Denver City Council approves Summit women’s soccer stadium plan
Denver will fund land for a women’s soccer stadium on the old Gates Rubber Factory lot
Those headlines help tell the developing story of Denver’s soon-to-be newest, professional sports team, Denver Summit FC.
The expansion franchise in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) was awarded to a group headed by financial executive Rob Cohen last January 30. It will begin play in February., with its regular-season home debut at Empower Field at Mile High on March 28. The expansion fee was reported to be $110 million.
Three days before Christmas, Denver City Council voted 10-3 in favor of committing $70 million to construction of a 14,500-seat soccer-specific stadium and surrounding infrastructure on vacant land between Broadway and Santa Fe, near I25 and Broadway. The site is part of the former Gates Rubber Company property that has sat idle for years.
“This is a monumental day for South Broadway, for women’s soccer and for women’s sports, and for Denver as a whole,” gushed Denver Mayor Mike Johnston in a statement issued after the vote.
That may be, but there are nonbelievers out there.
“I hope, in 20 years from now, that . . . this is not a regret,” said city council president Amanda Sandoval, who voted for approval despite her reservations.
Councilwoman Sara Parady—one of three who voted against approval—noted that the City and County of Denver will retain ownership of the land on which the stadium will be built.
“We’re letting them build this private stadium on land that will be owned by a public entity, which means they will not have to pay property taxes ever on that land.”
Noting that funding for the stadium project is coming from interest earned from the bond program Denver voters approved in 2017, several councilmembers expressed concerns.
“I believe it is important to ensure that we are keeping good practices regarding those bondholders,” said Shontel Lewis, another ‘no’ vote, “and I cannot say that I feel that way here.”
Count me among those who aren’t yet convinced.
I concede that I’m not a soccer buff.
So, are my doubts because I don’t recognize how many avid soccer fans there are, or is it because there are better uses for $70 million when Denver is facing a budget shortfall more than three times that?
Denver Summit FC has said that it wants its own stadium to avoid paying rent to use another site, which will help its financial viability.
And the team said in September it had already received 15,000 season ticket deposits, which, if that translates to actual attendance, compares favorably with average turnout for games played by the Colorado Rapids men’s soccer team of the Major League Soccer (MLS) over the past few seasons.
Denver, meanwhile, is hoping that a women’s soccer stadium will be the catalyst that revitalizes a stretch of South Broadway that has languished for decades.
My question: Is women’s soccer a long-term attraction, or will its game attendance wane as the novelty wears off?
Two other headlines from 2025 represent another, admittedly promising part of this story:
Denver NWSL breaks ground on temporary stadium in Centennial
Temporary home for women’s pro soccer team will become permanent pitch for Cherry Creek schools
These appeared in early June and announced a partnership between Denver Summit FC and the City of Centennial to build a complex at South Potomac Street and East Fremont Avenue., and an agreement with Cherry Creek Schools with the potential for long-term benefits for its students.
“We’re proud to invest in world-class facilities that will support our athletes, engage students, enhance education, and leave a lasting impact on our community and the region,” Rob Cohen said at the time.
The 43-acre site will house a 12,000-seat stadium, to be used by Summit FC this year and next until the Denver site is completed for the 2028 season then converted to a 4,000-seat venue for interscholastic competition, along with a 20,000-square foot training facility.
The agreement with the Cherry Creek School District also provides for a variety of benefits, including internships with the pro soccer team, 500 game tickets per season and an annual $100,000 contribution by Summit FC to the Cherry Creek Schools Foundation.
Here’s hoping there’s never a headline that reads:
Dreams lost as women’s pro soccer team folds
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Denny Dressman writes a weekly sports column for The Villager. You can write to Denny at dennydressman@comcast.net.