Ball Arena is about to get a major facelift, and the overhaul comes with a big price tag: $135 million.
Kroenke Sports & Entertainment said Friday it will pour that money into a sweeping renovation of the downtown Denver building that houses the Avalanche, Nuggets and Mammoth. The project keeps Ball Arena front and center in the organization’s plans, even as the long-rumored dedicated practice facility for the Avalanche remains its own separate issue.
The changes are aimed first and foremost at making the building easier to move through. KSE plans to widen entrances, exits and concourses in some of the arena’s busiest spots, a direct response to one of the venue’s most familiar pain points. The concession experience is also getting an upgrade, with point-of-sale technology set to be improved throughout the building to cut down on wait times.
Premium seating is part of the revamp too. Three new clubs are included in the project, and one of them will provide direct access to reserved seating on the 100 level.
“The result of this project will be a world-class venue that offers a legendary guest experience night after night,” KSE Vice Chairman Josh Kroenke said. “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.”
This isn’t just about the arena itself. KSE has much bigger ambitions for the 55-acre property around Ball Arena, where it wants to build out an entertainment district that could eventually feature a hotel, a mid-sized entertainment venue, a central park, shopping, restaurants and residential and office towers.
That broader vision helps explain why the renovation is being treated as part of a larger transformation, not a standalone project. Ball Arena remains the anchor, but the land around it is clearly part of the long game.
Some premium areas are already in motion. The first 24 Legacy Suites on the 100 level and Signature Suites on the 200 level are scheduled to open during the 2026-27 seasons.
KSE has also tried to make the building more fan-friendly in other ways in recent seasons, including the $5 Fan-Friendly concessions menu and the Local Eats program, which brings in locally owned restaurants and vendors.
For the Avalanche, the timing matters because Ball Arena has been home since 1999, and the team will stay there while the work is done in phases to limit disruption for fans and neighbors. By the 2028-29 season, the building is expected to look and feel very different - more modern, more immersive and built to make game nights in downtown Denver better than before.
“When we acquired the Nuggets, Avalanche, and the Arena, we committed to developing winning teams and to supporting the City of Denver,” KSE Founder, Owner and Chairman E. Stanley Kroenke said. “The renovated Ball Arena and the subsequent redevelopment of the surrounding land allow us to keep doing both for another 25 years and beyond.”
Colorado opens its 2026-27 regular-season home schedule September 30 against the Los Angeles Kings.
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