Inside the lucrative world of Colorado’s professional sports stadiums

In this four-part special report, The Denver Post investigates the state of professional sports stadiums in Denver and what might happen next, from the publicly funded facilities that started the trend (Coors Field) to those whose ambitions have not yet been realized (Dick’s Sporting Goods Park).

Four stadiums/arenas were built in the Denver metro area over a 14-year period straddling the turn of the century – an era that saw a nationwide stadium boom funded in part by taxpayer dollars . Roughly 30 years later, after a handful of venues across the country were deemed obsolete, the Broncos find themselves approaching an inflection point with Empower Field’s lease set to expire in 2030.

What kind of impact could the team’s decision have on the community? Is a new round of stadium construction justified? And how has the paradigm of professional sports ownership and stadium construction evolved since Empower – then Invesco Field – opened in 2001?

Read the Post’s $tadium Game series here:

Part 1: Amid another nationwide stadium boom, will the Broncos build a new home to land what the Rockies have and what the Nuggets and Avs get?

Our series opens with the financial side of sports stadiums. From a business standpoint, the Rockies have something the Broncos, Nuggets and Avalanche all envy: a destination stadium with an adjoining neighborhood that acts as another source of money.

Additional Reading: If Broncos Leave Empower Field, Impact on Sun Valley and Surrounding Neighborhoods Could Be Positive

Sun Valley, the neighborhood in which Empower Field is located, has been the home of the Broncos since 1960. But if the Broncos move, the goal of neighborhood leaders is to more easily connect Sun Valley to the highway changes at River Mile ( the planned project). redevelopment of Elitch Gardens) and the 55-acre redevelopment of Ball Arena.

Part 2: Is Coors Field the model for publicly funded stadium success? How the Monforts won gold in LoDo.

The second installment delves into Coors Field, home of the Rockies and a publicly funded stadium that became a gold mine for one of the state’s most famous families. The 30-year-old ballpark at 20th Blake and its historic district have combined to create a lucrative setting that any sports owner would covet.

Further reading: Coors Field renovations, repairs and upgrades

Coors Field opened in 1995 and is the third oldest baseball stadium in the National League behind Chicago’s Wrigley Field (1914) and Los Angeles’ Dodger Stadium (1962). Here’s a look at the renovations and improvements over the stadium’s first 30 years.

Part 3: Ball Arena has always been a window into downtown Denver land development for Stan Kroenke

Twenty-four years after the construction of the Pepsi Center (now Ball Arena), the Denver City Council approved a massive development plan above those parking lots to be carried out by Kroenke Sports & Entertainment, the teams’ parent company , which will jumpstart the execution of what a senior KSE executive described to the Denver Post as a long-term plan envisioned by Kroenke when he purchased the two sports franchises.

Additional Reading: Nearly 18 years after Dick’s Sporting Goods Park was built, it still hasn’t done for Commerce City what Coors Field did for LoDo

When Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, the $71 million home of the Rapids, opened in 2007, there were high hopes in Commerce City that it would become a destination for more people than just fans football. They are still waiting. And I wonder.

Part 4: The factors that will determine the what, where and when of the Broncos’ stadium decision

The final installment examines whether the Broncos will remain at Mile High beyond the next few years and remains an open question. The franchise is gradually heading toward an inflection point — the end of its lease with the Metropolitan Stadium Football District, which runs through 2030 — and the decision to stay and renovate, stay and rebuild or move elsewhere in the Denver area is a decision that takes years to undo.

Want more sports news? Sign up for the Sports Omelette to get all our analysis on Denver teams.