Denver’s Ball Arena gearing up for $135 million renovation

Image: Kroenke Sports & Entertainment

The Ball Arena in Downtown Denver is set for a $135 million makeover to make the venue more comfortable, accessible, modern, and fan friendly.

Kroenke Sports & Entertainment (KSE) owns the arena which is home of the NBA’s Denver Nuggets, the NHL’s Colorado Avalanche, and the NLL’s Colorado Mammoth.

Colorado Avalanche said the upgrades will include an expansion of the East Atrium to welcome guests from the Downtown side of the building, including an expansive glass façade, new escalators, and a new team shop.

Improvements also include widening of ingress, egress, and concourses to eliminate congestion in the busiest areas; point-of-sale tech upgrades to shorten wait times; and additional premium space in the form of three new clubs, including one with direct access to reserved 100-level seating.

The 21,000-seat Ball Arena is a multipurpose indoor arena located in Denver, Colorado, United States. It is situated at Speer Boulevard, a main thoroughfare in downtown Denver.

Kroenke Sports & Entertainment (KSE) is an American sports and entertainment holding company based in Denver, Colorado. KSE is committed to providing world-class sports and entertainment for both live and broadcast audiences.

KSE Founder, Owner, and Chairman E. Stanley Kroenke said, “When we acquired the Nuggets, Avalanche, and the Arena, we committed to developing winning teams and to supporting the City of Denver.

“The renovated Ball Arena and the subsequent redevelopment of the surrounding land allow us to keep doing both for another 25 years and beyond.”

The project will be executed in phases to minimize the impact to fans and neighbors, with completion expected in time for the 2028-2029 seasons. A required Site Development Plan has been submitted to the City of Denver.

KSE Vice Chairman Josh Kroenke said, “The result of this project will be a world-class venue that offers a legendary guest experience night after night.

“The Nuggets, Avalanche, and Mammoth will have a home in Downtown Denver to rival any in their respective leagues, and we will reinforce our position as the city’s top indoor space for touring concerts and other major productions.”
 

Luxury Suite upgrades

The upgrades come in addition to the previously announced renovation of Ball Arena’s luxury suites.

The first 24 Ball Arena Legacy (100-level) and Signature Suites (200-level) will debut for the upcoming 2026-2027 seasons.

Last season saw the introduction of popular fan-first initiatives such as the $5 Fan-Friendly concessions menu and the Local Eats program featuring popular locally owned and operated restaurants and vendors.

Ball Arena opened in 1999 as Pepsi Center and has welcomed nearly 50 million ticketholders for more than 6,000 events.

These include championship-clinchers (Avalanche and Nuggets), all-star games (NHL and NBA), collegiate championships (D1 men’s hockey Frozen Four, D1 Men’s Basketball Tournament games, D1Women’s Final Four), history-making gatherings (2008 Democratic National Convention), and thousands of epic concerts (Celine Dion to Garth Brooks to Bad Bunny).

Josh Kroenke added, “It’s an honor when you get to reimagine a venue that means so much to so many.

“Everyone will still recognize this as the site of some of their most cherished memories, but with the amenities, conveniences, technology, and aesthetics of a brand new building.”

Stan Kroenke acquired the Nuggets, Avalanche, and Pepsi Center in 2000, and brought the Mammoth to Denver in 2003. The venue was rebranded as Ball Arena in 2020 when Colorado-based Ball Corp. acquired the naming rights.

The arena will serve as the beating heart of KSE’s redevelopment of its 55-acre property into a district expected to include a hotel, a mid-size entertainment venue, a central park, shopping, dining, and residential and office towers.

Ball Arena brings an average of 200 live events annually to Downtown Denver. The Avalanche open their regular season at home Sept. 30 against the L.A. Kings, while the Nuggets’ first home game is set for Oct. 24 versus the New Orleans Pelicans.

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