The history of Burnham Yard and the surrounding community tells a story of growth, struggle and resilience near the heart of Denver.

The Broncos will help shape what comes next.

It’s quiet on a recent sunny afternoon at La Alma-Lincoln Park. Locals walk their dogs on a lunch break around the 15-acre park and recreation center just southwest of downtown. A young man rides his board on a skate park beneath a large Chicano mural, painted by Emanuel Martinez in 1978, called “La Alma” — meaning “the soul” in Spanish. Around the corner is Denver’s oldest restaurant, The Buckhorn Exchange, with a metal plaque out front that reads: ESTABLISHED IN 1893.

The Broncos plan to open a new stadium and mixed-use entertainment district across the street in 2031. But imagine life here in the late 1800s when the first trains pulled into Burnham Yard.

“This was very much a hard life,” said Damion Pechota, the senior national and state register historian at History Colorado. “Some people were relocating for business purposes or for opportunities out West, such as mining or trade. A lot of people were just coming here as immigrants. … It connected Denver with the larger state and its neighboring states. It really kind of helped cement it as a railroad hub and an important link in that larger Western expansion.”

Times change. Burnham Yard tried its best to keep up.

The railyard transitioned from steam to diesel and electric-powered trains before finally being decommissioned in 2016. Local residents and businesses that once thrived because of the railyard suffered. Now, the Broncos plan to transform a 150-acre site for their proposed new stadium and mixed-use development.

What does it all mean for the neighborhoods around Burnham Yard?

“I’ll get excited once my anxiety gets addressed through all of these planning and engagement things we’re doing right now,” said Denver City Council member Jamie Torres, who represents District 3. “Nothing really happens unless those really hit the high marks for what the community expects, what’s feasible and what’s a good deal for the city.”

Burnham Yard is still the “preferred site” for a Broncos stadium, with two important processes underway to make it a reality.

The small area plan is a policy document that guides future development decisions in a specific geographic area. It is made between the city and the community for adoption by the City Council. The Burnham Yard small area plan published a vision statement in late February: “Burnham Yard and surrounding neighborhoods will be connected, inclusive and rooted in history, culture, and stewardship creating shared benefits and wealth-building opportunities for people, families and local businesses.” It is targeting completion for the end of this year.

The community benefits agreement is a legally binding document between the Broncos and community groups to ensure residents benefit from the project. The La Alma-Lincoln Park Neighborhood Association is building a representative coalition, gaining community input and refining their requests before starting negotiations with the Broncos.

“Residents who are concerned about what it means for their stability and ability to stay in the neighborhood long term,” Torres told The Denver Gazette. “Any time you think about a major development, it can increase the property values of everything around it. A lot of other properties become consumable. So, we want to make sure we’re answering questions for residents about what they can expect. Some things we can’t predict. But other things, we want to make sure that they have a support system for when some of those major changes start to happen.”

There is a strong Denver Housing Authority presence in La Alma-Lincoln Park with hundreds of residents and DHA headquarters. Torres told The Denver Gazette it “gives some protection that there is going to be permanent, long-term affordable housing” surrounding Burnham Yard. But specifics are still being determined.

“The Denver Housing Authority is a trusted partner in the dialogues for the Burnham Yard Small Area Plan and the Community Benefits Agreement, working collaboratively with diverse stakeholders to ensure inclusive and thoughtful redevelopment that reflects the needs of the broader community,” DHA said in an emailed statement to The Denver Gazette. “We remain committed to ongoing collaboration with our partners and, in respect of the current processes associated with the Burnham Yard Small Area Plan and the Community Benefits Agreements, will refrain from offering additional comments at this time.”

A few blocks east of Burnham Yard is Renegade Brewing. The brewery was a staple of the Santa Fe Arts District from 2011 to 2024 when it closed. New ownership revived Renegade a few months later, and general manager Chris Lane recently told The Denver Gazette that business is strong. Lane attends bimonthly meetings with the Arts District on Santa Fe (ARTS), and he reflected on a recent presentation by the Broncos.

“The Broncos gave a presentation and left,” Lane said. “Then there was just a conversation within the room. Like: How are you guys feeling about this? … There was a little bit of a pushback.”

Lane has his own concerns, too, like the impact on already tight parking around Renegade. But it’s hard to ignore the potential overwhelming positives, like the revitalization of a proud district with still plenty of vacant storefronts. Lane embraces the Broncos-led transformation coming to Burnham Yard.

Renegade has 13 years left on its current lease with no plans to leave.

“I would love to have my beer in the new Broncos stadium,” Lane told The Denver Gazette. “If our rent is going to be raised, now we have an outpost in the stadium, and it helps both of us. They get craft beer from the closest local brewery. … I hope that conversation starts soon.”

What is certain? The Broncos have already established plans to preserve elements of state history at Burnham Yard, like a locomotive shop, to honor the past and educate new visitors to the mixed-use neighborhood.

“It was a really important part of Denver’s history, and it has unfortunately been a vacant space for a while,” Pechota said. “It’s really an opportunity to revitalize a space to make it important to Denver and Colorado again. That’s what we’re always looking for with historic preservation. We don’t want to just preserve things in a glass jar. It’s about bringing life back into spaces and settings and buildings.”