The Denver City Council has approved billionaire Stan Kroenke's plan to transform 64 acres of mostly empty ball arena parking lots into a project that could bring thousands of residents to an expanded downtown.

A series of largely unanimous votes that stretched late into Monday night paved the way for a new district surrounding the home of the Denver Nuggets and Colorado Avalanche. And it's just one part of a series of planned developments along the South Platte River that could more than double downtown Denver's population.

Kroenke Sports and Entertainment plans to build more than 6,000 housing units, more than 1,000 of which will be designated affordable, on the current seafront. Construction could begin as early as 2026, but development may not be completed until 2050.

The proposal approved Monday calls for a 5,000-seat venue, a hotel, new bike paths and a three-acre public park. The deal also ensures that the championship Nuggets and Avalanche will remain in the immediate area through at least 2050, either at Ball Arena or a new arena nearby.

The project received strong support from many neighbors. After 15 months of work, numerous neighborhood and community groups signed an agreement with Kroenke. Essentially, they supported the project in return for the promise of community benefits.

The project will include an early childhood education center, support for small businesses and jobs for people from lower-income parts of the city. And connections will be built to surrounding neighborhoods, from the current downtown to La Alma/Lincoln Park and Sun Valley.

The proposal sparked some complaints because its towers could block the view of some lower downtown residents, and it has long stoked concerns about how quickly the city has grown.

Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite

But the vast majority of people who spoke Monday were in favor.

“This project represents an opportunity to provide much-needed housing,” said Ed Calahan, a resident who spoke in frustration about his many younger family members who cannot afford to stay in Denver.

Community activist Brandy Majors raised concerns that income-restricted housing is not suitable for the people who need it most.

“It’s not affordable for the average person,” she said. Of the more than 1,000 income-restricted housing units, 50 will be for people earning less than 30 percent of the area median income, or $27,400 for an individual.

Still, council members said the project envisions affordability for all.

“This project represents a critical step forward in affordable housing in Denver, while ensuring we build a community with affordable housing, local job creation, a park and lasting development that goes well beyond brick-and-mortar construction said Council President Amanda Sandoval. who represents District 1.

Meanwhile, District 2 Councilman Kevin Flynn questioned where people from outside the neighborhood would park their cars during large events.

The answer from Matt Mahoney, senior vice president at Kroenke, was simple: The development put people first and prioritized bicycles, transit users and pedestrians over cars. But there are also enough parking garages. This answer apparently satisfied Flynn's greatest concern.

4th District Councilwoman Diana Romero-Campbell said the project gives her hope that her children who can't afford Denver will finally have a place to rent or buy.

Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite

The council rezoned the land by a vote of 11-0. The new zoning allows up to 12 stories in some parts of the development, while others have no specific height limit, with the height allowed depending on how much affordable housing is included.

The details of the plan are outlined in a 134-page development agreement, which the City Council also passed with an 11-0 vote.

9th District Councilman Darrell Watson praised the developers for building a “magical community” where people can make new memories.

“You are smart enough to anchor it in the history of our region and make sure, as part of your common good agreement and in your discussions, that you respect the history of the land you are building on while projecting the dreams of what you are building. “Come on,” he said.

Completion of the nearly 30-year project is not a guarantee. Kroenke and his company must contend with economic ups and downs, raise enormous amounts of financing and employ countless workers to design and then build dozens of structures – not to mention the challenges of building in the South Platte River floodplain brings with it.

What about the views?

Construction of the project will impact one of Denver's “view planes” – a legal concept that prohibits new developments from impacting some of Denver's most beautiful views. The client suggested changing the so-called viewing level of the Old Town Hall in order to be able to build higher.

The idea of ​​changing the viewing level has frustrated some lower downtown residents, particularly those who live in the 31-story condo tower at 1551 Larimer St. and whose mountain views could be interrupted by Kroenke's plans.

Casey Pitinga, a Lower Downtown resident, worried that the views from the Denver Art Museum and the Colorado Convention Center would be compromised.

“The unique beauty of Denver will be forever compromised by the addition of high-rise buildings that block mountain views from various points in the city,” Pitinga said.

The council debated the value of historic viewing levels and whether they should be optimized. The viewing level of the Old Town Hall was changed in the late 1990s to allow for the expansion of the Broncos' stadium. The view was also marred by development on the Auraria campus.

Community planning and development

The change in viewing levels gave Councilman Kevin Flynn “heartburn,” he said. But the view from Bell Park, where Old City Hall once stood, is no longer there anyway, he argued.

From the ground, “you can't see mountains right now,” he said, later adding, “I'm going to vote yes because that level of visibility no longer exists.”

“I’d rather lose track than have more people living in tents in District 10,” said Councilman Chris Hinds, who has lived in condos and apartments for twenty years.

City Council member Amanda Sawyer argued that observation planes preserve a right to a view. Breaking through a viewing plane to make way for development is a precedent the council should not set, she said. So she decided to vote “no.”

The change to the view level of the Old Town Hall was approved 10:1.

The council passed three additional bills related to Kroenke's development.

Council members approved the service plan for the region's metropolitan areas – government agencies that will fund and operate everything from fire and public safety to water improvements and mosquito control.

Concerned that funding a subway district would impact the project's affordability, Sawyer voted against it, as did council members Sarah Parady and Serena Gonzales-Gutierrez.

The 8-3 vote in the local council actually created no city districts. This must be done both through a district court and through an election. But it paved the way for it.

Sports fans will probably be most excited about a deal that extends the Nuggets and Avalanche's current contract by 10 years through the end of June 2050 in the city. The deal was approved by a vote of 11-0.

Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite

Over the next few decades, developers plan to more than double the size of downtown Denver.

Although the Ball Arena project is large, it is only one part of the development plan for South Platte. The neighboring River Mile project, which has already received major city approvals, could add another 15,000 residents to the city center and bring dining, culture and public space to the South Platte River, including where Elitch Gardens currently stands.

In order for River Mile and much of the Ball Arena development to happen, the South Platte River must be rerouted to prevent flooding – a massive undertaking in itself.

“This property between Ball Arena and River Mile,” Mahoney said, “we look at it as a holistic property.”

And that's not the only growth downtown could soon see.

The Auraria Higher Education Campus will likely see additional uses, including residential development. New construction is already increasing in Sun Valley. La Alma/Lincoln Park's Burnham Yard could be transformed from a railroad industrial site into a mixed-use development. And the Mile High Stadium District could also see more development.

“This will be another downtown,” Sandoval said. “This is a catalytic project.”