A Denver fan is trying to plant a very different flag at Empower Field after the Broncos eventually move to a new stadium: a public park instead of another wall of apartments, offices, or parking.
Josh Rosenblum, who lives a few blocks from the stadium, launched the Mile High Park petition last week and had collected about 230 signatures as of Sunday, according to 98.5 KYGO. He wants Denver to consider converting Empower Field and its surrounding parking lots into public green space before the city begins discussing the property's future in 2027.
The proposal is laid out on the Mile High Park site, which frames the idea as a way to turn unused stadium property into a civic park once the Broncos leave. Rosenblum's pitch also calls for preserving the area's sports history with plaques and statues commemorating teams and major events associated with the site.
Denver's New Stadium Plans Put The Old Site In Play
The Broncos are working toward a new retractable-roof stadium at Burnham Yard, a former railyard in central Denver. The team's official stadium plan identifies 2031 as the targeted opening season and describes a broader mixed-use district with housing, business, entertainment, and public improvements.
That timeline is still dependent on land agreements, city approvals, and community negotiations. In May, CBS Colorado reported that the Broncos had finalized a formal agreement to purchase the Burnham Yard site, with the closing expected in the fall, while additional agreements with Denver Water and other parties remained ahead.
A Park Proposal Fits Denver's Broader Green-Space Push
Rosenblum's argument also lands in a city that has formally made park access and open space a long-term priority. Denver Parks and Recreation says its Game Plan for a Healthy City treats access to parks as a basic right and calls for expanding green space as Denver grows.
There is a practical complication, too: Empower Field is not simply an empty parcel waiting for a developer. The stadium's official ownership information says it is owned by the Metropolitan Football Stadium District and managed by Stadium Management Company, a Broncos subsidiary.
For now, Rosenblum has not set a signature target and says he wants as many names as possible before Denver's future-site discussions begin, KYGO reported. The Broncos have also said they would seek to extend their Empower Field lease if the new stadium is not ready by 2031, so Mile High Park remains a long-range civic idea rather than an immediate redevelopment plan.
