DENVER —As the Broncos and the NFL progress toward a return to football, the Broncos and Stadium Management Company are busy implementing enhanced safety measures at Empower Field at Mile High for upcoming events.

On Wednesday's Board of Directors virtual meeting for the Metropolitan Football Stadium District, SMC General Manager Jay Roberts outlined a series of steps the Broncos and stadium will take to ensure a safe return for fans when Empower Field at Mile High reopens for events.

"Our goal is to do everything we can to invite as many people as possible back to the stadium in as safe a manner as possible," Roberts said, "and that [includes] working with local, state, NFL and other local and national experts on how we can do this in a really good way."

Roberts outlined the following increased sanitization measures that will help prepare the stadium for fans to return: 

• The installation of 500 hand sanitizer stations — both stand-alone and wall-mounted units — for fans to utilize throughout the stadium. SMC has already begun to move forward with this project.
• The addition of bipolar ionization in the stadium's HVAC system, which is expected to both lower the risk of disease transfer and eliminate allergens.
• The installation of UV-C lights under escalators in order to reduce or eliminate bacteria on widely used handrails.
• The transformation of all bathrooms to entirely touchless systems, including toilets, sinks and paper towel dispensers. Roberts said this project is scheduled to be completed before the beginning of the football season.

Roberts said the above updates are just a few of the ways in which the Stadium Management Company is preparing Empower Field at Mile High. 

In order to complete these projects and prepare the stadium for an expected increase in events in 2021, SMC requested an increase in funding during their capital request.

The board unanimously approved the proposal, which was presented by Zach Myhra, SMC's director of facilities.

The following updates were also provided during Wednesday's meeting:

• Permanent naming rights signage for Empower Field at Mile High has been approved, per Myhra. Four of the nine pieces of signage have been installed, and the remaining five are expected to be put up within the next two weeks.

• The Broncos' team store at Empower Field at Mile High has reopened with social distancing standards enforced.

• Empower Field at Mile High will host another food pickup drive in June in conjunction with Food Bank of the Rockies for those in need.