NFL franchise the Denver Broncos has announced $176m (£143.4m/€164.6m) plans to develop a new state-of-the-art training facility.
The complex, which will include team headquarters, will be built on the site of the existing Centura Health Training Center in Englewood. The privately funded project is expected to commence in the spring, with completion set ahead of the 2026 NFL season.
The Broncos’ new facility will aim to enhance player health and performance while bringing football and business operations staff together. The team said the headquarters will be designed in a “contemporary Colorado style” and feature more than 205,000 square feet across three floors. The new facility is expected to be 30% larger in size than the existing complex.
The Broncos have partnered with HOK and Rockwell Group on the design for the new facility. “Our vision is to create a new home for the Denver Broncos that reflects our values of winning and teamwork with a modern Colorado design,” said Broncos owner and CEO, Greg Penner.
“While we considered several options to modify our current facility, we decided to do this the right way by building a new player-centered headquarters with an efficient layout and the latest amenities. Having both our football and business operations on the same campus will foster a championship environment in pursuit of our goals on and off the field.”
The Broncos’ new headquarters will be located to the west of the current facility on the plaza level and will connect to the 115,000-square Pat Bowlen Fieldhouse, which was built in 2014. The full facility will be comprised of more than 320,000 square feet on Denver’s 26-acre campus.
In the new facility, the weight room, indoor practice facility and walkthrough area will all be connected to the main facility. The first floor will be designed to optimise the players’ experience and daily path throughout the facility. The newly built headquarters will feature an additional 21,000-plus square feet of player space — approximately one-third larger than the existing space — for an expanded locker room, meeting rooms, sports performance areas and other areas.
Football operations will occupy the second floor, while business operations will be located on the third floor. More than 70 employees will move from the team’s Empower Field at Mile High stadium to the new facility following the completion of the project.
The Broncos’ current facility was built in 1990, with Centura Health securing a 10-year naming rights deal in May. Once the new complex is complete, the existing facility will be demolished and replaced with a grass-seating berm from which fans can view training camp. The new facility will also feature fan and hospitality spaces, including an amenity courtyard, rooftop terrace, balconies and seating areas.
Denver’s new facility will also feature underground parking and an open-air mezzanine to host events. The team said it will be constructed with a focus on sustainability, featuring locally sourced materials and energy-efficient design strategies.
Broncos president, Damani Leech, said: “The combination of layout, collaborative spaces, flexibility and size will place the Broncos’ new training facility among the very best in all of sports.”
The Broncos unveiled a range of upgrades to Empower Field at Mile High in August, ahead of the new season. The upgrades, which cost $100m to carry out, included improvements to the stadium’s videoboard, suites and team store. The Broncos also unveiled the brand-new Breckenridge Bourbon Club.
The Broncos confirmed plans for the upgrades in December last year, with the investment marking the largest capital improvement to the stadium since it opened in 2001. The upgrades were announced after the $4.65bn takeover of the Broncos by the Walton-Penner Family was completed last August.
