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The Denver City Council has approved a funding agreement and public-private partnership with a nonprofit to build a transformative equestrian center near downtown. The city will help fund the $400 million expansion project as part of its bid to stimulate economic development and support local communities. Construction is anticipated to begin later this year.
The expansion will be the next stage of a massive ongoing development project on a 250-acre campus, expected to cost more than $800 million once completed. The equestrian center expansion component will serve as the capstone of early development phases while replacing the existing event center.
The highlight of the project will be the 4,500-seat equestrian center, a pivotal part of the vision to turn the National Western Center (NWC) into a year-round destination for agriculture, education and entertainment. The project will include a show arena, a stable with more than 570 stalls and warm-up paddocks.
Plans are in place to build an on-site, full-service hotel with 160 rooms, as well as additional workforce housing with up to 40 rental units dedicated to income-restricted residents. The housing will feature several dedicated parking areas. Development plans also include an upcoming parking garage with 580 spaces, as well as additional hotel parking areas.
Curating community spaces for the NWC is a foundational element of the project, incorporating 4,000 square feet of dedicated space for gatherings, events and activities. The center will feature around five acres of public plazas and open space corridors. A direct bicycle and pedestrian connection to a nearby public transit station is also in the works.
The city of Denver will be responsible for overseeing the project’s planning, design, construction and financing, while the nonprofit partner will handle programming, operations, maintenance and development for the next century. This means that the campus facilities – the stockyards and event pavilion, livestock center and equestrian center – will be owned by the city and run by the nonprofit. Denver will provide ongoing planning for future phases of development.
Photo by Dustin Cox from Pexels
