Greeley Deserves Better, the issue committee opposing the Catalyst project in west Greeley, has withdrawn its lawsuit alleging that the financing plan for the project violates the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights.
The decision was announced late Monday in a statement attributed to Suzanne Taheri, legal counsel for Greeley Deserves Better, which also indicated that the group will continue to pursue ballot access to force a public vote on the plan.
“Greeley Deserves Better’s proponents have chosen to withdraw their TABOR lawsuit in order to narrow their focus where it matters most: ensuring that Greeley residents have the right to vote on the $1 billion Cascadia ice arena project,” Taheri said in the statement. “While we remain deeply concerned by the City’s lack of transparency and pattern of interference, we believe our resources are best directed toward securing ballot access for the community. We know this is a top priority for Greeley voters because our position on this issue enjoys a vast majority of support from Greeley residents. Residents are concerned.”
The $1.1 billion Catalyst project includes a new arena that would house the Colorado Eagles minor-league hockey team, a hotel and water park. The project would be built on city-owned land near Weld County Road 17 and U.S. 34, and would be surrounded by the larger Cascadia mixed-use development.
The Greeley City Council in May approved issuance of $115 million in certificates of participation for Catalyst, with those funds to be repaid over the next couple of years.
Greeley Deserves Better co-chairs Pam Bricker and Dan Wheeler sued the city of Greeley in late August, alleging that the financing plan violated TABOR, a Constitutional amendment enacted by voters in 1992. TABOR generally requires voter approval for tax increases and multiyear debt.
“By stepping back from the TABOR suit, we are making clear that our top priority is restoring the voice of Greeley residents in this convoluted process,” Taheri wrote. “The people of Greeley deserve the chance to decide for themselves whether this deal reflects this community’s values, such as responsible fiscal stewardship. We maintain it does not.”
Greeley Deserves Better will continue to pursue a second lawsuit initially aimed at getting repeal of the financing plan onto the Nov. 4 ballot. The city-approved financing plan spurred a petition drive to overturn the ordinance that authorized the plan.
Greeley Deserves Better collected nearly 1,000 more verified signatures of registered Greeley voters than it needed to place the repeal question on the November ballot, but four Greeley residents protested the validity of the petitions, triggering an Aug. 26 hearing before city-appointed arbiter Karen Goldman, who ruled five days later that ordinances such as the one passed by the city council in May to approve the financing plan for the west Greeley project were administrative in nature, not legislative, and thus cannot be repealed by voters under state law.
Greeley Deserves Better then asked Weld District Court to overturn Goldman’s ruling, seeking a preliminary injunction to force the measure onto the ballot.
Judge Allison J. Esser denied the request for a preliminary injunction, but did not rule on the merits of the case, meaning that the measure could still make it onto the ballot, either in a special election next spring or in the November 2026 election.
But even as one court case ends and another proceeds, the city is about to begin infrastructure work at the site, drawing on funds raised through the certificates of participation.
Officials from the city, PCL Construction and the Water Valley Co. — the Windsor-based development company behind Cascadia — will hold a groundbreaking ceremony Wednesday for the beginning of horizontal development at the site, including roads, utilities and other infrastructure that will support the arena, hotel, water park, housing and retail.
In a statement released Monday night, Water Valley Co. struck a conciliatory tone, emphasizing the potential for Cascadia and the Catalyst project to create a regional draw for Greeley and encouraging continued dialogue.
“We respect the decision by Greeley Deserves Better to withdraw their TABOR lawsuit, and we remain fully committed to transparency and collaboration as we move Cascadia forward,” the statement reads. “This project represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to create a thriving regional destination that will deliver jobs, attract new investment, and provide recreational, cultural, and economic benefits to Greeley residents for decades to come.
“Our focus has always been on building something that enhances quality of life and positions Greeley as a leader in Northern Colorado and beyond. We welcome continued dialogue, and we believe the positive momentum behind Cascadia demonstrates that our community is ready to embrace growth, opportunity, and a shared vision for the future.”
Martin Lind, owner of Water Valley and the Colorado Eagles, echoed that sentiment in a message to BizWest.
“I just think it’s time for the city to heal and go build a magnificent project,” Lind said.
— Dallas Heltzell contributed to this report.
This article was first published by BizWest, an independent news organization, and is published under a license agreement. © 2025 BizWest Media LLC.
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