Ball Arena | Phase 1A

Kroenke Sports & Entertainment just submitted plans for Phase 1 of the massive Ball Arena redevelopment, and it’s not just some zoning meeting formality.

This is our first real glimpse at how they plan to transform a 3.7-acre surface lot into a 24/7 entertainment hub.

Dubbed Phase 1A, the first wave includes four new buildings over an underground garage on the Tundra Lot at 1000 Chopper Circle.

This will consist of a 13-story, 244-room hotel with ground-floor food and retail, two 12-story residential towers totaling 300 units (studios to penthouses), and a 173,500 SF indoor performance venue that could host up to 5,000 people.

Also in the works is the Wynkoop Crossing Pedestrian Bridge, a wide, elevated connection over Speer.

This would link this development directly into the heart of LoDo — think Union Station, McGregor Square, Milk Market — without dodging traffic.

This is just the first slice of what’s being called one of the largest redevelopment efforts in Denver’s urban core.

Ultimately, the full Ball Arena master plan includes up to 6,000 new housing units, 780 hotel rooms, a child care center, retail, a new park, and a recreation facility.

The timeline is looking like 30 years, but with Denver’s new Permitting Office promising 180-day turnarounds, it’s possible ground breaks sooner than scheduled.

It’s no secret Kroenke has been sitting on this land for a while.

While some of us have fond memories of tailgating on these asphalt seas, the shift toward density, housing, and walkability in this corridor feels overdue.

Whether this becomes the next Union Station moment or another slow grind remains to be seen.

However, one thing is clear, downtown Denver’s next transformation is officially underway.