-break measure already approved for the former Gates site, the city also wouldn’t have a chance to collect property or sales tax there until 2043.

The team plans to ask for permission to obtain additional tax breaks to help recoup the cost of the stadium, said Dan Barrett, an advisor to the ownership group, during an April 29 meeting between the council and the mayor.

Johnston said the city would have to approve such a request, including deciding whether it has a public purpose.

Under a plan laid out by the Department of Finance, Denver largely would spend interest money that’s accrued in its 2017 Elevate Denver bond program for its contribution. That money would be used indirectly, with the city putting it toward other city projects that are being paid for through its capital projects fund; that saved money would then be used for the stadium.

Councilwoman Sarah Parady has said she’s worried that, given the uncertainty of the worldwide economy, the project will never come to fruition. That’s what happened in Commerce City with development around Dick’s Sporting Goods Park.

Opened in 2007, the stadium was originally meant to be the centerpiece of a 600,000-square-foot development to include housing, shops, restaurants and offices. Voters there approved a $64 million bond to help finance it.

The owners never built out the project, though.

“These are completely different projects,” said Cohen, the Denver NWSL team owner, pointing instead to the revitalization of Lower Downtown that occurred in the 1990s when the Colorado Rockies’ ballpark opened. “I think it is more comparable to Coors Field than it is to the stadium in Commerce City.”

If the council approves the agreement for the NWSL stadium, the team will begin soliciting public input and designing the site. The council would have a chance to consider the detailed plan in the fall — and if the project moves forward, construction would unfold with the goal of a 2028 opening for the stadium.

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Denver, CO

Every Opening and Closing This Week: Six Spots Debuted

Published

23 minutes ago

March 28, 2026

Press Room

Every Opening and Closing This Week: Six Spots Debuted

Paperboy has opened its first location outside of Texas.

Paperboy

Denver is a city that loves to brunch and now, one of Austin’s top daytime spots has opened a location in the West Highland neighborhood. Paperboy’s third outpost is its first outside of its home state of Texas. The concept, which founder Rynan Harms started in a food trailer, has taken over the former home of Rooted Craft American Kitchen (and FNG before that).

“We love this neighborhood because it’s still close to downtown but has its own unique and relaxed vibe,” says Robert Brown, Harms’ longtime business partner, who has lived in Denver for nearly a decade. “People know their neighbors, they show up to community events, they’re invested in this place in a way that feels increasingly rare. That sense of connection is something Paperboy has always tried to foster, and we’re honored to be a part of it here in Denver.”

The menu includes staples such as the chicken and biscuit drizzled with spicy honey; Texas Hash with roasted pork, sweet potato, onion, kale, poached egg and pecan mole; and the Paperboy Pancake, described as “a cake-forward cornmeal pancake that still manages to be impossibly fluffy.”

martini on a table in front of a bar — FiNO’s martini is made with pickled tomato water.

Also now open is FiNO, the restaurant inside the revamped All Inn Hotel on East Colfax. We enjoyed our first meal there; if you’re planning to visit, don’t miss the signature martini, the Medi Nachos and the caper-studded charred cabbage.

On East Sixth Avenue, the powerhouse duo behind the city’s best new barbecue restaurant, Riot BBQ, has debuted Chicken Riot in the former Truffle Cheese Shop space. Meanwhile, the former Whiskey Biscuit in Englewood is now the Barn, a neighborhood eatery from a pair of longtime hospitality pros, including former Brider chef Chase Devitt.

Taqueria Los Gallitos has expanded once again, adding an eighth location in the former Taco John’s near the shuttered Denver Merchandise Mart.

And just in time for the Rockies home opener on Friday, April 3, McGregor Square has opened its revamped food hall. The former Milepost Zero moniker is out. Now, the space is dubbed McGregor Square Food & Drink and includes six food stalls from local eateries: Anthony’s Pizza & Pasta, C Burger, G-Que BBQ, High Point Creamery, TaCo! and Tora Ramen.

There’s just one closure to report this week: Ballyhoo Table & Stage, which actually shuttered last month after an eviction notice was posted.

In other openings and closings news:

chicken club sandwich — A chicken club is one of the sandwiches on off at the Barn.

