The effort to urge Denver voters to extend a tourism tax to pay for an overhaul of the National Western Complex is heading to victory, backers said at a fundraiser for the “Smart Deal for Denver” campaign on Tuesday at a River North nightclub.

“I believe we are in the midst of a transformative moment in our city’s history, one in which I want to be able to reflect on 10, 15 years from now and say we were able to do some good stuff,” said Denver Mayor Michael Hancock, thanking the roughly 100 who crowded the EXDO Event Center to support the campaign.

Voters will be asked in November to extend a 1.75-percent tax on hotel rooms and car rentals to pay for Denver’s part of a roughly $1 billion construction project to revamp the National Western Center, home to the National Western Stock Show. The proposal would also expand the Colorado Convention Center and spruce up a mile along the South Platte River, including adding 80 acres of parks and open space.

“Not only will it be a new home for our world-class Stock Show, but I believe it will become a new home for entertainment,” Hancock said. It’ll also involve Colorado State University and the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, with unparalleled research and education facilities, he said.

The room was packed with representatives of the construction industry and unions, who stand to reap thousands of jobs and years of steady work for members if voters approve the tax extension.

“This is a once-in-a-lifetime project that could change the face of the north side of the city,” said Phil Hayes of Populi Public Affairs, who represents numerous local construction unions.

“It’s got a real opportunity to put people to work for over a decade,” he said. With more than a billion dollars in projected spending, that’ll be a steady stream of construction work for years, he added.

A million dollars worth of construction creates 18 new jobs and returns two-and-a-half times the spending to the economy, supporters of the ballot measure said. Including plans to revamp Interstate 70 in the same part of town, there could be more than $2 billion in construction spending over the decade following approval of the tax renewal, backers say. “You can do the math,” one said with a smile.

Majority Leader Crisanta Duran, D-Denver, whose district includes the National Western Complex, said she’s excited to see widespread support from businesses, labor and the surrounding community for the project.

“It is so important for House District 5 to make sure the Stock Show stays in Denver,” she said. “It’s been wonderful to see Republicans and Democrats come together on this project. It will be a job-creator and it will be an education center for the region as a whole.”

Organizers said the fundraiser brought in $100,000, a chunk of the $2 million budgeted for the campaign. Consultant Maria Garcia-Berry said the campaign has raised more than $1 million so far and plans a heavy television advertising campaign starting on Oct. 1. She also had some news for the crowd.

“We were in the field last week, we do have a poll,” she said. “Our latest poll shows we are polling at 60 percent. That’s really, really good news,” she said, adding that the intensity of support was outpacing opposition. “As we all know in campaigns, they twist and turn, and we need every boot on the ground to knock on those doors.”

“I think this is not just a smart deal for Denver, this is the deal for Denver,” said Councilman Paul Lopez.

“The opportunity we have is not only to revitalize the National Western Stock Show but to pump life back into an area of the city where it is desperately needed,” he said. “This is part of Denver’s heart and soul. The buildings, the streets, the infrastructure around the Stock Show are eroding. If we expect to keep the Stock Show, we have to invest in it. We have to make sure that is protected, we have to make sure that heart is still beating.”

The best part, and what makes it an easy sell to voters, he maintained, is that all the reinvestment will happen without raising any taxes..

While the ballot measure hasn’t attracted active opposition, some have wondered whether Denver voters might tire of approving tax measures and contend that even the tiny taxes add up. But Lopez counters that he isn’t hearing those complaints from voters.

“These are the same Denver voters who are looking for good jobs, who are looking to open businesses, who want to revitalize their neighborhoods,” he said. “These are the same Denver voters who say, ‘We want more park space.’ And what this does is turn acres and acres with 100 years of pollution into park space, cleaned-up. These are the same Denver voters who say, ‘Please reinvest in this part of town,’ and that’s exactly what we’re doing.”

– ernest@coloradostatesman.com