Denver City Council approved a $1 million Business Incentive Fund contract with Bottling Group LLC, an operating subsidiary of Pepsi that intends to build a $400 million state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in the High Point region of northeast Denver.

The resolution, which only requires one vote, passed in a 12-1 vote Monday, with Councilwoman Candi CdeBaca voting no and Councilwoman Kendra Black not present for the vote.

“Pepsi is not necessarily a group that needs a million dollar incentive to stay in Denver, and they are well on their way to completing their move with or without this incentive, so definitely just want to make sure I’m clear in not supporting this tonight,” CdeBaca said.

Council President Stacie Gilmore, who represents District 11 where the facility would be built, said community members convened to talk through how a large-scale manufacturer would impact the district, and she said everyone saw it as a great use.

“This will bring close to 500 jobs to the region as well, and I would ask my colleagues to support it tonight,” Gilmore said.

Should entitlements, rezoning and site planning with the city all go as planned, Pepsi will gradually move its operations on Brighton Boulevard to the new facility. The company said it has outgrown the Brighton Boulevard site. The 250 employees at that site will retain their jobs and the new facility will create about 225 new jobs, with an average wage of $65,000 a year plus benefits.

Denver’s Business Incentive Fund exists so the city can support business relocation or expansion within Denver. Funding is distributed based on performance, and projects are evaluated based on their creation/retention of quality jobs, demonstrated alignment with the city’s economic development goals, direct fiscal benefit to the city and values of equity and inclusion.

Pepsi will receive $1 million from the city once it has established the facility and has shown the creation and retention of jobs. City Council is only required to review Business Incentive Fund contracts over $500,000.

The city estimates that if this project goes through and is developed, it could bring $6 million in additional revenue to the city’s general fund over a five-year period and $11 million over a 10-year period.

Pepsi representatives estimated that if everything goes as planned, construction could start late this year and lead to a 2024 opening.