For more than two decades, metro Denver’s suburban residents have paid hundreds of millions of dollars to help fund sports and cultural venues in the city’s core.
But the prospect of Denver taxpayers helping to subsidize an $824 million hotel and conference center in conjunction with the proposed move of the National Western Stock Show & Rodeo to Aurora has been met with public outrage.
“For over 20 years, regionalism has been responsible for the realization of some of the most significant and beneficial projects in Colorado’s history,” said Wendy Mitchell, president and chief executive of the Aurora Economic Development Council. “Many were controversial, but in the end, everyone pulled together to overcome special interests to make these projects a reality.”
The suburbs have contributed about 72 percent of the roughly $668 million the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District has distributed to metro-area cultural institutions since it went into effect in 1989. About 38 percent of the money funds cultural institutions in Denver’s core, including the art museum, botanic gardens, zoo, Museum of Nature & Science and the Denver Center for the Performing Arts. (However, Denver taxpayers, alone, are footing the bill for some recent improvements, including Asian Tropics at the zoo and a parking garage at the botanic gardens.)
Cooperation “proactive”
Suburban counties also agreed to another tax to pay for Coors Field and Sports Authority at Mile High stadium, formerly known as Invesco Field at Mile High. Since the tax was implemented about 20 years ago, suburban communities have contributed $433 million of the $625 million collected, according to information provided by the Metropolitan Football Stadium District.
Finally, voters in the region agreed in 2004 to pay a 0.4 percent sales tax for six new FasTracks train lines and other transit improvements. From 2005 through August 2010, the tax has raised $759 million, with suburban counties contributing $540 million.
Next year, voters in the metro area probably will be asked to double the FasTracks tax to help cover a $2.5 billion shortfall that has left some trains — including the North Metro line to Adams County and the Interstate 225 light-rail line in Aurora — severely underfunded and in danger of being shelved for up to three decades.
All the taxes were put forth in the name of “regionalism,” the belief that what is good for the city will benefit the surrounding area.
“Regionalism is more than just cities getting along,” Aurora Mayor Ed Tauer said. “Regionalism is proactive. It’s Coors Field, Mile High Stadium, FasTracks and the Denver arts center. The region benefited, and that’s why the people of Lakewood, Broomfield, Centennial and others gave those projects their financial support. We believe this new project is the same.”
Arapahoe County Commissioner Nancy Sharpe said most elected leaders think regionally and that Denver officials generally have been supportive of suburban initiatives.
“We’re elected to think about our own areas, but we’re interdependent on each other and need to do things that boost the economy of our region as a whole,” Sharpe said.
But when it comes to subsidies for the proposed Gaylord complex in Aurora, some downtown Denver leaders are crying foul. Aurora has agreed to give Nashville, Tenn.-based Gaylord Entertainment Co. incentives worth up to $300 million to build a 1,500-room hotel complex that includes about 400,000 square feet of conference space.
Aurora, in conjunction with the city and county of Denver, also has applied for $91.5 million in state subsidies under the Regional Tourism Act to help fund the Gaylord project, as well as new facilities for the National Western, which wants to relocate to about 300 acres adjacent to the proposed hotel.
“The RTA — that’s where everybody has a lot of angst,” said Richard Scharf, president of Visit Denver and chairman of the Colorado Tourism Office board. “Without this money, they could not build this. In the case of Gaylord, anything that’s made — from the state perspective — goes back to Gaylord if they get RTA funding.”
And while suburban voters have demonstrated they’re willing to pay for facilities that benefit the region, some vocal downtown boosters have said they are opposed to the stock show relocating to Aurora and will not pay to make it happen.
Although it’s unclear how the deal would be structured, stock show officials have said they are considering asking Denver voters to approve a $150 million bond issue to help it relocate to a new facility next to the Gaylord hotel.
Stock show president and chief executive Paul Andrews declined to comment.
“Profound benefits”
Gaylord officials say the hotel’s economic impact to the region will be far-reaching. The hotel complex will bring 3,100 new permanent jobs, 2,000 construction jobs and generate new economic activity, said Brian Abrahamson, spokesman for the company.
“Take a look at the impact that the similarly sized Gaylord Texan has generated in that state,” Abrahamson said. “A notable Texas economist has determined that since its opening in 2004, the Gaylord Texan has already produced $1.8 billion in net new economic activity in the state.
“There are few business models around that can produce such profound benefits,” he said. “Our key economic drivers are massive capital investment, enormous employment and significant out-of-state spending by meeting attendees.”
Margaret Jackson: 303-954-1473 or mjackson@denverpost.com
Cultural facilities
$668 million Total collected
$481 million From suburban counties
STADIUM DISTRICT
$625 million Total collected
$433 million From suburban counties
RTD FASTRACKS
$759 million Total collected
$540 million From suburban counties
