The Denver Broncos and the Walton-Penner Ownership Group have run into a significant obstacle in their push to build a new stadium. One of the largest unresolved issues is the relocation of a Denver Water facility that currently sits on the exact footprint of the proposed stadium site. And right now, Denver Water may not have a viable place to go.
The organization’s preferred solution is to move the facility into Lot M, one of the long‑standing tailgating lots just southeast of Colfax and Federal. The roughly five‑acre lot is also home to a Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) facility, adding yet another layer of logistical complexity.
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Longtime Lot M tailgaters were notified in early February that their parking passes would not be renewed. Fans were told they’d have the chance to purchase passes in other lots, but Lot M would no longer be available..
Now, a new challenge has emerged. Local residents are pushing back hard against the idea of Denver Water moving into the neighborhood at all. Many have complained for years about the Cloverleaf Interchange at Colfax and Federal, arguing that the tangle of on‑ and off‑ramps creates unsafe conditions for both drivers and pedestrians. Adding a major utility facility, the residents say, is the opposite of the improvements they want to see.
Opponents have begun sending letters to the City questioning whether Denver Water should be allowed to take over the property. Their resistance threatens to slow down a project that already has a tight timeline.
And that timeline matters. If the Broncos can’t begin development on the new stadium by spring 2027, they risk falling behind schedule. If that happens, they could potentially fail to complete the project before their lease at Empower Field at Mile High expires after the 2030 season.
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This dispute, along with dozens of other unresolved land‑use and infrastructure issues surrounding the Burnham Yard redevelopment, suggests the stadium project may be further away from being started than many assumed.