Denver City Council Approves Entertainment District Surrounding Ball Arena

Sports and entertainment districts continue to boom as Denver becomes the latest city to announce development plans for the land surrounding Ball Arena. In an announcement Tuesday morning, Denver’s mayor Mike Johnston confirmed that the NBA’s Denver Nuggets and the NHL’s Colorado Avalanche will continue to play at Ball Arena through 2050.

As a part of that deal, a project will ensue to develop the land surrounding the arena. What is currently parking lots will soon include a, “residential neighborhood with parks, paths, retail space and roughly 6,000 units of housing. Some of that -- approximately 1,000 units -- would be affordable housing units,” according to CBS News. This project is a combined effort between the city of Denver and Kroenke Sports and Entertainment, the owner of Ball Arena.

Johnston said, “This will now be a fully activated neighborhood where folks can live. They can come and play in the park. They can come to see concerts, and yes, you can walk into and out of three of the best sports franchises in the country all in the same location.”

The city council has already approved the re-zoning of the land around Ball Arena for the project, however projects will likely not begin until 2026. 

During the city council meeting to approve these plans, public comment showed both support and concern for the development. Many community members, “thought it would be nice to get rid of all the asphalt parking lots.” Others had concerns about placing a ‘walkable’ neighborhood so close to the six-lane boulevard nearby the arena. 

"This development is going to create thousands of new jobs and opportunities for many Coloradans as well as be a vibrant part of a transformation that we see all across downtown Denver today," said Josh Kroenke, vice chair of Kroenke Sports and Entertainment.