DENVER — The future of sports and entertainment in the Mile High City is inching closer and closer to looking different as an expansive redevelopment of Downtown Denver continues moving through a city committee.
The 'Ball Arena Vision Plan', would begin with redeveloping 55 acres of parking lots surrounding Ball Arena.
On Wednesday, the South Platte River Committee discussed briefings related to a 'view plane amendment proposal', and a proposal to 'rezone 1000 Chopper Circle and associated properties'.
"It's very exciting," said Jerry Orten, the Lower Downtown Neighborhood Association president. " I think they're really looking to maximize the use of this property, and parking lots are just kind of blah. I mean, you can see it behind me. It's not very interesting."
He's a proponent of the redevelopment that would include 10 acres of open space, 5 bridges, bikes lanes and housing in the area. Though, he and other neighborhood associations across the downtown area want to sign a benefits agreement with Kroenke Sports & Entertainment, first.
"If we can get a community benefits agreement, I and other members of that committee will be supporting the rezoning request. If we don't, we'll be in opposition to the rezoning request," Orten said.
It's exactly what the Ball Arena Community Benefits Agreement Committee are currently working on getting together. Part of the benefits agreements they want is affordable housing included in the redevelopment.
"We're looking to get somewhere around 1800 affordable housing units in this neighborhood," Orten said.
La Alma Lincoln Park Neighborhood Association president Nolan Hahn says he also wants to make sure there is connectivity between the redevelopment and neighborhoods.
"It helps to reconnect, you know, our neighborhood to the south with downtown," he said. "We want to make sure that they are a part of this neighborhood and are just kind of coming in and dropping stuff and leaving."
While getting the 55 acres of parking lots surrounding Ball Arena may take years, it's something both Orten and Hahn are exciting for.
"It'd be a dynamic neighborhood, and it's right next to downtown, so it's gonna it would be very exciting," Orten said. "Right now, this is not a neighborhood. It's static."
During Wednesday's committee meeting, a public hearing was set to move forward before city council on October 21.
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