Denver Releases Draft Burnham Yard Small Area Plan for Mixed-Use Transit Growth as RTD Evaluates Park-n-Ride Housing

Community Planning Department Releases Draft Burnham Yard Small Area Plan

DENVER, Colorado — Charting the future of one of the largest undeveloped railyard parcels in the American West, the Denver Department of Community Planning and Development (CPD) released the official public review draft of the Burnham Yard Small Area Plan in mid-October 2026. Encompassing 58 acres of former rail property across the La Alma-Lincoln Park and Baker neighborhoods, the comprehensive framework establishes urban design, land use, and multimodal transit standards for the district.

The plan incorporates the preferred location identified for a potential new retractable-roof stadium for the Denver Broncos while mandating extensive community benefits, including dedicated affordable housing quotas, public parks, and pedestrian linkages directly connecting to the 10th & Osage Light Rail Station and the South Platte River greenway trail system.

Public Review Window Opens Ahead of Early 2027 City Council Consideration

The release opens a formal public comment period running through late 2026, engaging neighborhood advisory councils and business stakeholders before the plan advances to the Denver Planning Board and a final vote by the Denver City Council in early 2027. Council members representing District 3 and surrounding areas emphasized that robust anti-displacement protections and attainable workforce housing must be legally locked into the master plan before any rezoning applications can proceed.

RTD Advances Technical Study Converting Underutilized Park-n-Ride Lots into Housing

Simultaneously in regional mobility, the Regional Transportation District (RTD) reported substantial progress on a federally backed technical study examining underutilized Park-n-Ride lots across the metropolitan area. As post-pandemic transit habits alter suburban commuting, RTD’s Transit-Oriented Development team is evaluating prime commuter parking parcels for mixed-income residential infill. The initiative complies with Colorado’s Transit-Oriented Communities Act (HB 24-1313), driving dense, walkable housing alongside rail corridors.