All five parts of Denver Mayor Michael Hancock’s $450 million bond measure will appear on the city’s November ballot, the City Council decided Monday night, including a new arena at the National Western Center, the most contentious of the proposals.
That’s not to say each of the city’s 13 council members agreed completely. Four members voted against the National Western piece, worth $190 million, repeating their concerns about the speed at which it was introduced and how the new arena and renovated 1909 Building wouldn’t benefit the overall Globeville, Elyria and Swansea neighborhoods.
Residents of those neighborhoods spoke against the National Western proposal during the council’s first vote last week and several more people spoke against the measure during public comment Monday evening.
Councilwoman Robin Kniech said she regretted having to vote no on the proposal because she believes the upgrades are necessary, but she questioned whether they could have been funded some other way.
“I cannot be sure that we ruled out every opportunity and option,” Kniech said.
Council members Amanda Sandoval, Candi CdeBaca and Paul Kashmann also voted against the National Western item.
The four other measures, which would bring things like new libraries in Globeville and Westwood, passed without much conversation. Only CdeBaca voted against them.
Mayor Michael Hancock’s administration picked projects for the bonds from a running list of possible projects throughout the city, about $4 billion worth of work. But each of the five categories will stand on their own on the Nov. 2 ballot, meaning residents can support the projects they want.
The five proposals are:
- $63.3 million: Transportation projects like expanding Denver’s sidewalks; renovating existing bike lanes and adding new ones; rebuilding portions of the Morrison Road corridor to add a cultural and arts district; building an urban trail downtown.
- $54 million: Parks projects like new ones in northeast and south Denver; restoring athletic fields and courts; replacing playground and recreation equipment; and rebuilding the pool at Mestizo-Curtis Park.
- $38.6 million: Housing and shelter projects, the biggest being building or renovating shelters for the homeless; that could also mean purchasing or converting buildings into shelters.
- $104 million: Denver facilities projects, including repairs and improvements at the Denver Botanic Gardens, Bonfils Theater Complex, Denver Museum of Nature and Science and the Denver Zoo; two new libraries; renovation of a city-owned youth empowerment center; accessibility upgrades for city buildings.
- $190 million: A new arena at the National Western Complex and renovations at the existing 1909 Building.
Chief Financial Officer Brendan Hanlon said last week that the majority of money from a 2017 bond measure approved by voters, which totals nearly $1 billion, remains unspent.
But he believes Denver can afford another borrowing package at the same time, one that he and Hancock say will help the city bounce back from pandemic-induced issues like the shriveled tourism industry and canceled concerts and conferences.
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