Greeley council delays approval of Eagles lease after wide public debate over Cascadia project

GREELEY, Colo. — The Greeley City Council on Sept. 12, 2025, voted 7-0 to table a resolution that would have formalized the principal and primary terms of a future lease with the Colorado Eagles and to schedule a public work session for Sept. 9 so councilors could review lease details before returning the resolution to the Sept. 16 business meeting.

The delay came after roughly two hours of public comment—dozens of speakers both urging the council to move forward with the Cascadia entertainment district and others urging caution or demanding a public vote—and a lengthy council discussion that focused on revenue splits, lease length and differences between the pro forma numbers in the predevelopment services agreement (PDSA) and a later pro forma.

Council members and staff said they wanted more time to parse contract terms. Council member Butler highlighted a few of the provisions that prompted concern, specifically the split of food-and-beverage revenue and marketing/naming-rights participation. "In particular, item 7, food and beverage revenue. They will receive 50% of net food and beverage catering revenue," Council member Butler said during debate.

Supporters of the project—many representing youth hockey, local nonprofits and business interests—urged councilors to approve terms and to keep momentum. "We are grateful for your vision and also building something special that'll serve this region for decades to come," Ryan Bock, president of the Colorado Eagles, told the council during public comment.

Staff and the city's owner's representative defended the negotiated terms as industry-standard. Ashley Stiles of Legends, the city's owner's representation team, told the council that earlier negotiations extended the tenant period: "Originally, we had a 30 year lease with 2 5 year optional extensions. We were able to negotiate that to a 40 year lease." Stiles also said revised pro forma assumptions (such as a revised rent escalator) improved projected revenue to the city's benefit.

Councilors repeatedly requested a public work session that would let staff and the city's advisors explain each major lease term line-by-line. Council member Peyton moved to table the resolution, asking staff to schedule a work session for Sept. 9 and return the resolution (as written or amended) to the business agenda on Sept. 16; the motion was seconded and carried 7-0.

Why it matters: the Cascadia proposal—an entertainment district that would include an arena to house the Colorado Eagles and other amenities—has become a focal point for public debate over public risk, developer contributions, and what civic benefits the project must guarantee. Petitioners collected thousands of signatures seeking voter review; the agenda earlier in the meeting showed staff had pulled an initiated-petition ballot item after a hearing officer ruled the petition ineligible to proceed to the ballot.

What the council did and did not do: the council did not adopt the resolution approving the principal and primary lease terms; instead, it directed staff to return with fuller documentation and scheduled a public work session for Sept. 9. Staff noted that the PDSA limits how much predevelopment funding can be released until council documents agreement on principal terms and that the city is approaching the preauthorized cap for released predevelopment funds (the PDSA referenced an $11 million cap: $5 million for land and $6 million for predevelopment costs).

Public comment highlights: multiple speakers for the project emphasized youth hockey and nonprofit partnerships; Lori Davis of Wish for Wheels and several youth hockey coaches and parents described outreach programs and shortages of ice time in Northern Colorado. Opponents raised concerns about taxpayer risk, projected hotel and water-park revenues, the developer's role, and loss of voter decision-making; one speaker, Jutta Seager, told the council petition gatherers had collected roughly "9,000 signatures against your ordinance." Numerous speakers asked for a binding community benefits agreement guaranteeing jobs, local contracting and protections if the project underperforms.

Next steps: city staff will prepare materials for a Sept. 9 work session covering the principal lease terms, pro forma differences with the PDSA, and the detailed revenue-sharing provisions discussed in council. The resolution will return to the Sept. 16 business meeting for further action. The council may approve the final lease later; staff and council acknowledged that final lease approval remains a separate, required step.