Denver Mayor Wellington Webb sent a letter to the
Metropolitan Football Stadium District on Tuesday stating
that he "opposes selling the naming rights" to the Broncos'
$364.2M stadium, according to Cindy Brovsky of the DENVER
POST. Webb wrote: "The citizens of the metro area who voted
to construct the new stadium deserve to have 'Mile High
Stadium' as the stand-alone name of the new stadium."
Stadium District Board Chair Ray Baker said that Webb's
comments "won't change the board's decision to investigate
all aspects of a possible naming rights deal." District
Board member Jim Carrigan added, "Lots of us have great
sentimental attachments to the Mile High name. ... [But] we
can't let emotions drive what's in the best interest of the
taxpayers." Brovsky writes that the naming rights "could
fetch between" $50-100M, with the Stadium District Board
having the "final decision" on the facility's name (DENVER
POST, 9/15). In Denver, Ann Imse writes that should the
district keep the Mile High name, the Broncos "could be
stuck with a tab of up to" $15M, which is the amount the
team "guaranteed that the district could collect ... from
naming rights, an assurance Wall Street demanded before"
bonds could be sold. Imse adds that Webb "winced" when
asked if a possible name for the new stadium could be "John
Elway AutoNation Stadium" (ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS, 9/15).
