DENVER (AP) Kroenke Sports Enterprises, owner of the Colorado Rapids, has announced plans July 27 to team up with Commerce City to build a 20,000-seat soccer stadium, sports fields and a retail and civic center.
The City Council unanimously passed the plan and will ask voters in November to approve a $64-million bond issue. Construction on the $130 million, 360-acre project would begin in early 2005 and open in spring of 2007.
The stadium would be owned by the city and run by Kroenke Sports. The Rapids, which play at Invesco Field at Mile High in Denver, would relocate to the new stadium.
The project is planned for the intersection of Interstate 70 and Quebec Street at the new Prairie Gateway development in Commerce City.
The city would contribute 160 acres for the stadium and playing fields. Kroenke Sports will buy another 200 acres from the city for commercial or retail development over the next decade.
Expansion Talks at Denver Airport Stall
Talks between Frontier Airlines and the Denver airport on expanding Concourse A have stalled.
That could force the discount carrier to ask rival United to change a gate use agreement reached last year. United relinquished two of its eight Concourse A gates for Frontier to use until the end of October 2005, when the concourse expansion was expected to be completed.
United also gave up one of its A gates to Frontier.
But Denver-based Frontier, airport officials and the contractors handling the expansion project have been unable to agree on a price. Airport spokesman Chuck Cannon said July 22 that Frontier has missed the April deadline to begin construction and have gates built by the end of October.
“The A concourse project is being reviewed,” he said. A Frontier spokesman declined to comment.
United spokesman Jeff Green said the company is “willing to sit down and work with Frontier.” He indicated Frontier might get more time to complete the project and be able to use the two borrowed gates for a longer period.
“If not rushing the project means it will stay on budget or under budget, it’s only going to serve United and all other airlines at DIA well because we all pay the usage fees at the airport,” Green said.
