On May 12th, Denver\u2019s city council overwhelmingly approved $70 million towards the nascent National Women’s Soccer League team\u2019s new soccer stadium and surrounding entertainment complex. Inspiring news. I wanted a first-hand look at the site.<\/p>\n
But where? For even the most enthusiastic supporters do not name the neighborhood where the complex will reside. Official statements tout the location as \u201cSanta Fe Yards\u201d \u2013 a name that is yet to appear on a map of Denver.<\/p>\n
Makes sense, because the actual neighborhood does not yet exist. Currently vacant dirt just south of Interstate 25 between Broadway and Santa Fe, there is not much to see. Instead, assurances: the $70 million investment, primarily to purchase the land, will provide a boost of economic activity, including \u201crestaurants, bars, and shops.\u201d Writing for the Colorado Sun, columnist Mario Nicolais gushed<\/a>: \u201cIt is like a whole neighborhood winning the lottery.\u201d<\/p>\n I thought of this image \u2013 a new neighborhood rising from dirt by winning the economic lottery of government support \u2013 while walking home up Colfax Avenue just north of the Capitol. Once Denver\u2019s beating heart, Colfax runs astride several existing neighborhoods, each with their own restaurants, bars, and shops, a rich history memorialized by great works like Kerouac\u2019s On The Road and the eponymous album by the Delines.<\/p>\n Small echoes of the proposed site accompanied my walk. A vacant building on the left past Logan Street; several abandoned stores; an empty lot after Ogden. Across Franklin, a long row of dilapidated houses slowly falling into themselves; beyond Williams Street boarded-up buildings lean gently on each other. There is an existing entertainment complex on Colfax these days, but it has a very different feel, and is unlikely to be transformed by the forthcoming elevated bus stops.<\/p>\n Opponents of the new entertainment complex were chided by Nicolais as \u201cshort-sighted,\u201d in part for citing \u201cother unrelated priorities.\u201d But the vacant lots on Colfax and across Denver whispered an all-to-familiar word: housing. Last month Denver ranked 12th in the nation<\/a> for the gap between home prices and household income.<\/p>\n So here is a modest proposal for the City Council: provide Denver\u2019s existing neighborhoods the same winning lottery ticket afforded the proposed entertainment complex. Offer similar terms \u2013 subsidize new construction by purchasing the land — for anyone who builds on these vacant and abandoned lots.<\/p>\n Or broader: give the same deal to the public fans buying tickets for stadium seats as the private group who will own them. For new homebuyers, Denver could purchase the land under their houses, subsidizing the price of homes by about 15% to 25%.<\/p>\n Like the complex\u2019s supporters, I harbor a deep passion for soccer and women\u2019s athletics. I played, coached teams for my sons and daughter, and now spend many weekends as a referee, willingly accosted by fans loudly questioning my mental capacity. I have been a spectator at games for DU men\u2019s and women\u2019s teams, local clubs, high schools, a semi-pro team, and a spontaneous neighborhood match which ended with cupcakes. I truly, deeply love the sport. But there are many avenues for soccer enthusiasts that do not entail $70 million of municipal spending.<\/p>\n Soccer will be Denver\u2019s only professional sport with two local stadiums. The new NWSL stadium (capacity 14,500) will be just eleven miles away from the existing MLS stadium (capacity 18,000). We can all agree that loyal fans deserve a dedicated soccer stadium. But is it short-sighted to question spending $70 million to build a second?<\/p>\n