A new arena is coming for The Eagles
In a video posted to social media Wednesday, July 31st, at 9:12AM Eagles owner Martin Lind announced major plans for what will be, in his words, “A new epicenter of awesome in northern Colorado!”
The complex will feature a new arena for the Colorado Eagles, as well as three sheets of ice for youth hockey. The district will include, per Lind, entertainment districts, plazas, hotels, a notable expansion from the single arena space and events center The Ranch provides the team.
See the video for yourself here:
We have some major news, Eagles Country!🚨 pic.twitter.com/qZpo92y1iS
— Colorado Eagles (@ColoradoEagles) July 31, 2024
Here are some answers to other burning questions Eagles’ fans have.
Why are the Eagles building a new arena?
Since 2003, the Eagles have been calling “The Ranch” their home, which was founded by Ralph Backstrom, a 6-time Stanley Cup winner. Blue Arena, built on the fairgrounds, seats 7,200, making it the 5th smallest arena in the AHL. The Eagles currently rank 15th in total attendance among AHL teams, however, are second only to the Utica Comets (who have the smallest arena at 3,860) seats in capacity attendance. What does this mean? That Colorado Eagles games average 98.8% attendance with more games being sold out than any other AHL team.
The new arena proposal in Greeley will see an 8,600 seat capacity adding hotels and amenities that will allow it to rival other dedicated AHL entertainment complexes such as the Tucson Events Center (current home of the Tucson Roadrunners).
How close are they to opening the doors?
Although many are excited about the new arena for the Eagles, there is no official date for when construction will begin. On July 30th, the City of Greeley gave approval to the memorandum of understanding between them and The Water Valley Company (The Eagles’ holding company). This set research forwards on the site which The-Rink has discovered appears to include land recently purchased by Martin Lind north of the JBS Meat Wholesale near highway 85 pictured below.
Land purchased by Martin Lind in Greeley
According to Greeley’s City Management, the completion of the results of the initial research surveys by the city should take eight to 10 weeks.
Are there any other major features of the complex besides the arena?
Two words: Water Park. As Lind stated in his video announcement, he and The Water Valley Company have tied Colorado and water together. The details of the project given the working name “Greeley West Side” include construction of a major water park to service the thrill seekers and sunbathers in Northern Colorado. Given the project is situated an hour north of “Water World” (which was recently voted the second best outdoor water park in America by Newsweek), the prospect of a Greeley water park showcases the level of ambition and funding behind Greeley West Side and Lind.
From all sources, the city, and the team, there is nothing but enthusiasm and support for the project. Recent arena troubles for hockey teams in neighboring Arizona and rival Calgary are not concerns for Project West Side. The state, city, and most importantly funding are all deeply invested in re-invigorating Northern Colorado with a new hockey complex and much more in the coming years.