Council advances six DEN concession contract amendments to align older leases with new terms
Loading...
Summary
Denver International Airport staff asked the committee to approve six of 28 planned concession contract amendments to harmonize older agreements with current terms; councilors sought assurances about disadvantaged‑business protections and small‑business supports before approving by voice consent.
Denver City Council’s Transportation and Infrastructure Committee advanced six airport concession contract amendments on Nov. 19, moving a larger package intended to bring older leases into parity with newer contractual terms.
Pamela Deshont, senior vice president of concessions at DEN, told the committee the city grouped airport concession agreements into three buckets: legacy Group 1 contracts (some dating to 1995), a Group 2 cluster of contracts awarded before a 2024 term‑length change (the 28 amendments under review), and Group 3 newer contracts. "You may recall we came before you in September to propose 28 contract amendments," she said, and noted 14 of those had already moved through council processes and three amendments had passed on consent at a recent committee meeting.
Council members focused questions on terms and equity. Councilman Paul Cashman asked why food contracts previously ranged from seven to ten years; Deshont said rising construction costs prompted a policy change to 12‑year food terms to allow concessionaires time to recover capital outlays: "Based on, the information that we looked at, we decided all food should be 12 years because it is so incredibly expensive." Councilwoman Mary Gilmore pressed DEN staff about airport disadvantaged business enterprise (ACDBE) protections; Deshont said ACDBE partners would remain joint‑venture partners under the amendments and highlighted two small‑business programs, the Business Development Training Academy (BDTA) and a kiosk incubator run with a third‑party operator.
After questions, the committee heard a motion from Councilmember Gilmore and a second from Councilmember Flynn to advance the six amendments. Chair Chantal M. Lewis confirmed no roll‑call was needed and the items moved forward by voice consent.
The presentation noted the amendments are part of a phased effort: staff said they are midway through modifying all 28 Group 2 contracts and would return with additional items. The materials attached to the committee packet identify which contracts have been approved previously and list the firms included in each on‑call or concession category.
The committee’s action advances amendments for further council consideration; staff said additional related amendments will return in coming meetings.
