Wednesday, August 12, 2026, 1:30 p.m. (Denver time), City & County Building, Council Committee Room, Room 391 1437 Bannock Street
Committee: South Platte River Committee
The South Platte River Committee heard a presentation from the Department of Finance on the Santa Fe Yards Development site in District 7, covering two actions: a $5.3 million grant agreement with the Colorado Department of Local Affairs (a $4 million state grant plus a $1.3 million city match) for design of a North pedestrian bridge from the RTD I-25/Broadway station to the planned women's soccer stadium, and a Second Amendment to the 2025 intergovernmental agreement with the Broadway Station Metropolitan District. Staff estimated design completion by the end of 2027 and, contingent on future construction funding, bridge completion by 2030. Council members raised concerns about a CDOT decision to add a fifth lane on Santa Fe Drive, funding sources for the roughly $22-23 million total bridge cost, ownership and maintenance responsibilities, and accessibility design (ramps versus elevators). The committee indicated the two items would be considered as a block with a motion and second; no vote count was read aloud in the transcript.
0:07 Welcome. Welcome back to this
0:08 biweekly meeting of the South
0:09 Platte River Committee of
0:15 Denver City Council. Join us
0:18 for the discussion as the
0:18 South Platte River Committee
0:23 starts now.
0:29 Good afternoon, everyone. Hi
0:31 and welcome to Self Committee.
0:36 Today is AUGUST 12th. We have
0:39 one agenda item before move
0:43 over to that item, let's do
0:44 introductions COUNCILMAN
0:45 Torres to represent most
0:48 number district. 3. Our
0:50 current plans, southwest
0:51 Denver's district, and gear.
0:52 We've got 2 members online. If
0:53 you'll please introduce
0:58 yourselves believe in district
0:59 7. Hello, Diana Romero,
1:00 Campbell, Southeast Denver
1:04 district 4. Thank you so
1:06 coming up in the nick of time,
1:10 I'm Chris signs that
1:13 protected. Like thank But we
1:14 will turn it over to our
1:17 presenters on the if you
1:18 wouldn't mind introducing all
1:20 Jesus first before you start.
1:21 Good afternoon. Thank you for
1:23 having My name is Laura Swartz
1:24 and the director of
1:25 communications administration
1:26 for city's Department of
1:28 Finance McAuliffe, introduce
1:29 themselves. Thank you.
1:33 Attention, a manager and it.
1:34 Good afternoon, Walker deputy
1:35 cfo and director Capital
1:40 Management Finance Inc. Thank
1:40 All right. We are here today
1:41 to talk about the Santa Fe
1:46 Arts Project. We're going to
1:47 go over to legislative action
1:51 City Council committee as well
1:52 as General Project's status
1:53 update and then allow plenty
1:55 of time for 2 in a and
1:57 discussion is needed. Now we
1:58 have a full team here in the
1:59 audience to assist with for
2:05 Councilmembers. The site that
2:07 we're discussing with the
2:08 Santa Fe Yards Development
2:11 site is located at the just to
2:12 be substantive. A drive-in
2:14 just south of I-25 in City
2:18 Council district 7. This is a
2:19 large centrally located site
2:21 which is accessible by by
2:23 light rail. You'll see the
2:24 approximate location of the
2:25 future women soccer stadium
2:28 where the Yellow Star is to
2:29 the east of that is the rail
2:30 lines and to the east of that
2:32 is the rtd station. And so
2:33 we'll be discussing North
2:35 pedestrian bridge that will
2:38 stretch from the rtd station
2:38 across the rail to the stadium
2:43 sites. 2 actions in front of
2:45 city Council committee today
2:46 is the first is to approve a
