Will the Broncos build a new stadium? Greg Penner weighs in

The Denver Broncos had a groundbreaking ceremony for a new headquarters and training facility on Thursday.

At the ceremony, Broncos owner/CEO Greg Penner was asked if the team considered building an entertainment district around the facility.

”There are a couple of things,” Penner said of the decision to not have entertainment around the practice facility. “One with just the timing, which is, as we talked about, we’re evaluating options for a new stadium potentially and whether that’s on the current site or somewhere else. We weren’t ready to make that decision at this point.

“The second thing is, some teams do have that (an entertainment district around the facility) with mixed results. I think in certain cases there are positives to having both in one location. There’s also something about coming to a place where, this is where we practice, this is our space.

“Sometimes we’ll have fans, as you all know, and partners here, but it’s really about work and practice. I think sometimes if you combine that with more entertainment, there can be some dangers with that.”

Not much of an update on the team’s stadium status, but Penner did confirm the team is “evaluating options.” Denver started surveying fans about the stadium’s future last year, and there’s been speculation that the ownership group could eventually build a mega stadium with an entertainment district around it.

The team’s current lease at Empower Field at Mile High runs through the 2031 season. With eight more years left at the current stadium, Denver’s brass hasn’t rushed into announcing any future plans. That won’t stop fans and media members from asking about it.

“I’ve been getting the stadium questions since Day 1 about two years ago,” team president Damani Leech said Thursday. “We’ll continue to get that. I think the answer is the same one. It’s a pretty long process. We’re still evaluating everything. Everything’s on the table. We’ll continue to explore it and make a decision at a time that makes sense for us.”