The Denver City Council postponed its final vote on a series of contracts Monday that, if passed, would approve the spending of $1.1 billion to complete the Denver International Airport’s long-running Great Hall Project.

Councilwoman Deborah Ortega led the postponement of the four contract additions, pushing the council votes to Monday, Jan. 10.

“I’ve had the opportunity to speak with the bond council for the airport, as well as our legal advisor,” Ortega said. “Rather than debating on the floor tonight, I thought it made sense for you all to have the opportunity to get your questions answered.”

The postponement was issued without a vote as any council member can postpone resolutions for one week without approval from other members. Councilman Kevin Flynn said he agreed with the decision to postpone.

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“This is a project that needs to be finished and needs to be finished the right way,” Flynn said. “The heartburn that a lot of us are having is simply with the price tag and I have a few more things that I need to understand a little bit better.”

If passed, the contracts would add $900 million to the airport’s contract with Hensel Phelps Construction Company, $100 million to the contract with Stantec Architecture Inc., $50 million to the contract with Jacobs Engineering Group Inc., and $50 million to the contract with LS Gallegos.

The additional dollars would fund the third and final phase of the airport’s Great Hall Project – an effort to renovate the airport’s main Jeppesen Terminal that the airport has been working on since 2018.

The Great Hall Project was intended to be completed by November 2021 but it was halted in 2019 when the original contractor was fired. After hiring a new contractor in 2020, the airport completed phase one of the project in November. The first two phases cost $770 million.

Ortega said she hopes the postponement will convince other council members to approve the contracts when they vote next week.

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“I am very comfortable with the financial status of where we are,” Ortega said. “We made it through a pandemic and never had to dip into our 500-plus days of cash that are on hand. … Our team has done an amazing job at looking out for the fiscal health of our airport.”

Phase one of the project added over 80 self-check-in stations for three airlines. Phase two will add a 17-lane security checkpoint and a triple escalator.

Phase three would construct another security checkpoint, add self-check-in stations for remaining airlines, add new flooring to the baggage claim and curbside, create an arrivals meeting area, and construct a Center of Excellence and Equity in Aviation.

The $1.1 billion would come from funds generated by the airport. Under federal regulations, these funds must be used for the airport and cannot be used for other city projects, such as public roads or parks.

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