ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — As the Broncos continue to work toward the creation of a new stadium and mixed-use district, Owner & CEO Greg Penner knows the opportunity the organization has ahead of itself.
"We think that we will create something that is going to be special for the city of Denver and the state of Colorado," Penner said Wednesday.
Within that opportunity, though, also comes a responsibility. And since the September announcement of Burnham Yard as the preferred site for a new stadium and mixed-use district, the Broncos have worked to welcome feedback regarding the project.
"So far, the process has been terrific," Penner said. "… The feedback [has been] lots of questions and lots of interest. We're listening. That is what this period is about, taking in that input and thinking how that is going to impact what our plans are as we come up with a Community Benefits Agreement. There are also lots of conversations with [Denver] City Council members."
President Damani Leech has led the process, with Penner, Owner Carrie Walton Penner and General Counsel Tim Aragon also assisting the outreach efforts. Penner said the organization understands there will be "a lot of different opinions" when working on a project of this magnitude, and the Broncos are gathering those varied perspectives.
"We have to take those in and then come up with the right solution," Penner said.
Penner said plans for the new stadium are "coming along" and that the team is currently in the preliminary design phase with architects. He also said the team is "evaluating retractable roof options," and he noted the roof likely would've been closed in the case of a storm like the one that arrived in the second half of Sunday's AFC Championship Game.
"The NFL does have guidelines or rules around the home teams selecting or choosing what they're going to do with their roof, and when they can open or close it," Penner said. "So, we'd obviously comply with that. In this case, we would have likely closed it ahead of time, given both the temperature and the potential precipitation. That being said, who knows if that would've had any outcome on the game. Either way, this would have been more around what was going to be good for the fans."
While the Broncos' stadium process is still in its early stages, the new Broncos Park Powered by CommonSpirit is nearly complete. The organization plans to move into the space this offseason, and Penner spoke to the clear benefits of the new facility for both players and staff.
"Probably the biggest thing is bringing people together in a little more concentrated environment, but also with enough space," Penner said. "Right now, because we've been space-constrained, we essentially have four different buildings — three here and one at the stadium — where we have people located. This will allow us to bring those people into one location.
"At the same time, we wanted to size it in a way that player travel, and how they manage their daily work was easy for them. The whole first level will be player-oriented. That will be tied into the field, and the weight room and locker room will be much bigger. It really is a building that is right-sized for our roster as it sits now and the size of the organization.
"We think we will get a lot of benefit from having those people together in one place."