2:48 grant agreement with the
2:49 Colorado Department of local
2:51 affairs for 5.3 million
2:53 dollars. This includes
2:54 4 million dollars received
2:56 from the state. Any 1.3
2:56 million dollar local match
3:02 from the city. The second
3:03 related action is to approve
3:06 an amendment to the 20 2500
3:06 Governmental Agreement for
3:08 that exists between the city
3:09 and county of Denver and the
3:09 Broadway station Metropolitan
3:15 District. Number The grant
3:16 agreement, if approved, would
3:17 allow the city to move forward
3:19 with design of the North
3:21 pedestrian bridge. The bridge
3:22 is approximate location is
3:23 shown here on the screen by
3:25 the yellow rectangle. Well, it
3:26 would stretch from the rtd
3:29 station that I-25 and Broadway
3:30 across the around to the
3:33 stadium site to the West With
3:34 the 5.3 million dollars and
3:37 being able to start designed
3:37 the bridge. We expect that
3:38 design would be complete by
3:42 the end of 2027 and then
3:43 contingent on future funding
3:44 for construction of the
3:45 bridge. We expect the bridge
3:47 to be complete by 2030. There
3:48 is significant public support
3:50 for the North pedestrian
3:52 bridge. As you MAY recall, the
3:54 amendments that were entered
3:57 into by the city last year on
3:59 pga require the city to fund
3:59 construction of this
4:06 pedestrian bridge. Grant
4:07 itself again, it's of
4:08 4 million dollars from the
4:08 state under the
4:10 transit-oriented communities
4:13 grant program. I would like
4:14 specifically acknowledge and
4:15 thank council member Sandoval
4:16 who in her role as council
4:18 PRESIDENT Last year submitted
4:21 a letter of support and helped
4:22 advocate to the state for her
4:24 to receive this grant funds.
4:25 She was instrumental in us
4:26 receiving that has and we are
4:29 very grateful for that
4:32 partnership of City Council on
4:33 that. We also are required to
4:34 make a 1.3 million dollars
4:36 local match to receive grant
4:38 funds. That money came from
4:40 and are spending on the body
4:40 cramp bridge that was recently
4:41 constructed out of National
4:45 Western Center. See grant
4:46 itself have a term through
4:50 DECEMBER 31st. 2029, the scope
4:52 includes design engineering
4:54 documents, site, work nation.
4:55 And it MAY also include items
4:56 such as decking this railings,
4:59 elevators or rams paneling
5:00 while finishing Spain's
5:00 signage and other
5:01 architectural elements for the
5:05 projects. Again, this 5.3
5:07 million dollars will largely
5:08 take us through design
5:09 potentially start some
5:10 construction. It is not the
5:11 full amount of funding that is
5:13 needed for the bridge.
5:14 Additional construction
5:15 funding is expected to come
5:18 from regional mills that
5:19 already exist the site and the
5:21 city will continue to pursue,
5:21 pursue additional grant
5:27 applications. The second
5:27 action, which is related to
5:30 this one that is in front of
5:31 council today is to consider a
5:34 Second Amendment to the 2025 I
5:37 g I the original. Was executed
5:38 between the city and
5:39 Metropolitan District in MAY
5:43 of 2025. That I g a allowed
5:46 for the purchase of the land.
5:47 Gave the city a future
5:50 interest in the land. If the
5:51 soccer team has ever to not
5:53 use it the Second Amendment to
5:55 the which was signed on
5:56 JANUARY first 2026 following
5:59 council action in DECEMBER of
6:01 2025. Require the city to
6:03 provide funding for the
6:04 Northwestern Bridge and also
6:06 out of the city to detect
6:07 waterfall to allow the city to
6:10 seek reimbursement for costs.