Here’s the complete list of restaurants and bars that opened and closed this week*:

Openings

The Barn South Broadway, 3299 South Broadway, Englewood
Chicken Riot, 2906 East Sixth Avenue
FiNO, 3015 East Colfax Avenue
McGregor Square Food & Drink, 1601 19th Street
Paperboy, 3940 West 32nd Avenue
Taqueria Los Gallitos, 5810 Logan Street

Closures

Ballyhoo Table & Stage, 3300 Tejon Street

*Or earlier and not previously reported.

Know of something we missed? Email cafe@westword.com.

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Denver, CO

Preview: Spirit Prepares for First Match Against Denver Summit FC, Another Record Crowd

Published

13 hours ago

March 28, 2026

Press Room

Preview: Spirit Prepares for First Match Against Denver Summit FC, Another Record Crowd

Denver, Colo. (03/27/2026) – In front of another expected record-breaking crowd, the Washington Spirit is set to take on Denver Summit FC in the side’s inaugural home match at Empower Field at Mile High. With over 60,000 tickets already distributed, the match is poised to break the NWSL attendance record of 40,091 set last summer when the Spirit visited Bay FC at San Francisco’s Oracle Park. Kicking off at 2 p.m. EDT, the match will broadcast nationally on CBS.

The Spirit

Washington comes into this weekend’s fixture off a difficult 1-1 home draw with Utah Royals FC earlier this week. After scoring in the 18th minute, the Spirit nearly earned its first victory of 2026 but conceded an equalizer late and had to settle for a single point on the table. Washington’s goal was scored by midfielder Rebeca Bernal, the Mexican star’s first since transferring to the NWSL last year.

Saturday afternoon’s match will mark the first-ever meeting between the Spirit, one of the NWSL’s original clubs, and 2026 expansion side Denver Summit FC. Denver will be the 17th different opponent for Washington across its regular season history: the Spirit has played against 13 active clubs (all except expansion sides Denver and Boston) as well as defunct clubs the Boston Breakers, FC Kansas City and the Western New York Flash.

The Spirit has had success against expansion sides as of late, tallying 11 wins in 15 matches against NWSL clubs in their first season of competition since the start of the 2021 campaign. In 2024, the Spirit went a perfect 5-0-0 against Bay FC and Utah Royals FC, outscoring the teams 10-3 with a playoff win to boot. In 2022, Washington earned a 1-3-0 record against Angel City FC and San Diego Wave FC and, in 2021, the eventual NWSL champions went an impressive 5-1-0 against Kansas City and Racing Louisville FC.

This weekend’s matchup at Empower Field at Mile High, home of the NFL’s Denver Broncos, is set to shatter the NWSL’s single match attendance record with over 60,000 tickets already distributed. The Spirit has also been the visiting team for two of the league’s previous three record-setting attendances: 34,130 fans at Seattle’s Lumen Field when the Spirit took on the Reign and 40,091 in the stands at San Francisco’s historic Oracle Park to watch Washington play Bay FC.

Washington is in good standing in several attacking categories through three matches despite two draws and a loss. The Spirit remains first in the league in rate of possession at nearly 62% and top three in both shots and shots on target with 49 and 17, respectively. With just three goals through three matches, look for the Spirit attack to continue getting attempts on frame this weekend.

Following Saturday’s match, the Spirit will hit the road again next weekend for an away match against Bay FC in San Jose on Sunday, April 5. Washington’s next home match will be on Friday, April 24 at 8 p.m. EDT when the side hosts the defending Shield winner Kansas City Current at Audi Field. Information on tickets can be found HERE.

The Opponent

Denver Summit FC opened its inaugural season with three straight away matches, collecting a win, a loss and a draw to carry four points into its home opener this weekend. Summit FC dropped its first match to Bay FC 1-2 before drawing Orlando 1-1 and beating Gotham 2-0.

Summit FC is led in scoring by star German forward Melissa Kössler who has three goals in three matches, scoring once in each contest. With a goal tomorrow, the forward would join Alex Morgan as just the second player in league history to score in each of her first four matches with a club. Look for the Spirit defending third to place an emphasis on limiting chances to Kössler on Saturday afternoon.

Denver has only allowed one goal across its last 240 minutes of action after giving up two in the first 30 minutes of the side’s opener. The strong recent form of Summit FC’s defending third against the Spirit attacking third’s ability to generate chance after chance will be a point to watch this weekend.

