The National Football League (NFL) teams Denver Broncos and the Kansas City Chiefs stadiums will be designed by the same Kansas City-based firm (MANICA Architecture) that drew up the blueprints for their rivals in Las Vegas (US).
‘denversports.com’ stated that the Denver Broncos President Damani Leech confirmed on August 1st that the club is working with MANICA Architecture as the lead designer of its new retractable-roof stadium at Burnham Yard (a 58-acre former railroad site located just South of downtown Denver, US) and with Denver’s own Tryba Architects as the designer for the surrounding stadium district.
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver (US). The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a Member of the American Football Conference (AFC) West Division.
The 76,125-seat Empower Field at Mile High is an American football stadium in the Western United States, located in Denver, Colorado (US). Opened 25 years ago in 2001, its primary tenant is the National Football League (NFL) team Denver Broncos.
Kansas City (US)-based MANICA Architecture provides its clients with the unique combination of large-scale project experience and the personality and creativity of a boutique international design studio. Unlike many large architectural firms that specialize in projects of similar scale, MANICA is dedicated to ensuring that all of its clients are given the personal attention and unparalleled expertise they deserve.
Denver (US)-based Tryba Architects are an interdisciplinary architecture firm leading the transformation of buildings and sites into vibrant places connecting the people, nature and the urban environment.
The Denver Broncos are planning a massive multibillion-dollar project to build a new retractable-roof stadium, a surrounding mixed-use entertainment district and a community hub at the historic Burnham Yard site in downtown Denver (US) with a targeted completion for the 2031 NFL season.
Biggest Hire
‘denversports.com’ further stated that it’s the biggest hire of the project so far – and while the 2031 opening remains the target, Leech revealed some of the team’s struggles in working with the community as quickly as they would like.
‘World-class Fan Experience’
MANICA Architecture Founder David Manica said in a statement, “Understanding what this team means to its great fans in Denver and across the Broncos Country, MANICA is honored to be chosen as the Lead Design Architect of the Broncos’ new retractable-roof stadium. We are committed to delivering a world-class fan experience at the center of the enhancements the Broncos will be adding to the local neighborhoods.”
If one has watched football in Las Vegas, basketball in San Francisco, or a World Cup match in Qatar one must have seen MANICA’s work. The boutique firm’s portfolio reads like a greatest-hits list of modern venue design:
- The 65,000-seat Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, US – home of the National Football League (NFL) team Las Vegas Raiders (Super Bowl LVIII host);
- The 18,064-seat Chase Center – San Francisco, US (home of the National Basketball Association [NBA] team Golden State Warriors);
- The under-construction Continental Coliseum – Oklahoma City, US (home of the NBA team Oklahoma City Thunder);
- Planned 70,000-seat New Chiefs Stadium – Kansas City, Kansas, US (future home of the NFL team Kansas City Chiefs);
- The under-construction 60,000-seat New Nissan Stadium – Nashville, Tennessee, US (future home of the NFL team Tennessee Titans);
- The 21,550-seat Chase Stadium – Fort Lauderdale, Florida, US (home of the MLS Next Pro side Inter Miami CF II Inter Miami); and
- The 88,966-seat Lusail Iconic Stadium – Doha, Qatar (2022 World Cup Final).
Build Big
That’s north of $15 billion in combined construction value. MANICA knows how to build big and the Denver Broncos just handed the firm another hugely visible commission.
District Skirting Stadium
Around the stadium is the district which will matter as much if not more than the building itself. The Tryba Architects has been shaping Denver’s built environment for more than six decades.
Pedestrian Spine
Leech said that the full Burnham Yard footprint will stretch to roughly 150 acres with five million to seven million square feet of development beyond the stadium itself – two new neighborhoods, an entertainment district and a pedestrian spine connecting to the Regional Transportation District (RTD) Station at 10th and Osage (a public light rail transit stop in Denver, Colorado).
Sasaki, the global planning and design firm, is serving as the Master Plan Architect on the broader project.
Big Project Stress
Leech isn’t hiding the stress of the big project. Speaking on August 1st at the training camp the Denver Broncos President acknowledged “frustration” and “concern” over a process that hasn’t moved as fast as the team would like – “I’ve got to be honest. I wish we were further along in some areas than we are now.”
Construction Window
Leech confirmed a three-and-a-half to four-year construction window meaning ground must break by late spring or early summer of 2027 to hit a 2031 opening. The Community Benefits Agreement (CBA – a legally binding contract signed between a project developer and the local community groups) and the city’s small area plan – two boxes that need to be checked before shovels go in – are still ongoing.
Mixed Emotions
Added Leech, “There are days when I’m driving home and I’m really excited about the progress that we’re making. I’ll be honest, there are days when I have concerns. There are days when I have frustration. Because you can’t control it all.”
Personal Seat Licenses
One thing the team is already eyeing: Your wallet. Leech said the Personal Seat Licenses – the one-time fee that gives the season-ticket holders the right to buy their seat – are likely coming to the new stadium.
Concluded Leech, “Every stadium in the last 10-plus years that has been built there have been PSLs issued. So, it seems like a pretty likely thing to happen. But we haven’t made any formal decisions on that.”
Purchase Agreement
The Denver Broncos and the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) formalized a purchase agreement for the 58.5-acre Burnham Yard site earlier this year at a price of $45.8 million though the closing has slipped from mid-May to sometime this fall. The CDOT cannot sell the land to anyone else until the deal closes or the agreement expires in June 2027.
Environmental Remediation
The environmental remediation of the former rail yard still needs to happen.
The public records Broncos-linked LLCs have spent more than $120 million on the additional parcels around the site in recent months though the team hasn’t confirmed those purchases.
None of that changes the bottom line: The Denver Broncos want to kick off the 2031 season under a retractable roof at Burnham Yard. Now, we may have a little hint at what the big building could look like.
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