Denver Auditor Dennis Gallagher today offered a solution to the National Western Stock Show predicament — that the city should take over management of the complex.
National Western officials have lamented that the 105-year-old complex is in disrepair and the space is too constrained at its current location north of Downtown.
Stock Show leaders say the institution is not competitive and is dying a slow death.
They have asked the city to let them out of their lease and for the city to help pay for relocation to Aurora, where a new complex would be built next to a proposed 1,500-room hotel and entertainment center being planned by the Tennessee-based Gaylord Entertainment Co.
Gallagher in today’s letter to Denver Mayor Michael Hancock and Council President Chris Nevitt said a better idea would be for the city “to acquire outright the National Western complex — buildings and grounds — and manage, market and promote that complex year-round.”
The National Western Association could lease the complex and the Coliseum for use during the annual Stock Show and Rodeo in January.
“Such an arrangement will ensure that complex will enjoy an expanded level of usage and that the buildings and grounds will receive proper and appropriate maintenance and upkeep.”
Gallagher says the city-owned Coliseum, now 60 years old, has been properly maintained and is in better condition than the 30-year-old Stock Show facilities.
National Western owns the land the complex sits on but conveyed the land to the City and County of Denver as part of a 1990 agreement with the city for construction of new buildings. National Western leases the land and buildings from the city for $1 a year. When that lease expires in 2040, the property and facilities will go back to National Western.
Gallagher didn’t explain how much his idea would cost or exactly how Denver would pay for it.
“The city is in a position to accomplish improvements and possible expansion in ways that the National Western is not: notably use of the city’s bonding authority and/or certificates of participation combined with private philanthropic giving as we did with the Ellie Caulkins Opera House.”
Gallagher’s office presented the findings and offered his idea to a special council committee meeting about the National Western Stock Show.
Over the past two weeks, the committee has heard reports about the effects of the Stock Show leaving Denver and the impacts on downtown Denver of the large Gaylord hotel opening in Aurora.
A task force created by Mayor Hancock also has been meeting to discuss the problem and is awaiting a detailed report by National Western officials before offering a recommendation to the mayor.
The council doesn’t have to make a decision on Gallagher’s suggestion.
Jeremy P. Meyer: 303-954-1367 or jpmeyer@denverpost.com
