Greeley City Council Work Session: West Greeley Project Update – January 13, 2026

The Greeley City Council held a work session on Tuesday, January 13, 2026, at 6:00 p.m. in City Council Chambers, 1001 11th Avenue, Greeley, with hybrid participation available via Zoom. All seven councilmembers were present. The primary agenda item was an extensive update on the West Greeley project, followed by a motion to enter executive session. No formal action was taken on the project itself.

Reports from Mayor and Councilmembers

• Councilmember Johnny Olson asked Council to consider rescheduling the February 12–13 Strategic Retreat because he could not attend; Acting City Manager Brian McBroom said staff would look into it.
• Mayor Pro Tem Melissa McDonald thanked staff for organizing the University of Northern Colorado basketball event.

West Greeley Project Update

• Acting City Manager Brian McBroom introduced the update, calling the project complex and noting that much of the team was new. He committed to honest, direct answers and said staff would keep improving the project and lowering risk.
• Deputy City Manager Bret Naber outlined a new internal structure: a project delivery team and an assessment/evaluation team, plus a SharePoint site for documentation. He proposed a regular cadence of council updates.
• Jim Rodems, Legends Global Nations project director, described project components: an arena, youth hockey center, 411-room hotel, indoor water park, family entertainment center, food hall, beer garden, and 4,128 parking spaces. He said the arena would have about 8,574 hockey seats and about 10,510 seats for center-stage concerts.
• Rodems said Mattel should still be called a 'potential' branding partner until contracts are signed. City Attorney Stacey Aurzada noted that Mattel already has a license agreement with American Resort Management, which would be addressed as part of the city's development services agreement.
• Design timeline: design concepts were approved in April 2025; schematic design work ran through September 2025; design development drawings were recently delivered and are under evaluation.
• Naber presented a three-phase communications plan: initial factual information sharing; increased public engagement after the election; and building excitement and attracting developers.

Feasibility Studies

• Zonda's residential study analyzed market demand, pricing, absorption, and product mix for West Greeley to determine whether planned housing could be absorbed without oversupplying the market.
• Economic and Planning Systems (EPS) evaluated long-term commercial demand. EPS principal Matt Prosser reported that the West Greeley subarea could capture 20% of retail demand and 15% of office demand in the Regional Trade Area, in addition to demand generated by new households in the subarea.
• Hotel and Leisure Advisors (HNLA) projected a 79% stabilized hotel occupancy under the Mattel branding scenario, with strong revenue projections. HNLA's David Sangree said Colorado has a shortage of indoor water park resorts, with Great Wolf Lodge the only other quality indoor water park resort in the area. HNLA projected strong arena attendance, but its net income estimate was somewhat lower than the financial advisor's projection because it incorporated revenue-sharing terms in preliminary Colorado Eagles contracts.
• DTA Public Finance's General Improvement District study is still in process and will evaluate infrastructure impacts and fair-share cost responsibilities.
• Sangree also explained that HNLA's feasibility statement meant a private developer would not achieve the required return on the project alone; when city tax revenues are included, the project becomes feasible.

Financial Update

• Jason Simmons of Hilltop Securities said certificates of participation for predevelopment funding closed in 2025 for $115 million through three local banks, with an average interest rate of about 5.50%. He estimated $30 million in additional expenses by the end of February 2026.
• Revenue bond financing has a target closing date in early June 2026.
• Catalyst project costs are now estimated at approximately $668 million, up from approximately $630 million in March 2025.
• The residential and commercial West Greeley General Improvement Districts have been created, but are unlikely to issue debt by June 2026.
• Funding for regional transportation improvements, especially the US 34 and County Road 17 interchange, has not been fully identified. Councilmember Butler noted about $102.2 million in unidentified transportation funding, including $63.4 million for that interchange. McBroom said the city may not bear the full cost and is exploring intergovernmental agreements, GID contributions, and phased financing.

Council Discussion and Concerns

• Councilmember Olson asked whether food and beverage, naming, and sponsorship revenues were included in the financial calculations; HNLA said they were included in the arena analysis. He argued the feasibility and economic studies, when read together, show a favorable return over time, and he strongly criticized the city's communication with residents, saying the communications plan 'does nothing for me right now.'
• Councilmember Deb DeBoutez said the feasibility study concludes the project is not feasible on its own and that the city is taking the risk while the state and county receive significant tax benefits without contributing. She noted the state would receive 59% of tax revenue and the city 41%. McBroom said the city has not yet engaged other taxing entities, but may do so when negotiating end-user incentives.
• In response to DeBoutez, McBroom said residential development typically uses more in services than it provides in direct revenue, though internet sales tax has helped; retail development generally provides revenue that offsets residential service costs.
• Mayor Pro Tem McDonald emphasized the youth hockey component and said the project could capture retail leakage and bring executive-level housing to Greeley.
• Councilmember Butler asked about competition with Blue Arena in Loveland, which HNLA reported has about 200 events and 297,000 visitors annually; the West Greeley facility would have four rinks rather than one. Butler also raised concerns about relying on Mattel branding, noting that without Mattel the no-branding scenario significantly lengthens the payback period, and he questioned the viability of the $102.2 million in unfunded transportation improvements. He requested an alternative financial scenario without the arena, focusing on the water park, youth hockey, and hotel.
• Councilmember Ryan Roth encouraged more communication with constituents rather than less as the project moves forward.
• McBroom said a comprehensive financial model combining all project aspects was being developed and should be ready by January 27, 2026.

Key Outcomes

• Council unanimously passed a motion to enter executive session to receive legal advice and to determine positions, develop strategy, and instruct negotiators regarding the West Greeley project. The motion passed 7-0 at 7:45 p.m.; Councilmember Butler moved and Councilmember Olson seconded.
• The open meeting adjourned at 7:46 p.m. The executive session began at 7:53 p.m. and concluded at 8:34 p.m., with no formal action taken.
• Next steps include presenting the comprehensive financial model on January 27, exploring rescheduling the Strategic Retreat, reviewing interchange funding options, and establishing a regular cadence of project updates to Council.