‘Hottest-ticket-in-town’ Denver NWSL chic home

Article posted by Coliseum, April 7^th, 2025

Image: Denver NWSL

The Denver National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) announced recently its plan to build a purpose-built stadium and recreational district for professional women’s soccer in Denver’s (Colorado, US) urban core.

‘DENVER’ stated that the state-of-the-art, 14,500-seat stadium will be built at the Sante Fe Yards (Broadway and I-25) in the heart of Denver, Colorado (US).

The National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) is a women’s professional soccer league and the highest level of the United States soccer league system. The league comprises 14 teams (16 in 2026). It is owned by the teams and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation. The NWSL is headquartered in Midtown Manhattan.

Chicago-based the United States Soccer Federation, commonly referred to as U.S. Soccer, is a 501 nonprofit organization and the official governing body of soccer in the United States.

The Denver NWSL team is a future American professional soccer team based in Denver, Colorado (US) that will compete in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) starting in 2026. It was founded as an expansion team on January 30^th, 2025.

The Denver NWSL team, which begins play in 2026, will play its home games at a 14,500-seat stadium at Santa Fe Yards located at the intersection of Broadway and I-25 in Denver, Colorado (US) which is scheduled to open in the Spring of 2028.

‘DENVER’ further stated that the Santa Fe Yards will be the first purpose-built sports and entertainment district built for professional women’s sports in Colorado. The Santa Fe Yards, the Denver NWSL stadium and recreational district, designed in collaboration with Populous, is expected to open in the Spring of 2028.

Remarked Rob Cohen, Denver NWSL Controlling Owner, “This will be the largest overall investment in a women’s professional sports team in history. We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to leverage this massive private investment to revitalize and transform the Santa Fe Yards into a new hub of thriving community activity, a place for outdoor recreation, restaurants, retail, and for building connections with our community.

This project will reconnect the neighborhoods, create new jobs and boost the local economy during and after the construction process unlocking year-round economic, social and cultural benefits that extend far beyond the stadium’s walls. Most importantly, it will provide our club, our fans, our partners, and our community with a state-of-the-art stadium that will provide us a distinct home-field advantage and will serve as the most inclusive environment in all of Colorado.”

The 14-acre redevelopment at the Santa Fe Yards will feature a purpose-built professional women’s soccer stadium, a 3.5-acre recreational park and future mixed-use development in the heart of Denver.

The stadium will be constructed with the ability to expand in the future to host larger crowds and marquee events.

Denver NWSL will transform a site that has for decades sat dormant and undeveloped to create a world-class sports and entertainment district featuring pedestrian and bike connections in addition to close proximity to public transportation. This design reimagines the relationship between elite athleticism and community recreation suggesting that inspiration flows in both directions.

This integration of professional athletics with publicly accessible parks and everyday open recreation spaces may reshape how the young people envision athletic achievement – when excellence is visibly embedded in the community aspiration becomes more tangible. The stadium complex stands as a physical manifestation of the idea that women’s sports deserve not just equal facilities but equal integration into our community identity.

Maintained the Mayor of Denver Mike Johnston, “It’s only fitting that the hottest ticket in town will be making its home on Broadway. This project at the Santa Fe Yards will transform an underutilized eyesore into a recreational and economic hub where memories are made, culture is built and championships are won.”

The multipurpose stadium, the park and the community district will be the anchor and catalyst for redevelopment of the site as a transit-oriented development – one that is intended to be walkable and encourages the use of public transportation. The Denver NWSL will unveil its plans for a temporary stadium and purpose-built performance center at a later date.

Added Jessica Berman, NWSL Commissioner, “This announcement is a game-changer for the NWSL and a bold statement about where women’s sports are headed. The Santa Fe Yards will set a new standard for what the professional athletes deserve – a purpose-built stadium and an entertainment district that reflects the passion of this City and our league’s continued growth. Denver is helping to shape the future of women’s soccer and we can’t wait to see the impact this world-class venue will have on the players, the fans and the community.”

The industry-leading Owner’s Representative (a third-party hired by the owner to represent their best interests throughout a project ensuring it flows smoothly and efficiently according to their expectations) the CAA ICON has been providing stadium advisory services for the new stadium deal and is now extending its engagement to provide full project management services as the stadium project is set to begin more formal stages of design and construction. The CAA ICON, which provides a full range of project management and strategic consulting services, will support the development, design and construction of the stadium working with Populous.

A division of the leading entertainment and sports agency Creative Artists Agency (CAA), Denver (US)-based the CAA ICON is the world’s-leading Owners Representative and strategic management consulting firm for the public and private sports and entertainment facility owners/operators, the professional franchises and the leagues. With more than 55 sports, entertainment and public assembly projects and over 2,500 consulting engagements the CAA ICON has managed the development of many of the most successful venues around the world spanning 11 professional sports leagues, totaling nearly $40 billion.

Populous is a global architectural and design practice with regional headquarters in Kansas City (UA), London (UK) and Brisbane (Australia) specializing in the sports facilities, the arenas and the convention centers as well as in the planning and design of major special events.

Observed Jason Wright, Managing Partner and Head of Investments at Project Level, a subsidiary of Ariel Investments (an investment company based in Chicago [US]. It specializes in small and mid-capitalized stocks) and one of the largest investors in Denver NWSL, “The investment in the future of the Denver NWSL is a critical step towards bringing women’s soccer to its rightful place in the major leagues alongside the other great teams of the City of Denver.”

The global design firm Populous has been chosen to lead the stadium design and related design and engineering consultants. Populous is known for its dynamic design approach which synthesizes architectural expertise and understanding of the fan experience to deliver stadiums authentic to their Cities and primed for economic impact.

Stated Sherri Privitera, Director of Women’s Professional Sports at design firm Populous, “Populous is honored to be part of a transformational project that amplifies the experience for the players, the coaches and the Denver community. We are inspired by the energy of the community and its love for the game and we look forward to bringing a shared vision to life.”

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