Mayor-Council

Tuesday, August 25, 2026, 9:30 a.m. (Denver time), City & County Building Parr-Widener Room 389

Video of the meeting

On the agenda

Documents

Summary

This Mayor-Council meeting consisted mainly of council announcements and a detailed presentation from Mike Bouchard of National Western on the National Western Triangle community vision planning process in Globeville, Elyria, and Swansea. Bouchard outlined the campus history, community-benefit commitments, the engagement toolbox (block captains, community connectors, community organizations, surveys), housing and anti-displacement workshops, and next steps through early 2027, including scenario creation in October and a second survey in November. Council members asked about acreage allocation, financing, how community benefits will be codified, the community investment fund, and reopening the framework agreement; Bouchard committed to follow up on whether the fund has received the funds owed under the framework agreement. Council Member Sandoval urged that the city update its 2017 gentrification study and integrate data across citywide planning initiatives. The meeting ended with a motion to convene an executive session to discuss pending litigation and related legal advice.

Transcript

0:06 That? Thanks for joining us

0:07 for this weekly joint meeting

0:08 of the mayor and Denver City

0:13 Council. Follow along as the

0:15 mayor and city council members

0:15 here, updates from city

0:16 agencies and project discuss

0:19 important city matters and

0:19 hear about what's happening

0:22 across the mile. High City.

0:23 Join the discussion with your

0:24 elected officials starting

0:26 now.

2:47 It.

3:08 A really good morning,

3:08 everybody. Welcome. The Mayor

3:10 Council, thank you so much for

3:13 being here. As will start with

3:15 introductions. We have a

3:17 content today. We have an

3:20 update Great work happening

3:21 Live Elyria-swansea committee

3:23 process there. And so we get

3:24 to talk about that for a that

3:26 we have a brief executive

3:27 session, but we get to start

3:29 first with announcements talk

3:32 about gentleman to my right

3:33 stop production some time that

3:37 we're going out with mountain.

3:41 And yet just introductions I

3:43 represent district shirts

3:46 Denver City district by. But

3:48 it does. But you just expect

3:48 the morning said with it's

3:51 always good get councilmember

3:52 at large, mining events have

3:54 been replaced every district

3:56 morning do lots and find

3:56 district 9. Didn't Taurus was

3:59 timber district 3. Good

4:01 morning. Diana Romero,

4:03 Campbell, Southeast Denver

4:04 district now. The time is

4:05 right for announcements. So

4:07 now we've got not done, too,

4:12 has known like COUNCILWOMAN

4:15 Sandals, I close to my last

4:21 series of tomorrow that you to

4:22 something intense it's finally

4:24 and it's my last time. So it's

4:27 so much fun to have a yoga

4:30 series come rain or don't see

4:33 you can help you out you you

4:36 can it. Guy. In this fight am

4:37 having a movie at the park. It

4:40 MAY park at second into 9 and

4:42 we're showing how to train

4:44 your dragon. It's a resource

4:47 And then we start to around 8

4:48 o'clock see I'm painting.

