Denver has spent nearly $13.7 million on the design phase of the new National Western Livestock Center, but auditors found the project lacked documentation, governance and oversight, according to a report released Thursday.

Auditors found that the Mayor’s Office of the National Western Center (NWCO) did not fully follow recommended guidance, such as that from Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT), to justify its choice of construction manager/general contractor (CMGC), independently confirm project costs, or ensure that subconsultants were competitively selected and adequately managed.

“While we found the city received what it contracted for, the audit determined the office had inadequate governance and oversight over its consultants, resulting in untimely invoice submissions and

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