Kroenke Sports + Entertainment (KSE) is pushing ahead with plans to develop a mixed-use district around Ball Arena in downtown Denver, Colorado.
KSE plans to use the parking lots around Ball Arena as part of the 65-acre mixed-use development that will connect the area with downtown Denver and offer retail and residential development as well as affordable housing options.
The KSE-Ball Arena Redevelopment site is positioned at the nexus of local, district, city, and regional elements with the potential to connect them together, KSE said.
Ball Arena (formerly known as Pepsi Center) is a multi-purpose indoor arena located in Denver, Colorado. Opened in 1999, it is the home arena of the Denver Nuggets of the National Basketball Association (NBA), the Colorado Avalanche of the National Hockey League (NHL), and the Colorado Mammoth of the National Lacrosse League (NLL).
Kroenke Sports + Entertainment is an American sports and entertainment holding company based in Denver, Colorado (US). Originally known as Kroenke Sports Enterprises, it was started in 1999 by businessman Stan Kroenke to be the parent company of his sports holdings.
KSE said that with three stadiums in the downtown area, this site is the integral stitch to what could be an exciting and defining “Sports Mile” in Denver.
At full buildout, the KSE-Ball Arena Redevelopment will serve as a connector of neighborhoods by stitching together isolated areas of the city and healing physical barriers by emphasizing connectivity, inclusivity, and access for all.
With enhanced connections including the Speer Bridge Crossing, Pedestrian Bridges, and a variety of open spaces, a mixed-use neighborhood is positioned to flourish and resemble the best practices and thinking by the city and the broader community.
Approximately 10-acres are dedicated towards open spaces around Ball Arena, with an additional 2.8-acres of improvements off-site, specifically along the Cherry Creek Trail.
The Ball Arena neighborhood will include up to 6,000 housing units, 18 percent of which will be income-restricted affordable units. That came about after KSE engaged with neighbors to form a Community Benefits Agreement for the property; city rules would have required that only 10 percent of the units be affordable.
The plan calls for five new bridges, four of which will connect the Ball Arena area to the River Mile. The fifth bridge will be a pedestrian crossing over Speer Boulevard, connecting the Ball Arena development with the rest of downtown Denver.
Although it is primarily designed for pedestrians and cyclists, the Sports Mile would allow cars, with designated areas on each side of the street. A row of trees would separate the bike lane from automobiles.
Only one of the four bridges to the River Mile would allow cars: the one at Seventh Street, which was previously designated for vehicle traffic during the River Mile development review process.
The bridge over Speer Boulevard will have both a stairway and a circular ramp with a 5 percent grade; it would accommodate bikes and those who use wheelchairs or other mobility devices, and would begin near Wewatta Street and Speer Boulevard.
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