4:51 Thank you, MADAM. Thank you so

4:56 Council wants council Torres

4:56 and later a security

4:58 clearance. Think you

4:59 PRESIDENT. I want to share

5:01 some exciting I'm the city

5:01 council member representing a

5:03 fine district 9, but

5:05 oftentimes I steal from

5:06 districts. I'm going to share

5:09 not a major announcement from

5:11 council district love to share

5:13 that Northfield. High School

5:15 is the number rated high

5:22 school in Colorado by us i

5:25 want to say to France poll

5:28 out, referring to celebrate so

5:31 first with Congratulations to

5:32 students, parents, educators,

5:34 everyone. One of amazing feat

5:36 for Denver public School to

5:38 listen in U.S. News World

5:39 Report. I don't even call it

5:41 that and more kind of

5:43 instilled us news. So it's

5:45 fantastic. So congratulation

5:46 more feel and welcome back to

5:48 the next school year. Want to

5:49 share a important event that's

5:51 happening and fine district 9

5:52 at Thursday, AUGUST. 27 from

5:56 5.30, to 07:00pm. We'll be

5:59 having a welcome next Virtual

6:02 meeting going to be discussing

6:03 on future of multi-modal

6:04 transportation along well cord

6:06 it's one of several meetings

6:08 that we've been having is one

6:11 of the town hall to wrap up

6:12 for the alternatives that we

6:13 presented by department

6:15 transportation and the

6:16 regional transportation

6:18 also the connection to downing

6:18 district not only o-line, but

6:22 to start complaint community

6:25 comes Love to hear your voice

6:27 is it's a virtual If you need

6:29 on the lake, reach out to my

6:31 office any time. But you can

6:33 also go on on Web site to get

6:35 plane to once again the next

6:36 steps meeting on virtual

6:38 05:37pm on Thursday, AUGUST

6:44 27th. But just what Council

6:45 thank you so Harder Dragon

6:48 Boat festival this weekend. So

6:50 make your way to Sloan's Great

6:53 to see some entertainment and

7:00 wants some some Also wanted to

7:02 mention and welcome Jan and is

7:04 here in towns from one of

7:06 those us and I just wanted

7:07 welcome her on behalf of all

7:09 of us. I think she's meeting

7:14 with different checking Denver

7:14 out and we have some investors

7:17 who are on the board of what

7:19 we needed to act Really And

7:20 remember that come to mind,

7:22 there are probably many others

7:24 spent Thanks for visiting

7:26 Thank you, sir. See this

7:30 afternoon because one of good

7:32 morning. Just wanted to give a

7:35 shout out. Thank you to

7:36 director for for supporting us

7:37 and event this past weekend to

7:40 save maker Historic Urban

7:41 Garden. This is a very

7:43 important garden that provides

7:44 food to Baker neighbors and

7:45 it's at risk of being lost

7:47 because the current owner of

7:48 the land has been letting us

7:50 use. It is deciding to so so

7:53 they are desperately trying to

7:57 raise porch past the exciting

8:00 festival coming to district in

8:01 OCTOBER did fundraising

8:02 concert this past weekend and

8:03 we were able to shut down part

8:05 of the street. Really grateful

8:07 for anyone's interested look

8:08 Baker, Historic Garden. Really

8:12 trying to say that. Also want

8:13 invite people out this

8:15 Saturday at Moore Park

8:15 Neighborhood Association will

8:18 be having their movie night

8:19 Saturday as 07:30pm, on the

8:22 West side of Houston They will

8:24 be which empty. I'm very

8:27 excited to share Hopefully 20.

8:30 It will not be empty They will

8:31 be showing their favorite toy

8:33 story movie because, you know,

8:34 there's a new toy story's.

8:38 Let's do a and you can watch

8:39 the venue when Very exciting

8:40 weekend in District 7. Thank

8:46 you. Thank you so much. MADAM

8:47 PRESIDENT, thank This wind

8:49 staying at 04:00pm and

8:50 Rosamond Park. We are opening

8:53 up a new pickleball court.

8:54 Super exciting. And for those

8:56 of you who are pickleball

8:58 players, if you sign Director

9:02 Clark and myself will be

9:06 playing that the for 7 from

9:10 the all. My gosh, we're going

9:11 to get And so I think, yeah,

9:14 it'll be a lot of fun will be

9:15 playing pickleball on

9:17 Wednesday afternoon pickleball

9:19 is not your thing on Saturday.

9:20 SEPTEMBER 19th we have a

9:25 concert in the park at

9:28 Eisenhower, think ok, great.

