Largest private investment in pro women’s sports aims to fix broken part of Denver

Six neighborhoods in the heart of Denver are about to be connected by women’s sports, with the new stadium at Santa Fe Yards giving life to a long-deserted area.

Key stakeholders, including Denver Mayor Mike Johnston and Denver NWSL team owner Rob Cohen, announced the project on Tuesday at the Girls Athletic Leadership School—a sign of the dedication from everyone involved to building this space for women’s sports. Bigger than the Mile High City’s newest pro soccer team getting a home, the 14,500-seat stadium will anchor a park that officials hope will reenergize the 14-acre site of Gates Rubber Factory, which had been unused for three decades causing a fracture in the metro’s urban core.

“It’s a promise to all of Denver and our community. It represents a new era of economic development, connectivity and opportunity for those who have long been separated by highways, forgotten industrial sites and railroads, we are not just connecting the east and west sides of Denver. We’re also linking the north and south side of Broadway, strengthening a vital commercial corridor that is essential to our city’s economy,” said Denver city council person Flor Alvidrez, who represents District 7 where the stadium is going. “Sports have always been a powerful force for community and youth. Soccer will be at the heart of this development for our kids and families… This is our chance to correct historical wrongs and build something at a time when we need to build unity that will serve our city.”

The site is technically in Baker, but it’s cut off from the rest of the neighborhood by I-25. Between the South Platte River which will separate the site from Vanderbilt Park and train tracks that disconnect it from Broadway, the land has been a no-go zone for quite some time. Instead of a decades-long failed housing project, Denver will now have a stadium and new park bordering the Athmar Park, Ruby Hill, Overland, Washington Park West and Platt Park neighborhoods. The site sits essentially in the dead center of Denver, just a bit south, and is the last stop on RTD’s light rail before the D line splits from the H and E. It features a rebuilt interchange between the interstate and Broadway and is directly next to another state highway—Santa Fe Drive. Not to mention it’s also on a bike trail. Getting to a Denver NWSL game should be the opposite of the trek it takes to visit the other soccer team ‘in town’—the Rapids at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park.

“We’ve had a vision about creating something unique and different in our community that we think will be a game changer and will be impactful and transformative for our entire city. At the heart of that was the concept of building a purpose-built stadium for women. It’s going to be designed by women, built by women, and for women, it’s going to be family-friendly and really have a lot of amenities to it that really appeal to the entire fan base across the city and the state, as well as the region,” Cohen said. “We scoured the city to look at every potential site that would make sense to have this team. But it didn’t take us long until we started to hone in on Santa Fe Yards… We wanted something that was accessible from every quadrant in the city, something that people could easily get to and from. It was a neighborhood in a place that we felt would have a great vibe on game day, but would also be something that we could activate 365 days a year.”

Cohen shares that his vision was held by every other key stakeholder. The owner believes his venue will be a host for farmers markets, races and other city events. The plan calls for the stadium to be privately funded by Cohen and company while the land will be in the city’s possession. The trade made by Denver was some tax incentives that were already in place promising that the would-be dollars will be used by ownership to continue building out the area.

“Today’s announcement represents the largest private investment in the history of women’s professional sports, and with that investment comes a bold and inspiring statement,” NWSL Chief Operating Officer Sarah Jones Simmer said. “Santa Fe Yards will be more than a stadium, it will be a beacon for what’s possible when a city, a community, and a league come together around a shared vision. This will be a purpose-built home for the incredible athletes that play in the NWSL, a destination for fans, and a thriving community hub that helps redefine the role of women’s sports in shaping our cities and our culture.”

The team will kick off in 2026, with the stadium done for the 2028 season. Where the team plays in the meantime and what they will be called is coming soon.

The first of its kind in Denver. We’re excited to announce our 14,500 seat stadium, set to open in the spring of 2028. 🏟️🏔️ pic.twitter.com/x76NYuh3bQ

— Denver NWSL (@denver_nwsl) March 18, 2025