Developers lay groundwork for massive revamp at Ball Arena
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Ball Arena in June 2023. Photo: Jamie Schwaberow/NBAE via Getty Images
A project set to transform the space around Ball Arena just cleared a major hurdle.
The big picture: A request from Kroenke Sports and Entertainment, Ball Arena's owner, to rezone the area surrounding the venue was approved Wednesday by the South Platte River Committee.
State of play: KSE, which owns the Colorado Avalanche and Denver Nuggets, wants to replace roughly 70 acres — primarily parking — between Auraria Parkway and Speer Boulevard with housing, retail and a new park.
Why it matters: The massive redevelopment would bring housing and commercial storefronts steps away from the arena and incentivize the Avs and Nuggets to stay in the city for the foreseeable future.
Zoom in: The zoning request would allow KSE to construct a higher building density than is currently permitted, city planner Tony Lechuga tells us.
- Lechuga, who's overseeing the rezoning, says the new building rules would allow "skinny" towers between 200 and 300 feet tall, creating an environment that would feel like an extension of downtown.
- KSE wants its project exempted from a view plane limitation to build taller structures, which two residents opposed on Wednesday, saying it could affect their views and property values.
What they're saying: "We see it as transformational for the city in many different ways — much the same way that Coors Field was … in the early '90s," Lechuga says.
Between the lines: The project, if approved, would bring 6,000 housing units, Kroenke senior vice president Matt Mahoney said during Wednesday's meeting.
- The development agreement with the city commits KSE to make at least 18% of the site's housing units affordable, a rule that would apply for rental and for-sale homes, Lechuga says.
What's next: The full Denver City Council will hold a final vote on the request in the coming weeks.