Two bond bills would rename four projects, drop a Kennedy Soccer Complex restroom and stop future renames from needing a Council vote

When Denver voters approve a bond issue, a companion ordinance lists the projects the money can pay for. Changing that list takes a Council vote. Two bills filed this week would make the latest round of changes and, the city's requests say, end the need for a vote when only a project's name changes.

The bills, 26-1729 for the 2017 Elevate Denver bonds and 26-1730 for the 2021 RISE Denver bonds, are listed as action items for the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. A meeting date isn't posted yet.

Why it matters: these lists are how voters' bond approvals become specific parks, libraries and street projects. Renames are usually routine. Dropping a project, and taking future renames out of the Council's hands, are bigger questions.

What would change

From the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure's requests (Elevate, RISE):

Elevate Denver (2017):

• "Yale Avenue Improvements (Quebec to I-25)" becomes "Yale Avenue Improvements," dropping the limits.
• "Ross Barnum Branch Library Renovation" becomes "Ross-Phyllis Bigpond Branch Library Renovation."

RISE Denver (2021):

• "47th and Walden Park Construction (Phase 1)" becomes "Fox Run Park Construction."
• "University Hills Park Construction" becomes "Bethesda Park Construction."
• The Kennedy Soccer Complex is removed from the citywide restroom improvements category.

The requests call the changes "administrative in nature" and say they don't affect the projects. They don't explain why the Kennedy restroom is being dropped or what happens to that money.

Future renames. Both bills would also say that a name-only change to a listed project, "without any substantive changes" to its scope, would no longer need an amendment to the companion ordinance.

The program manager

A third item, 26-1731, extends AtkinsRealis's contract to manage both bond programs by 22 months and 20 days, to Dec. 31, 2029, with no added money (request). The contract began Feb. 12, 2018, and stays at $61 million. The city says the extra time is for "full administrative closure" of the two programs, and that rebidding during a 10-year bond program would be "unreasonable and inefficient." It carries a 9% minority- and women-owned business commitment.

What our records add

This is the third round for Elevate and the second for RISE. In 2024 the Council passed 24-0275, renaming the Police District 6 project from a replacement to an "Expansion and Renovation," and 24-0276, reflecting the names La Raza Park and Lena Archuleta Branch Library. Both passed 12-0 on April 1, 2024, on the consent agenda, with one member absent (roll call, meeting). A 2022 bill, 22-0291, made an earlier round of Elevate changes.

The La Raza Park change is the kind of vote the new language would skip. Under the proposed rule, a pure rename like that one would not come back to the Council.

What's next

Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, date to be posted, then Mayor-Council and two Council readings.