Broncos hire the architect behind the Raiders’ stadium — the same firm designing the Chiefs’

The architect behind Allegiant Stadium will lead the Broncos retractable-roof project — meanwhile a local firm with will design the neighborhood around it

BY JAKE SHAPIRO

Aug 1, 2026, 1:31 PM

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The Denver Broncos and Kansas City Chiefs stadiums will be designed by the same Kansas City-based firm that drew up the blueprints for their rivals in Las Vegas.

Team president Damani Leech confirmed Saturday that the club is working with Manica Architecture as the lead designer of its new retractable-roof stadium at Burnham Yard, and with Denver’s own Tryba Architects as the designer for the surrounding stadium district.

It’s the biggest hire of the project so far — and while the 2031 opening remains the target, Leech revealed some of the team’s struggles in working with the community as quickly as they would like.

“Understanding what this team means to its great fans in Denver and across Broncos Country, Manica is honored to be chosen as the lead design architect of the Broncos’ new retractable-roof stadium,” firm founder David Manica said in a statement. “We are committed to delivering a world-class fan experience at the center of the enhancements the Broncos will be adding to the local neighborhoods.”

If you’ve watched football in Las Vegas, basketball in San Francisco or a World Cup match in Qatar, you’ve seen Manica’s work. The boutique firm’s portfolio reads like a greatest-hits list of modern venue design:

Allegiant Stadium — Las Vegas (Raiders, Super Bowl LVIII host)
Chase Center — San Francisco (Warriors)
Continental Coliseum — Oklahoma City (Thunder)
New Chiefs Stadium — Kansas City, Kansas
Nissan Stadium — Nashville (Titans)
Chase Stadium — Fort Lauderdale (Inter Miami)
Lusail Iconic Stadium — Doha, Qatar (2022 World Cup Final)

That’s north of $15 billion in combined construction value. Manica knows how to build big, and the Broncos just handed the firm another hugely visible commission.

Around the stadium is the district, which will matter as much if not more than the building itself. Tryba Architects has been shaping Denver’s built environment for more than six decades, with a portfolio that includes the Webb Municipal Building, the Colorado Convention Center expansion, and master-planning work at the University of Denver.

Leech has said the full Burnham Yard footprint will stretch to roughly 150 acres, with 5 million to 7 million square feet of development beyond the stadium itself — two new neighborhoods, an entertainment district and a pedestrian spine connecting to the RTD station at 10th and Osage.

Sasaki, the global planning and design firm, is serving as master plan architect on the broader project.

Leech isn’t hiding the stress of the big project. Speaking Saturday at training camp, the Broncos president acknowledged “frustration” and “concern” over a process that hasn’t moved as fast as the team would like.

“I’ve got to be honest,” Leech said. “I wish we were further along in some areas than we are now.”

Leech confirmed a three-and-a-half to four-year construction window, meaning ground must break by late spring or early summer of 2027 to hit a 2031 opening. The community benefits agreement and the city’s small area plan — two boxes that need to be checked before shovels go in — are still ongoing.

“There are days when I’m driving home and I’m really excited about the progress that we’re making,” Leech said. “I’ll be honest, there are days when I have concerns. There are days when I have frustration. Because you can’t control it all.”

One thing the team is already eyeing: your wallet. Leech said Personal Seat Licenses — the one-time fee that gives season-ticket holders the right to buy their seat — are likely coming to the new stadium.

“Every stadium in the last 10-plus years that has been built, there have been PSLs issued,” Leech said. “So, it seems like a pretty likely thing to happen. But we haven’t made any formal decisions on that.”

The Broncos and CDOT formalized a purchase agreement for the 58.5-acre Burnham Yard site earlier this year at a price of $45.8 million, though the closing has slipped from mid-May to sometime this fall. CDOT cannot sell the land to anyone else until the deal closes or the agreement expires in June 2027.

Environmental remediation of the former rail yard still needs to happen. There are many projects still in motion, including Vibrant Denver bond-funded viaduct rebuilds on Sixth and Eighth avenues.

Public records reviewed by the Denver Business Journal show Broncos-linked LLCs have spent more than $120 million on additional parcels around the site in recent months, though the team hasn’t confirmed those purchases.

None of that changes the bottom line: the Broncos want to kick off the 2031 season under a retractable roof at Burnham Yard. Now we may have a little hint at what the big building could look like.