A group hoping that voters will repeal the Greeley City Council鈥檚 approval of the complex financing plan for a $1.1 billion sports and entertainment project on the city鈥檚 western edge from the city clerk鈥檚 office and began collecting signatures of registered voters over the weekend.
Ordinance 2025-15, by the Greeley City Council, authorizes a $1.1 billion financing plan for an entertainment district on city-owned land near Weld County Road 17 and U.S. Highway 34 that would include an ice arena, hotel and water park and anchor Windsor-based developer Martin Lind鈥檚 proposed Cascadia mixed-use development.
The plan authorized the city to mortgage 46 public buildings 鈥� including City Hall, the Police Department, City Center North, the Ice Haus and three fire stations 鈥� as collateral for the private development. The plan includes using $115 million worth of 鈥渃ertificates of participation鈥� to lease those city facilities to Salt Lake City-based Zions Bancorporation as collateral to pay for the first phase of the core entertainment district dubbed 鈥淐atalyst.鈥�
In a news release issued late Friday, the citizens group that has formed to take the financing plan to voters, Greeley Deserves Better, said the plan 鈥渆xposes Greeley citizens to long-term debt and risk 鈥� $25 million to $30 million annually regardless of project success.鈥�
The group said volunteers with the campaign will begin collecting signatures at the Greeley Stampede and continue throughout the city at coffee shops, grocery stores and community events over the coming weeks.
鈥淭oday鈥檚 approval finally gives Greeley voters a voice in this billion-dollar decision,鈥� Dan Wheeler, the campaign co-chair and owner of Wheeler Properties Inc., said in a prepared statement. 鈥淣ow that we have the green light, we鈥檙e hitting the ground running to ensure voters have the chance to reject this risky deal at the ballot box.鈥�
Added the other co-chair, Pam Bricker, former executive director of the Greeley Downtown Development Authority and founding member of the Greeley Creative District, 鈥渨e鈥檝e heard from hundreds of residents who are ready to sign 鈥� and now they can. This is about protecting taxpayers, our budget, our future and our community鈥檚 voice.鈥�
Helping lead the signature-gathering effort is Mary Monahan, who spoke against the financing plan at City Council meetings.
鈥淲e鈥檙e excited to meet our neighbors at the Stampede and throughout the community to explain why this deal puts our city and fellow citizens at unnecessary risk,鈥� Monahan said in the news release. 鈥淚f you care about transparency, fiscal responsibility and fairness, sign the petition and join us.鈥�
The group will need to get signatures 鈥渆qual to 10% of the total vote cast in the last general election鈥� to qualify for the Nov. 4 ballot, according to the city鈥檚 code. Kim Kappel, the city鈥檚 communications manager and public information officer, told BizWest late Thursday that 鈥渢he petition must be signed by 4,586 valid signatures of registered Greeley voters.鈥�
The campaign has until Aug. 6 to collect the required signatures. The group is asking community members interested in volunteering to help collect signatures to sign up at the campaign鈥檚 website, .
The Greeley Deserves Better group's by a team led by Cascadia developer Martin Lind.