9:30 We're excited jump in. Love to

9:31 welcome Mike Bouchard from

9:36 national Western in friends

9:45 join us up Thanks, Thank you

9:45 so concerns really excited be

9:48 here this morning share with

9:51 you some updates on the

9:54 triangle, community vision,

9:57 planning This isn't everything

9:59 we've been engaged in almost

10:06 years So this is a along very

10:07 intentional process to engage

10:10 globe. Elyria, Swansea

10:10 communities get a substantive

10:11 continue to be driven to

10:12 planning process, to help

10:14 shape the future of the

10:17 triangle. Going to a lot of

10:20 detail. In a while since we've

10:21 been for a council. So we

10:22 thought it was a good

10:24 opportunity for him inflection

10:26 point in the process. And so

10:27 this was a great time to give

10:28 you all updates on what you

10:38 know, what the next steps for

10:51 superpowers Not the best, So

10:52 today we're going cover

10:56 handful of of items. Just a

10:57 quick background and context

10:59 of the campus specifically

11:03 about the triangle planning

11:04 process timeline the road map.

11:07 That's got us to where we are

11:08 today. Going in-depth on the

11:10 engagement tool box that are

11:11 using using a wide range of

11:15 different types of tools to

11:16 reach folks. I will talk in

11:19 detail about give you some

11:20 updates on the planning

11:21 process. What the cause was,

11:22 conversations with community

11:24 has been and then outline the

11:27 next steps from next. So just

11:28 as a reminder, the campus

11:36 itself and that building out a

11:37 new campus second host, the

11:37 Stock as it's happened for

11:42 now, 121 years in JANUARY for

11:43 the 2 weeks in JANUARY, but

11:44 also the fire an active in

11:46 programs the rest of the year.

11:50 It's intended to be a cultural

11:51 crossroads innovative

11:56 innovation. Focused on How can

12:00 this like this can not only

12:00 reconnect physically reconnect

12:03 the communities of response

12:05 here? Well, visitors and

12:06 creating a destination

12:08 entertainment and education

12:09 venue. But also how that

12:11 redevelopment can occur in a

12:15 way that green is the

12:16 community along with this.

12:17 That does not create

12:20 additional displacement

12:21 pressure how the benefits of

12:24 the redevelopment can benefit.

12:25 Not the campus, but the entire

12:26 neighborhoods that we sit

12:31 within. As a reminder, the

12:32 major campus partners include

12:35 the the National Western

12:36 Center Authority, the National

12:38 Western Stock Show and csu

12:40 Spur. Just want to take a

12:41 minute to acknowledge the

12:42 folks, the partners who are in

12:44 the audience here as well as

12:46 community members and

12:48 community partners. This has

12:51 really been came on doing

12:54 group effort, collaboration.

12:55 And so it's important that

12:57 everyone is here today as part

13:02 of this process site. Reminder

13:04 of the history of the campus,

13:07 this all started back in 2012

13:08 structure was contemplating

13:12 leaving Denver then Mayor

13:13 Hancock committed to keeping

13:14 the stock show here. But the

13:15 only way to do that was to re

13:19 imagine this campus as a

13:21 year-round, vibrant,

13:22 entertainment venue. That as I

13:26 said, it also brings the

13:27 community real community

13:28 benefits to close a response

13:31 here as we go forward so it's

13:32 a bit too much detail here.

13:37 Not the next slide is planning

13:38 itself. Really started to just

13:42 back in 2024, what near

13:46 Johnston came on board and

13:49 we'll talk about detour the

13:49 coalition with him and some

13:53 other important city

13:54 stakeholders through 2025. We

13:55 went into our community

13:57 outreach, work through process

13:58 which conveniently every day

14:03 is to cow in 2026. We really

14:03 got started planning process

14:07 in earnest and in 2027. We

14:11 wrap it up and move on into

14:15 limitation. So as a reminder

14:17 the campus so the dashed to

14:20 the lower right is the

14:21 triangle, which it is what's

14:22 always been referred to as

14:26 future phases because is one 2

14:28 on the upper left the in it

14:31 core of the campus. And we are

14:32 building out the replacement

14:34 facilities that will replace

14:37 the 2 large buildings

14:39 ingrained in and only when

14:41 those replacement facilities

14:41 or Bill does is the triangle

14:44 that on lot for us to building

14:49 out division there. Livestock

14:51 is now complete. It opened up

14:52 in JANUARY and replaces the

14:57 Hall of Education. And we

14:59 finalizing development

15:01 agreement for the Equestrian

15:05 Center which will replace

15:06 event center dust on locking

15:07 triangle setting us up for

15:07 implementation of this

15:11 community vision plant.