6:12 The amendment that we're
6:13 considering today replaces
6:15 Section 4.1 of the iaea and
6:16 its entirety. The rest of the
6:20 idea is I'm touched. The just
6:21 stuff that just can't in
6:24 Section 4.1, if you update the
6:26 city's role to affirm that the
6:27 city is responsible for the
6:29 cost and the performance of
6:31 the design of the North
6:31 pedestrian bridge that is
6:32 using the grant money, which
6:35 receiving. It is also to allow
6:37 the city the option of
6:39 managing construction of the
6:40 north had ridge and detailing
6:42 the terms for either the city
6:43 to manage construction or for
6:44 the district to manage
6:46 construction and then lastly,
6:47 the ig continues to affirm
6:49 that the Metropolitan District
6:50 will be responsible for the
6:51 ongoing maintenance repairs
6:52 and replacement of the Padres
6:53 if ever required in the
6:58 future. How this is our last
7:00 slide before we open it up for
7:01 discussion and questions just
7:02 to give a general project
7:05 update on the women's soccer
7:08 stadium and the we expect that
7:09 their timeline that will have
7:11 them outbreak in Grafton,
7:11 breaking ground in the ground
7:13 in SEPTEMBER to relocate some
7:15 existing utilities on the site
7:16 which is required for their
7:17 site development plan to move
7:19 forward. They are also
7:20 delivering Vanderbilt Park
7:22 East, which is a city park
7:24 that was dedicated in 1950's
7:26 promise land that was never
7:28 built out. So the team has
7:30 already begun having Denver
7:30 parks and recreation on on the
7:33 side of that park. And we
7:34 anticipate that their next
7:35 step will really to be be to
7:36 bring this design options back
7:37 out to the community to
7:40 solicit public feedback on
7:41 that design. And at this
7:42 point, they are on track to
7:44 open the park concurrent with
7:47 opening the stadium. And at
7:48 last update when we were
7:49 meeting with City Council last
7:51 conversations with cdot on
7:51 year, we were still in
7:53 whether or not 5th plane would
7:53 be required to be added to
7:56 Santa Fe Drive in order for
7:56 the city to open Kentucky
7:59 Avenue Bridge, which is
8:02 already constructed cdot, has
8:02 decided discipline is
8:03 required. And so we would like
8:04 to pay council makes you know
8:05 that we will be moving forward
8:10 with in partnership with cdot.
8:11 That is it for presentations
8:12 to answer questions that we
8:15 have a number of people we've
8:17 Steven Wilson with community
8:18 planning and development. We
8:21 have even with city Attorney's
8:22 Office, Frank Cannon, a
8:24 representative for the Denver
8:24 summit, MR. Thompson Pumpkins
8:28 with Metropolitan districts.
8:31 Thank you all so Let me go
8:32 first to COUNCILWOMAN The lv
8:33 that as district 7, if you
8:34 have any questions or
8:43 comments. Thank Yes, thank you
8:44 so much. Yes, to be also were
8:45 very involved in advocating
8:46 for this grant are really
8:50 grateful for it. I am very
8:52 concerned about the
8:55 conversation that you ended
8:56 with Laura about widening the
8:58 cdot road is that finalized in
9:03 this agreement? No, it This is
9:04 not part of our agreement.
9:06 This is a general update that
9:07 we wanted to provide to
9:09 council. It is not a topic for
9:12 the ita. It is a decision by
9:13 cdot and I will invite back
9:16 your not to provide any more
9:20 detail on The way it gets, I
9:22 guess expressed is through the
9:24 plan review process and the
9:26 access permit that cdot
9:26 requires on the state highway
9:29 and drive. So it kind of comes
9:30 to play in the permitting
9:34 process. Great. Can you
9:35 connect to my office with this
9:39 year? There's been hard to
9:45 back station. That's extremely
9:46 concerning to my district and
9:50 to the mobility of the area.
9:51 One of the first steps happen
9:54 after I was elected was with
9:55 someone getting hit right
9:56 there on Santa Fe and
10:01 Mississippi. And so. I think
10:02 that needs to have for their
10:02 discussion. And I don't know
10:03 why that was really brought
10:06 into this conversation. I'm
10:09 with if it's not any more
10:12 supportive of that, it
10:14 changes. Wow. Can you please
10:15 provide me with a cdot contact
10:17 for this issue? Yes,
10:20 absolutely. With all that.
10:22 Great. Thank you both. I think
10:26 you can Thank you so Support.
