Obama's nomination speech moves to Invesco

By Sara Burnett, Rocky Mountain News (Contact), David Montero, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published July 7, 2008 at 8:59 p.m.
Updated July 7, 2008 at 9:50 p.m.

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Photo by Rocky Mountain News

Invesco Field at Mile High as seen from the air.

A view of Invesco Field during set-up before an event.

The move of Barack Obama's nomination speech to Invesco Field from the Pepsi Center could drive up the cost of staging the Democratic National Convention by $3 million, sources say.

That figure is fluid estimate, factoring in baseline costs such as rental for the stadium, building it out for the event, security systems and extra personnel.

"Obviously there will be some additional costs," said Mayor John Hickenlooper. "The major cost is personnel — though most of the personnel we will be able to move over from the Pepsi Center to (Invesco Field)."

Hickenlooper said there would extra magnotrometers would be needed as well as security personnel to man them.

The decision to move the final day of the convention left many other logistical details unsettled.

Among them were how seats inside Invesco will be distributed to the public, if roads around the stadium will be closed and how the Secret Service and Denver police will secure the much-larger venue.

Ed Donovan, a spokesman for the Secret Service, said the agency isn't worried.

It provided security for Pope Benedict during his recent visit to Nationals Park and Yankee Stadium, as well as the Olympics and Super Bowls, he said.

He also said it's not uncommon, even on presidential details, for plans to change suddenly.

"We're very comfortable with being able to change plans at the last minute," Donovan said.

He declined to comment on whether metal detectors would be used, or any other specific security measures employed.

Confirmation of the switch Monday from the Obama campaign drew a tip of the hat from the Illinois senator's Republican rival, Sen. John McCain.

McCain, who was in Denver hosting a town hall event, said the venue change played into his theory that he's "the underdog in this race" and that it wouldn't cause changes in planning for his convention in Minneapolis-St. Paul just days later.

"I'm sure he'll give a great speech," McCain said. "He is a very talented speaker and I admire that."

Rumors of the move from the Pepsi Center to Invesco started last week and heightened concerns that planning for the convention was chaotic. Democratic National Chairman Howard Dean acknowledged that not all convention planning goes smoothly, but he said the switch to Invesco Field would not have been undertaken if planners didn't think it could work.

"Sen. Obama does not look at this as his convention, he looks at this as America's convention," Dean said.

Invesco Field, which seats more than 76,000 people, would likely be needed for the week before the nomination speech on Aug. 28, according to Steve Farber, a member of the the executive committee which governs the Denver 2008 Host Committee.

Farber said there wouldn't be any changes in the rental of the Pepsi Center, which now will be dark the night of Obama's speech, because the contract called for the DNCC to take possession of the arena this week and ending Sept. 15.

Natalie Wyeth, spokeswoman for the DNCC, said the Pepsi Center was "bursting at the seams" with media, delegates and party officials that were to attend the final night of the convention.

The Pepsi Center was to hold roughly 20,000 delegates, media and party officials. All will be transferred to Invesco, leaving about 56,000 seats that could be available to the public.

How the public will get a chance to view the event is unknown, however. The Obama campaign is expected to make an announcement in the next couple of days about ticket distribution and Wyeth said updates would be on the DNCC's Web site as well.

The host committee didn't meet its contractual obligation to raise $40.6 million by last month to put on the convention and now must cover the additional cost of the Invesco Field event.

"The host committee will raise the money, but they'll have a lot of help" from the Obama campaign, Dean said.

In an e-mail to donors, Obama national campaign manager David Plouffe wrote, "If you make a donation of $5 or more between now and midnight on July 31, you could be one of 10 supporters chosen to fly to Denver and spend two days and nights at the convention, meet Barack backstage, and watch his acceptance speech in person."

Each of those supporters selected will be able to bring a guest.

Meanwhile the American Civil Liberties Union, which represents 13 protest groups, said the change could raise new issues in an ongoing First Amendment lawsuit against the city and the Secret Service.

"The same issues we're raising with the Pepsi Center will be there with Invesco Field," said Mark Silverstein, legal director for the ACLU of Colorado.

Protesters want to be within sight and sound of delegates and others at the convention, wherever it's held, Silverstein said.

Hickenlooper said Monday a new protest zone will be designated at Invesco Field. The parade route still is up in the air, city spokeswoman Sue Cobb said.

The current route starts near Civic Center and ends at Speer Boulevard and Larimer Street. Marchers then may walk through the Auraria Campus to the protest zone in Lot A of the Pepsi Center. From there, it's about another three-quarters of a mile to Invesco.

"People are going to want to have a march there, I would imagine," Silverstein said.

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