The latest $400 million expansion project at the National Western Center will proceed after the Denver City Council on Monday approved a deal to bring an equestrian center and hotel to the site.
The 9-4 vote came after weeks of delays over the proposal as some advocates in the Elyria-Swansea neighborhood objected to the deal, which is expected to cost about $800 million when financing is factored in.
“I believe there is a win, and a win for everyone in (the community),” said Councilman Darrell Watson, who represents the neighborhood and voted in favor.
He said he will continue to work on gathering more money for the community from the project. Community advocates have said the city and its partners should agree to an additional $16 million lump sum for the community investment fund, beyond an estimated $22 million they’ve already committed to contribute over the next 35 years.
At the council’s May 19 meeting, seven council members voted to postpone the decision for two weeks to allow community advocates to further analyze the agreement and try to negotiate for additional investment. But representatives of the National Western Center Authority, which operates the campus and its new buildings, said during the meeting that their existing agreement was unlikely to change in the meantime.
The community advocates and the authority didn’t reach any new agreements during that period.
During the public comment portion of Monday’s meeting, several Elyria-Swansea residents spoke about the vote, some in support and some opposed. Those in favor of the expansion said they believed it would make their neighborhood feel safer and bring jobs to the area. Other speakers urged the council to vote against the project so that advocates could negotiate for more community benefits.
Four council members who previously voted for the postponement were in support of the project Monday night.
Council members Serena Gonzales-Gutierrez, Sarah Parady, Jamie Torres and Shontel Lewis voted no on the project deal.
A rendering shows a planned hotel, right, and equestrian center, back left, that will be built as part of a project on the National Western Center campus by the city of Denver and the National Western Center Authority. (Screenshot from presentation to Denver City Council)Mayor Mike Johnston celebrated the decision in a news release after the vote.
“There is no more cherished tradition in Denver than the Stock Show,” he said. “Today, we are further committing to carrying that feeling throughout the rest of the year with events, entertainment, and a renewed dedication to putting people to work and improving the lives of neighbors through sustained — and lasting — trust and partnership.”
The project plan includes an equestrian center, a stable, a hotel, workforce housing and parking. The expansion of the National Western Center has been underway since 2019, with plans going back more than a decade.
The new project is a public-private partnership between the city and the National Western Center Authority. The developer is Community Activation Partners, which is made up of multiple contractors including Fengate Asset Management, Hensel Phelps Construction, McWhinney Real Estate and Sage Hospitality.
The authority said it had agreed to provide several community benefits, including a 4,000-square-foot community center and five acres of open space on the property. It also plans to set aside 1% of all hotel fees to go toward the community investment fund and will offer all event attendees the ability to round up their purchases to donate to it.
The fund is intended to be used for anti-displacement measures for residents in the community.
The project, which is set to cost $400 million and be financed over 35 years, will be paid for using proceeds from a 2015 voter-approved measure that permanently extended taxes on hotels and car rentals to support the National Western Center.
Construction is set to being this fall, with a completion goal of 2028.
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