A map of Denver Water’s plans for a site it is buying in Elyria-Swansea. (Public records)
Denver Water is considering constructing four industrial buildings on the Elyria-Swansea site where it plans to relocate some operations.
Plans submitted to the city Monday show three buildings totaling 165,000 square feet on the east end of the site, where a gutted former AT&T call center sits. Those buildings are labeled “Trades,” “Fleet Maintenance” and “Warehouse and Pipe Storage.”
The fourth building is on the west end of the site, across tracks used by the Regional Transportation District’s A Line. That approximately 15,000-square-foot building is labeled “Meter Shop.”
Much of the remainder of the site would be used for surface parking, although the plans call for dozens of trees to be planted and show two sport courts that would apparently be used by employees. The existing building at the site, once an AT&T call center, would be demolished, per the plans.
The Denver Water operations poised to move to the site are currently housed south of Denver Water’s headquarters at 1600 W. 12th Ave., next to the former Burnham Yard railyard. Denver Water has agreed to relocate some operations to allow the Denver Broncos to build a stadium-anchored development there.
The utility has said the Broncos will pay all relocation costs, although exactly how that will happen has yet to be determined. Denver Water is using its own money for now.
The southern end of Denver Water’s site next to Burnham Yard on June 14, 2025. (BusinessDen file)
Denver Water is under contract to pay $53 million to two sellers for the Elyria-Swansea relocation site. Its project there is being designed by Stantec, a Canadian architecture and engineering giant that has a Denver office.
Denver Water’s board approved a $2.5 million contract with Stantec last month. The contract, which runs through the end of February, calls for the firm to provide design services for six new buildings.
While only four buildings are currently proposed in Elyria-Swansea, “we’re still early in design,” Denver Water spokesman Travis Thompson said.
Denver Water previously said it could also relocate operations to two other sites. One is 1801 W. 13th Ave., a small lot that Denver Water is buying north of its headquarters. The second is an outer parking lot surrounding Empower Field at Mile High, Thompson said.
Stantec acquired Denver architecture firm RNL Design in 2017. Denver Water had tapped RNL in 2015 for design services on the redevelopment of its headquarters and operations complex adjacent to Burnham Yard.
Board documents state that Denver Water determined selecting the same firm for relocation design would be “the most cost efficient and expeditious delivery strategy” because it would allow the utility to “leverage existing knowledge, assets, and experience.”
A map of Denver Water’s plans for a site it is buying in Elyria-Swansea. (Public records)
Denver Water is considering constructing four industrial buildings on the Elyria-Swansea site where it plans to relocate some operations.
Plans submitted to the city Monday show three buildings totaling 165,000 square feet on the east end of the site, where a gutted former AT&T call center sits. Those buildings are labeled “Trades,” “Fleet Maintenance” and “Warehouse and Pipe Storage.”
The fourth building is on the west end of the site, across tracks used by the Regional Transportation District’s A Line. That approximately 15,000-square-foot building is labeled “Meter Shop.”
Much of the remainder of the site would be used for surface parking, although the plans call for dozens of trees to be planted and show two sport courts that would apparently be used by employees. The existing building at the site, once an AT&T call center, would be demolished, per the plans.
The Denver Water operations poised to move to the site are currently housed south of Denver Water’s headquarters at 1600 W. 12th Ave., next to the former Burnham Yard railyard. Denver Water has agreed to relocate some operations to allow the Denver Broncos to build a stadium-anchored development there.
The utility has said the Broncos will pay all relocation costs, although exactly how that will happen has yet to be determined. Denver Water is using its own money for now.
The southern end of Denver Water’s site next to Burnham Yard on June 14, 2025. (BusinessDen file)
Denver Water is under contract to pay $53 million to two sellers for the Elyria-Swansea relocation site. Its project there is being designed by Stantec, a Canadian architecture and engineering giant that has a Denver office.
Denver Water’s board approved a $2.5 million contract with Stantec last month. The contract, which runs through the end of February, calls for the firm to provide design services for six new buildings.
While only four buildings are currently proposed in Elyria-Swansea, “we’re still early in design,” Denver Water spokesman Travis Thompson said.
Denver Water previously said it could also relocate operations to two other sites. One is 1801 W. 13th Ave., a small lot that Denver Water is buying north of its headquarters. The second is an outer parking lot surrounding Empower Field at Mile High, Thompson said.
Stantec acquired Denver architecture firm RNL Design in 2017. Denver Water had tapped RNL in 2015 for design services on the redevelopment of its headquarters and operations complex adjacent to Burnham Yard.
Board documents state that Denver Water determined selecting the same firm for relocation design would be “the most cost efficient and expeditious delivery strategy” because it would allow the utility to “leverage existing knowledge, assets, and experience.”
