Sports As Much About Real Estate As Titles for Stan Kroenke

One of the most successful owners in all of U.S. pro sports is hoping to extend his real estate development magic to his other franchises.

Stan Kroenke, who owns the Los Angeles Rams and led the creation of SoFi Stadium in California, has begun preliminary efforts to upgrade Ball Arena, the downtown Denver home to the NBA champion Denver Nuggets, the NHL’s Colorado Avalanche, and the NLL’s Colorado Mammoth he also owns — as well as the area immediately around it. 

Kroenke’s holding company, Kroenke Sports & Entertainment, said it is beginning a multifaceted process this week to upgrade the 24-year-old Ball Arena.

The emerging, arena-focused effort adds to a broader plan KSE introduced last year for a 55-acre, mixed-use development around the venue — which would include housing, downtown green space, pedestrian and bike lanes, offices, a hotel, and retail. 

Kroenke also has a separate ongoing project in Woodland Hills, California, that will create a new headquarters and practice complex for the Rams, as well as additional potential real estate projects in suburban Denver and San Diego.

The owner has won four major league titles since the start of the last year with the Rams, Nuggets, Avalanche, and Mammoth all claiming championships.

The New Stadium Trend

The overall vision KSE is advancing would be the latest in a fast-growing trend of using sports facilities as the center of sports-centered mini-cities. Other such examples either in existence or in development can be found in locales such as Atlanta, Kansas City, Phoenix, and Las Vegas.