The Denver Broncos new stadium is set to open in 2031.

At least, that’s the hope. But is it realistic?

The organization sure thinks so.

Will Denver Broncos new stadium open in 2031?

Damani Leech talked to the media about the new stadium on Saturday and he explained they’re hopeful it will open in 2031.

That’s the target date because the lease on the land for Empower Field at Mile High Stadium runs out in 2031, or five years from now.

But there are many moving parts.

For instance, the final designs aren’t done yet. They continue to be worked on, but renderings should be released soon. Denver Water will also have to be moved. And the team is talking to community members about what they would like from the new stadium as well. Historic Denver, a non-profit organization who advocates for public landmarks, spoke out a year ago when historic buildings were laid to rubble.

Broncos president Leech spoke to all of that on Saturday.

“We’re laser focused on delivering it by 2031,” Leech said. “It’s been a great effort by ownership, ourselves, the staff, the city. I’ve got to be honest, I wish we were further along in some areas than we are now. I think areas where we do control, particularly real estate, you mentioned Burnham Yard, real estate, engaging with the community, we’ve done site tours of the location, the design of the stadium continues to evolve, the master plan continues to evolve. All of those things are moving along really, really well, but we also understand that we can’t do this alone.”

So, it sounds like the Broncos are ahead of schedule in certain areas, and a bit behind in others.

“There are certain things we don’t control. I think as an example, the community benefits process is something that we can’t control. We’ve had a lot of initial great discussions with community representatives. More recently here, it’s been on more of a staff level. We’re eager to engage with those community members directly, understand what they’re looking for, what needs and interests they have on the development. Things like that, we have to continue to progress. We said many months ago, this is an ambitious timeline, so for that to happen, we need everybody to be involved. We can’t do it alone in order to get to 2031.”

This organization is first-class all the way. That’s what we’ve seen with the new Broncos Park Powered by CommonSpirit. And trying to get this stadium done by 2031 is certainly ambitious. But if any ownership group can do it, it’s this one.

When could they break ground on the new stadium?

According to Leech, the Broncos would need to break ground by next spring or summer to hit the 2031 kickoff date.

“The design of the stadium continues to progress,” Leech said. “It’s most likely going to be a three-and-a-half to four-year construction period, so that really puts you kind of in that late spring, early summer 2027.”

That’s less than a year for the team to get everything prepared before they can start work.

Remember, the Broncos new stadium will be part of a mixed-use neighborhood. Leech explained that part of the development will likely take at least another decade and shouldn’t hold up Denver hosting a Super Bowl.

“The goal is to have a stadium and the Phase One of the development in 2031. Phases Two, Three, Four, and how long that happens is going to happen over the course of decades most likely, so I don’t think we’re thinking that we need to wait until the end of the full development occurs,” he explained. “I think that’s not realistic and probably somebody who’s just impatient wouldn’t want to wait that long either. I think it’s fine to consider doing a Super Bowl earlier on after the stadium opens than later.”

Obviously, one of the reasons the Walton-Penner ownership group wants to build the new Denver Broncos stadium is to host Super Bowls, NCAA Final Fours, and massive concerts indoors. It will be a year-round venue unlike Empower Field at Mile High Stadium.

Unfortunately, if they play football indoors when it’s cold, it could hurt some of the Broncos home field advantage.

Exactly how and when they use the retractable roof remains to be seen. But it would be great to still get to watch snow football games some winters.