This much we know: The National Western Stock Show, after a brief flirtation with Aurora, will remain in Denver.
We have Mayor Michael Hancock’s word on that.
The , and while chief executive Paul Andrews said the plan is to , the event may ultimately have a decidedly different look and feel.
A report prepared by the Denver Urban Renewal Authority found that the stock show’s business plan is unsustainable and suggested that the city look for a dedicated revenue stream. One option might be using money from lodging taxes or auto- rental taxes.
Officials now await a feasibility study by Visit Denver and the city’s Arts & Venues Department.
The goal is for the National Western complex to be filled with events year-round.
Other questions remain: Will it expand from its current 95-acre site? Should it move to another Denver location? Should the aging buildings be renovated?
In 2011, the stock show handed Hancock a — from doing nothing to spending $500 million to expand and rebuild at the current site. To do nothing, the report said, would plunge the stock show into bankruptcy within seven years.
