The owners of Ball Arena, home to the Denver Nuggets and Colorado Avalanche, announced plans on Friday for a $135 million renovation of the 27-year-old complex in the city’s Central Platte Valley.
The plans call for a 30,000-square-foot expansion of the arena’s east lobby, enclosed within a new glass facade. The expansion will add escalators, increase the number of east entrance doors from eight to 20, widen entrances, exits and concourses in high-traffic areas, and include a new team store that will be roughly twice the size of the current shop.
A large LED screen will also allow fans outside the arena to watch sports content, while a 34,000-square-foot pedestrian plaza will face Chopper Circle. The project also includes technology upgrades aimed at reducing wait times and three new clubs, including one with access to reserved 100-level seating.
The renovation follows previously announced upgrades to Ball Arena’s luxury suites. About 24 suites — 16 on the main concourse and eight on the club level — will receive new quartz countertops and walls, updated finishes and appliances, new seating and additional branding opportunities for annual suite holders. The suite improvements are expected to debut during the 2026-27 season.
“When we acquired the Nuggets, Avalanche, and the Arena, we committed to developing winning teams and to supporting the City of Denver,” said Kroenke Sports and Entertainment founder, owner and Chairman E. Stanley Kroenke in a Friday announcement.
“The renovated Ball Arena and the subsequent redevelopment of the surrounding land allow us to keep doing both for another 25 years and beyond.”
A required site development plan will be submitted to the city Friday.
KSE, which owns the Nuggets, Mammoth and Avalanche, has spent years developing plans to transform Ball Arena. For now, the effort has taken priority over River Mile, the company’s 8-year-old approved proposal to redevelop the land between the arena and the South Platte River.
Last year, KSE bought out Revesco Properties’ stake in River Mile, giving the company full ownership of the project.
The development could eventually bring 8,000 residential units and some of Denver’s tallest buildings along the South Platte River.
Read more Colorado’s state budget will face yet another $1 billion-plus shortfall next year, forecasts say
KSE officials say River Mile remains part of the company’s long-term plans, but for now, the focus is on Ball Arena and the property close to Speer Boulevard.
That also likely means a longer life for Elitch Gardens, the longtime Denver amusement park that is just west of Ball Arena.
Construction of the new arena additions, funded privately, is scheduled to begin in summer 2027 and wrap up in fall 2028. The project will be done in phases to minimize the impact to fans and neighbors, KSE officials said.
A KSE spokesperson said they are not expecting any significant impact on fans during construction.
Groundbreaking for the arena took place on Nov. 20, 1997. Construction was completed in 21 months at a cost of more than $180 million in private funding. The venue opened as the Pepsi Center on Oct. 1, 1999. Kroenke acquired the Nuggets, Avalanche and Pepsi Center in 2000, and brought the Mammoth, a professional lacrosse team, to Denver in 2003.
The arena was later renamed in 2020 when Colorado-based Ball Corp. acquired the naming rights.
KSE officials said 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.
“The result of this project will be a world-class venue that offers a legendary guest experience night after night,” said KSE Vice Chairman Josh Kroenke.
“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.”
Read more Colorado private jet company pauses flights, deletes social media accounts
Get more business news by signing up for our On The Block newsletter.
Read more The Pentagon is moving forward with mandatory testosterone testing for most male troops