Three former Spirit players are currently on the Summit FC roster as midfielders Meg Boade and Jordan Baggett and defender Camryn Biegalski signed with the side ahead of this season. Baggett spent four years with the Spirit after being drafted by the side in 2019 while Biegalski signed with Washington in 2021 and played three seasons, both winning the 2021 NWSL Championship with the team. Boade spent the first half of the 2025 season in DC as a short-term injury replacement, even scoring a goal for the Spirit.

Following tomorrow’s match, Denver will travel to Seattle to face Reign FC on Saturday, April 4.

All-Time Series History

This weekend’s match will be the first-ever meeting between the Spirit and Denver Summit FC.

About The Washington Spirit

The Washington Spirit is the premier professional women’s soccer team based in Washington, D.C. and plays at Audi Field in Buzzard Point. The Spirit was founded on November 21, 2012 and is an inaugural member of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) the fastest growing sports league in the US. The club is home to some of the best players in the world who have won championships for both club and country. For more information about the Spirit, visit WashingtonSpirit.com and follow the club on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

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Denver, CO

Jazz List 8 Players on Injury Report vs. Nuggets

Published

1 day ago

March 27, 2026

Press Room

Jazz List 8 Players on Injury Report vs. Nuggets

The Utah Jazz and Denver Nuggets are tipping off their second-to-last meeting of the 2025-26 season on Friday in the Mile High, where for the Jazz in particular, they’ll be dealing with several injuries headed into the matchup that’ll make them shorthanded once again.

Here’s what to expect on the injury front for both the Jazz and Nuggets on Friday night:

Utah Jazz Injury Report

OUT – Isaiah Collier (hamstring)

OUT – Keyonte George (hamstring)

OUT – Jaren Jackson Jr. (knee)

OUT – Walker Kessler (shoulder)

OUT – Lauri Markkanen (hip)

OUT – Jusuf Nurkic (nose)

PROBABLE – Kyle Filipowski (illness)

OUT – Blake Hinson (two-way)

It’s a lot of the same for the Jazz when looking back at some of their recent injury reports, but there’s also some good news to note as well.

Second-year big man Kyle Filipowski, specifically, is trending up to play in Denver after dealing with an illness against the Washington Wizards; an issue that kept him sidelined for one game and left the Jazz’s frontcourt notably shorthanded for what would be a double-digit loss.

During his post-All-Star stretch, Filipowski has been averaging 13.2 points, 8.8 rebounds, 4.2 assists, along with 1.2 steals and 0.9 blocks through 11 games.

He’s slotted in primarily as the Jazz’s starting center since both Walker Kessler and Jusuf Nurkic have been out with season-ending injuries, and has shown some nice flashes throughout.

Mar 23, 2026; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Jazz center Kyle Filipowski (22) controls the ball during the first quarter against the Toronto Raptors at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Chris Nicoll-Imagn Images | Chris Nicoll-Imagn Images

However, outside of getting Filipowski back in the mix, the Jazz will still be without second-year guard Isaiah Collier, who continues to deal with hamstring soreness, and will also continue to be down Keyonte George and Lauri Markkanen with their extended absences.

It remains to be seen if any of the latter two will be able to return at some point this season, but now with less than 10 games to go on the calendar before the offseason officially hits, the chances of either Markkanen or George coming back keep getting slimmer and slimmer.

For the extent either remains out, expect to see a good chunk of Ace Bailey being the primary scoring option as he has through his recent slate of games, along with an expanded role for their two-way and 10-day players down the bench who have gotten more minutes in recent weeks.

Denver Nuggets Injury Report

OUT – David Roddy (two-way)

OUT – KJ Simpson (two-way)

As for the Nuggets, their injury slate remains clean. The only names out will be a pair of their two way signings in David Roddy and KJ Simpsons, while the rest of their roster is slated to be active.

It’s a major change from what the Nuggets have been used to all season when factoring in their several injuries to key players lasting multiple weeks.

Nikola Jokic, Cameron Johnson, Christian Braun, Aaron Gordon, and Peyton Watson have all missed significant time at one point or another this season, but against Utah, they’ll have all systems go as they roll into the game on a three-game win streak.

Tip-off between the Jazz and Nuggets lands at 7 p.m. MT in Ball Arena.

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