The ownership group for Denver’s NWSL expansion team, which begins play in 2026, announced plans to build a 14,500-seat stadium on Tuesday.
The project, to be located inside the Denver city limits at Sante Fe Yards, will be adjacent to the Broadway Light Rail station, and will include a 3.5-acre park as well as a mixed-use development.
The stadium is expected to open in the spring of 2028. The plans are being developed in conjunction with architectural firm Populous.
“When we went through all the sites, this is the one that checked all the boxes in terms of what was important to us, what was important to the city, and hopefully as the community learns about it, what’s important to the neighborhoods and how we can use this site to help transform that area of town,” controlling owner Rob Cohen said in an exclusive interview with ESPN.
In a statement released by the organization, Denver Mayor Mike Johnson said: “It’s only fitting that the hottest ticket in town will be making its home on Broadway. This project at Santa Fe Yards will transform an underutilized eyesore into a recreational and economic hub where memories are made, culture is built, and championships are won.”
NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman said in a statement: “This announcement is a game-changer for the NWSL and a bold statement about where women’s sports are headed. Santa Fe Yards will set a new standard for what professional athletes deserve — a purpose-built stadium and entertainment district that reflects the passion of this city and our league’s continued growth.”
The investment in the team is being touted as the biggest in the history of women’s sports. When asked for details Cohen admitted there’s “no way to prove that or [disprove] that,” but he indicated that he’s referring to the total investment in all areas of the organization, including the expansion fee, the cost of building a training facility, a temporary stadium, and the permanent stadium.
The ownership group paid a record expansion fee of $110 million to join the NWSL, more than double the previous record of $53 million paid by Bay FC. Announcements on the training facility and temporary stadium are expected to be made public by the end of the month.
“That number is obviously a large investment, but the ownership group is very committed to believing that if we design facilities that are designed by women, built by women, for women and for families, that you can create a unique economic model that really works,” Cohen said.
Cohen said that the Denver NWSL ownership group has acquired the rights to purchase the land from a local property developer. When asked, he didn’t disclose the cost associated with acquiring the land, nor did he provide details on whether the stadium would be leased from the city or owned outright.
“We’re still working out the exact details of all of that, but suffice it to say, the conversation that we’ve been having with the city is that it is the ownership group’s intent that we will pay for and build the stadium,” Cohen said.
The stadium renderings show a venue that will be adjacent to the park located behind one of the goals. Cohen is hopeful that the stadium’s close proximity to the light rail station will encourage fans to use alternate means of transport to get to games.
“It’s a stadium in a park as opposed to a stadium that’s typically surrounded by parking lots,” Cohen said. “We’re not naive in thinking that there won’t be a huge group of people who want to drive to the games, but if we can use biking — which is authentically Denver — if we can use Uber and Lyft, if we can use mass transit, then what we can do is we can relieve the traffic issues for the neighborhoods and we can also increase the benefits for the fans as they ingress and egress.”
Cohen added that the plan is to allow the venue to be expandable up to 20,000 seats.
“We think the sweet spot is probably between the 14,500 that we’ll start with and 20,000,” he said. “But we certainly have flexibility on either side of that if we need it.”
Cohen added that the public process of getting approvals from the City of Denver will now take place “over the next several months” but he wants input from all of the community stakeholders, including those in the adjoining neighborhoods.
“That’s a dance that has to take place,” Cohen said about the approval process. “But we welcome it. We’re open. We’re transparent, and we believe in the end we’ll find something that’s a win-win-win for everybody.”
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