Commerce City has been dropped as a potential site for a NASCAR racetrack, making opponents happy and bringing hope to other possible sites – including Aurora.
The International Speedway Corp. said Wednesday in a letter to Commerce City Mayor Paul Natale that sites in other cities have emerged as better overall opportunities for the racetrack.
ISC executive Wesley Harris said the 1,300-acre parcel the company was considering near Denver International Airport was not compatible with its needs.
A community galvanizing against the racetrack also played a role in the ISC’s backing out of Commerce City, Harris said.
“It was a combination of factors,” he said. “And clearly, we listen closely to what’s going on in the communities we are looking at.”
Kathy McIntyre, a resident of the Reunion housing development close to the racetrack site, was happy about the decision.
“It’s a good day in Commerce City,” she said. “We banded together to make sure our quality of life wouldn’t be ruined by this track, and it worked.”
McIntyre and other racetrack opponents spoke out at several public meetings soon after the ISC announced in February that it was looking at the Commerce City location.
An April election also ushered in a majority of City Council members who were skeptical that a racetrack would be good for the city.
The council was considering a ballot proposal aimed at blocking the city from offering economic incentives for a racetrack within 9 miles of any residential subdivision.
Natale said the city might have been more welcoming if the ISC would have unveiled its plans sooner. Instead, city officials heard nothing but rumors and speculation.
“Had they just come forward and told us what they were thinking, we might have worked something out,” Natale said.
The ISC is still looking at several other sites in the Denver metro area, including a parcel near Front Range Airport in Aurora, Harris said.
“We are looking at whether we can operate a facility and allow it to grow over time,” he said. “We aim to be in Colorado for a long, long time.”
Aurora Mayor Ed Tauer said he expects a final decision to be some time away.
“We would love to have a location and economic package that works for our citizens and ISC,” Tauer said after learning Commerce City had been dropped. “A track would be a terrific amenity.”
Front Range Airport director Dennis Heap said the Aurora site is likely to be seen now as a prime location for the track.
“What we understand is the site in Commerce City has gotten an awful lot of pushback,” Heap said. “And so I think that there’s more of a look at the Front Range site, but we’re not in any ongoing communications with anybody about it.”
Harris said there is no deadline for a decision.
“We will continue to move forward,” Harris said, “and find the best site possible.”
Staff writers Joey Bunch and Kelly Yamanouchi contributed to this report.
Staff writer Monte Whaley can be reached at 720-929-0907 or mwhaley@denverpost.com.
