Denver Water’s board approved a purchase of property near the utility’s west Denver campus on Wednesday morning, marking the first acquisition from a group of more than 20 parcels the utility has pursued in the area.
Denver Water will pay just over $2 million for the 0.44-acre property on West 13th Avenue, which is a block north of its headquarters and is home to a fencing company and an addiction recovery clinic.
The Denver Post reported in June that the water provider had begun the process of acquiring parcels to the west and north of its campus in the spring. That undertaking began about a year after it started talks with the Broncos about a potential deal for the team to use some of the utility’s land to build a new stadium or related development.
The Broncos are considering the state-owned Burnham Yard as a potential location for a new stadium to replace Empower Field at Mile High as the expiration of the team’s lease approaches in early 2031. Denver Water owns 36 acres that’s partially adjacent to the former rail yard and would likely have to move much of its operation to another location if the team chooses that site and reaches a deal with the utility. The talks have also drawn in city and state officials.
Denver Water’s attempts to acquire more property have fueled speculation about a connection, but a spokesman has said the utility is “just exploring some voluntary acquisitions of properties near our operations complex to meet future operational needs.”
In April and May, the board quietly approved resolutions allowing Denver Water to notify 23 nearby property owners that it had “intent to acquire” their land. The property approved for sale Wednesday — as part of the Denver Water board’s consent agenda, without discussion — is at 1801 W. 13th Avenue.
The utility will purchase the land for about $2 million, according to the purchase and sale agreement. A company called 1801 West 13th LLC, which is based in Colorado Springs, owns the land.
The registered agent for the LLC is Peter Jacobs, the president of Taylor Fence Company. The fence company, along with an addiction clinic operated by Denver Recovery Group, are located at the site.
Neither Denver Water nor the Broncos have confirmed the connection of this or other intended purchases to the stadium negotiations. A spokesman for Denver Water didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment Wednesday.
A document summarizing the spring acquisition resolutions said only: “The Board requires the acquisition of additional property in the vicinity of the Administration Complex for the ongoing and future operation, maintenance and repair of its water works system and facilities (the Project).”
All of the sites are within a half-mile of the Denver Water campus. They are between Interstate 25 and Shoshone Street and span from 14th Avenue south to 12th Avenue. They are all either commercial properties or vacant land.
The Post reported last month that Denver Water’s notices have drawn varying responses from property owners, including some wary of the potential that eminent domain could be used.
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