15:12 Another really important

15:18 component the campus from the

15:22 beginning was incorporation

15:23 meaningful, real community

15:24 benefits. And then each phase

15:26 of the camps, development, we

15:30 continue to raise the bar on

15:31 the level in and volume of

15:33 community benefits that are

15:37 being delivered. So that first

15:38 line, number is the baseline

15:40 that whole campus development

15:43 needs to provide. And that

15:44 includes the roundup. Think

15:44 goes to the community

15:45 investment fund or c I f as

15:49 well as additional funding

15:52 sources to support the ca

15:55 asked small Henry women-owned

15:57 business participation and

15:58 procurements of all city

16:00 contracts hearing to city

16:06 ordinances with major project

16:09 the equestrian center. We

16:10 added additional community

16:11 benefits including a 4,000

16:13 Square-foot community building

16:14 additional ci of support

16:15 through a hotel room nights.

16:19 Hotel fundraising and

16:22 additional workforce, job

16:23 creation to work now to

16:25 support the construction of

16:26 that facility and then with

16:27 triangle, we are taking that

16:31 even one step further, looking

16:34 in community ownership,

16:35 opportunities focusing on

16:37 affordable housing, not just

16:38 conceptually affordable

16:39 housing, citywide that

16:41 specific affordable housing,

16:42 additional community amenities

16:44 and gathering spaces and small

16:50 business incubator sites. As I

16:51 mentioned, all this, the

16:52 planning of us really started

16:54 back in Where when Mayor

16:58 Johnston and team joined gs

17:00 community led by the coalition

17:03 to work to look at trying to

17:05 talk about what the

17:06 community's desires were in

17:08 the mayor in that tour

17:09 committed to a

17:10 community-driven process to

17:11 explore the potential uses for

17:14 the triangle that really

17:18 kicked off where we are today.

17:20 As a reminder from the

17:21 beginning of you know, we've

17:22 we've been clear that there

17:24 are still some additional

17:26 public assets that need to be

17:28 constructed as part of 4 below

17:30 the campus in triangle. Those

17:34 include the 10,000 seat the 19

17:38 0, 9, read renovation we in

17:38 some additional Expo Hall

17:39 space as well as parking to

17:43 support those uses. In

17:44 addition, we need to provide

17:47 for his infrastructure. We

17:49 will be studying land which

17:50 includes affordable housing

17:53 mixed use opportunities, other

17:54 potential retail neighborhood

17:57 serving retail opportunities,

17:59 community spaces, parks,

18:01 plazas, looking at resiliency

18:04 and sustainability systems,

18:05 community ownership, which

18:06 we'll talk more about and then

18:09 overarching I as an umbrella.

18:10 How do we continue to ensure

18:12 that this redevelopment

18:15 delivering real and meaningful

18:19 community benefits to

18:21 neighborhoods. We presented

18:25 this to council last We spent

18:26 about 9 months with a group of

18:29 14 individuals from the

18:32 neighborhoods led our

18:35 community outreach We really

18:39 went depth with This team and

18:41 they developed for pass the

18:44 Senate guidelines as to how we

18:46 should approach this

18:47 community-driven planning

18:48 process specifically. How are

18:49 we making sure that our

18:53 outreach efforts are reaching

18:53 every resident and she spent 3

18:59 household. So had a lengthy

19:02 set of guidelines that we took

19:06 and incorporated into the

19:09 planning process that we are

19:14 now So right now we're hearing

19:16 AUGUST of 2026, community

19:18 outreach work group wrapped

19:20 last We took their guidelines