10:27 I'm unsure. Minutes to
10:30 estimated cost of the bridge
10:32 itself. Total cost
10:34 construction included. Yes, so
10:37 we included that the grant
10:38 agreement to the state that's
10:39 meant it causes anywhere
10:41 between like 22 23 Million.
10:45 And that includes the year 5.3
10:46 doesn't that that sign and
10:50 construction dogs right away.
10:50 They've needed. Yes. Okay.
10:52 What are the sources for that?
10:56 So the source is currently
10:59 this Tosi grand that we have
10:59 received from eye for design
11:00 and potentially construction.
11:04 If we can stretch the dollar.
11:04 We are also working through
11:07 the capital to build up to the
11:09 the total construction cost of
11:12 the bridge to currently. Once
11:13 we go through the design will
11:15 have more awareness and
11:16 knowledge of what the
11:17 construction cost will We will
11:18 be pursuing additional grants
11:20 through the state. We will
11:22 also be pursing additional
11:24 federal grants as well as the
11:25 original bills that are
11:27 currently in place of right
11:29 now. The regional Melzer
11:30 projected to be about
11:34 14 million through 2047.
11:35 Because remember during brief
11:36 we talked about this region
11:39 good. Alright, regional bills
11:40 for 2047. Don't help build a
11:46 bridge in 2027. So how gives
11:48 speeches. We work the regional
11:51 mills that this is very true
11:52 the original Mel's Hole come
11:52 in overtime for the district
11:54 and we can work through that
11:55 that financing and the funding
11:57 of the bridge in the in the
11:58 interim. So as expecting the
11:59 original rhythms, those meals
12:05 yes, ok, my cash from I have
12:07 thank Probably asleep. This is
12:08 something needed. In the
12:10 beginning, didn't expect city
12:13 would take over the cost of
12:17 Metro district is responsible
12:17 But I know under the rga,
12:19 for maintenance, up-keep and
12:20 potential replacement to down
12:24 the So when we built we own it
12:26 and turn it over to them or
12:33 what's the mechanism for them
12:33 taking ownership calling and I
12:34 want to get front right now, a
12:36 little water when they look at
12:43 each of was turned into living
12:44 hear short straw there are no
12:45 short straw. Brady Minh City
12:47 Attorney's office. It's a good
12:48 question. I'm not actually
12:50 sure precisely what the
12:50 mechanism would be to
12:54 ownership over. From the city
12:55 to the to the to the district,
12:56 whether it would just be a
12:56 bill of sale of other,
12:58 something in the plat itself.
13:00 That would be a conveyance of
13:03 the land. I'm not I don't want
13:05 to mislead, but in some way,
13:05 shape or form. At the end of
13:07 the day, the district would be
13:08 responsible for the ownership
13:10 of the bridge itself. So tbd,
13:13 to determined. Yes. Okay. Be
13:15 nice to know that up front
13:20 before we. Don't honor support
13:25 district taking over and
13:27 eventual replacement
13:29 necessary, rather than leaving
13:33 it on on the about would be
13:37 nice to know how. And occurs,
13:39 North completion, you we don't
13:40 know with bureau. Those meals
13:41 we don't know what values are
13:41 are going to generate because
13:46 going to along with that,
13:50 follow up on the couch
13:51 question about 2 and I know
13:56 related to the but during the
13:58 briefing, I was told that the
13:59 5th plane actually goes
14:00 continue south of Mississippi
14:01 to the bridge over the
14:06 Richmond Troublesome to me as
14:10 someone generally used to come
14:14 in that way 40 years. Used to
14:18 number one lane try to merge
14:21 into trafficked or a bridge
14:28 that is only 4 lanes was the 3
14:29 latest charges were ire our
14:29 with our council. And I know
14:30 you're still listening, when
14:31 you talk to see asked them
14:34 what the heck have to traffic
14:36 when you have the link problem
14:38 right before the bridge had a
14:41 curve. It's already pretty
14:42 problematic making those moves
14:44 and traffic pretty heavy.
14:45 There. So excited imagined
14:50 when I heard flame, my
14:52 imagination was, oh, this is a