Revealed in $30 million grant; Broncos planning $351 million entertainment district

DENVER -- Citizens in one of Denver's lowest income neighborhoods had much to rejoice over on Monday when a federal report circulated detailing a $30 million grant awarded to the Sun Valley neighborhood. The report also uncovered a massive building plan totaling $351 million by the Denver Broncos. 

According to the Choice Neighborhoods 2016 Implementation Grant Awards report, the residents of the Sun Valley neighborhood have been isolated amid Denver's growth, leading to 83 percent of residents falling below the poverty line. 

Those reasons, along with a violent crime rate over 5.6 times the city average, led to the award of $30 million for a housing development project that will see 750 new, mixed-income housing units constructed. The project will also see improvement in the city's landscape by building new open space and creating new opportunities for local businesses. 

That $30 million celebration paused when readers continued on, learning the key partners in the project include the Denver Broncos. The Broncos are indeed a neighbor in the Sun Valley district, generating a healthy amount of foot traffic. 

But the report outlines a plan by the Broncos to construct a $351 million entertainment district which entails retail, commercial and residential developments. 

Details on the massive project are sparce, and the Broncos haven't said much about the plan. In a public comment, the Broncos explained the plan is preliminary. 

“Our organization fully supports the enhancement of the area around the stadium, including the Sun Valley neighborhood. While we’ve had discussions with the Metropolitan Football Stadium District and the city about the future development surrounding the stadium, those conversations have been very preliminary and have not included any cost estimates. We will continue to explore this possibility with the Metropolitan Football Stadium District and the city.”