$350 million gondola proposal pitched as way to revitalize downtown Denver
Apr 9, 2026, 9:48 AM
There have been talks of a ferris wheel, a giant observation tower, and now the latest amusement park-like attraction proposed to revitalize Downtown Denver is a gondola ride…
A local nonprofit is pushing a $350 million plan to build a network of aerial gondolas above downtown Denver, pitching the idea as a bold solution to revitalize a city center that has struggled with declining foot traffic and economic decline.
Representatives of three companies that design and build automated urban gondola systems were scheduled to present their technologies at a public hearing Tuesday evening (April 7) at the Denver Post Building Auditorium at 101 W. Colfax Ave.
The plan, dubbed DEN-VAIR, is the brainchild of Ryan Ross, director of New Downtown Denver, a nonprofit created to promote large-scale downtown revitalization projects.
The proposal envisions three loops of gondola cabins with 14 stops, carrying up to six passengers each at speeds of 25 to 35 mph about 30 feet above street level. The system would connect Union Station, Civic Center, the Auraria higher education campus, Elitch Gardens, Coors Field and the Burnham Yard area near the Denver Broncos’ preferred site for a future stadium.
Ross envisions the system paying for itself through fare revenue, advertising and sponsorships. A portion of the revenue would fund new surveillance cameras and security staffers to monitor downtown in real time.
The gondola plan also includes the proposed 500-foot-tall Ferris wheel off Little Raven Street and an amphitheater along the 16th Street Mall.
More information is available at NewDowntownDenver.org.
