Council approves application for state grant to support Frontier Days parking and pedestrian access

The Cheyenne City Council on Jan. 26 authorized submission of a state grant application to support a proposed pedestrian and parking infrastructure project aimed at improving access for Cheyenne Frontier Days.

Tom Herzig, CEO of Cheyenne Frontier Days, described the plan to create roughly 2,400 parking spaces on Air Force base-adjacent land, construct a pedestrian bridge across I-25 and improve access and customer experience for the event. Herzig and other presenters cautioned the total project cost could be substantially higher than the grant request; estimates discussed in the meeting ranged toward $11 million–$12 million for full build-out, with the sponsors seeking partnership funding from the county, the event organization and private donors.

Councilmembers approved the resolution to submit a state funding application; multiple members noted the application is contingent on receiving permission from the Air Force to use the land for parking and that additional local or private funding would be required to complete the full scope. Dr. Aldridge and others asked about long-term availability of the parking area for other community uses; Frontier Days representatives said post-event access and base coordination would be subject to separate agreement with the Air Force and city.

Ending: Council authorized the grant application and encouraged staff to continue coordination with the Air Force and county partners; if Air Force permission is not obtained, the grant application will not produce usable project outcomes.