Denver finalizes rezoning for United flight-training campus near DIA
City Council approved a custom zoning district for 114 acres on East 64th Avenue, clearing the way for a United Airlines training campus with height limits, open-space requirements and no residential use.
Denver City Council on Monday gave final approval to rezoning 114 acres at 17671-17675 E. 64th Ave. for United Airlines’ planned flight-training campus expansion near Denver International Airport.
The council approved Council Bill 26-0619 after a required public hearing.
The site will be rezoned to a custom PUD-G 40 district for a corporate campus. According to the city staff report, the district keeps the underlying Campus Education/Institution framework, adds some S-MX-8 building-form standards, prohibits residential uses and bars surface parking as a primary use. The plan also preserves airport-related air-rights and avigation restrictions through the Airport Influence Overlay.
Key limits include a 110-foot height cap in Subarea A and a requirement that more than 10% of the site — about 11 acres — be publicly accessible open space with trails intended to connect to the regional trail system, staff told council.
Planning staff said the rezoning aligns with Denver’s comprehensive plan, Blueprint Denver and the Far Northeast Area Plan. The planning board previously recommended approval unanimously.
Traffic was the main concern raised in the public record. Council materials include at least one neighbor letter citing traffic impacts, and a councilmember said nearby residents had raised similar worries. Supporters at the hearing, including representatives from Make-A-Wish Colorado, Girls Inc. of Metro Denver and Warren Village, pointed to United’s community partnerships and economic role.
United and city staff said the campus is intended for flight training and related uses. The staff report said the project could support a major expansion of United’s Denver presence and hiring thousands of employees.