11-Story Concept Plan Submitted for Parcel Near Ball Arena
DENVER, CO – New concept plans have been submitted for a surface parking lot along Auraria Parkway near Ball Arena, offering an early look at how this long-underutilized site in Denver’s Central Platte Valley could be redeveloped in the future.
The proposal outlines an 11-story, mixed-use building with commercial and parking levels at the base and residential units above. The filing represents an early concept phase and focuses on building massing, height, and zoning compliance rather than final architecture or construction timing.
Filed Independently, Adjacent to Ball Arena
While the site is located next to Ball Arena and currently functions as surface parking for nearby venues, city records show the project has been filed independently and is not formally connected to the Ball Arena redevelopment.
The parcel is owned by the Auraria Higher Education Center, which oversees land used by MSU Denver, CU Denver, and Community College of Denver. No arena-related ownership, master plan, or coordinated redevelopment framework is referenced in this submission.
Project Details
According to the concept filing, the proposal includes:
An 11-story building reaching up to 150 feet
Approximately 75 residential units on upper levels
Commercial and business space on lower floors
Roughly 84 parking stalls
A total building area of about 242,000 square feet
The project does not request a rezoning and is being reviewed under the existing Central Platte Valley–Auraria zoning regulations.
Central Platte Valley Context
The site sits within the Central Platte Valley–Auraria district, an area long identified by the city for higher-density, mixed-use development. Despite its proximity to downtown, the river, and major venues, much of the district remains dominated by surface parking and event-oriented land uses.
The concept massing reflects zoning allowances that permit increased height when certain conditions are met, including incentive-based standards. The stepped form shown in the plans responds to required setbacks and mass reduction rules intended to manage scale along Auraria Parkway.
Why This Matters
Although still conceptual, the proposal highlights growing pressure on surface parking sites surrounding Ball Arena and the Auraria campus. Even without a formal connection to the arena’s redevelopment plans, independently owned parcels in the area are increasingly being evaluated for higher-density uses.
If advanced, redevelopment of this site would reduce surface parking and introduce new residential and commercial activity into a district expected to evolve beyond its current event-driven role.
What Comes Next
The project remains in the concept phase and will require additional city review and approvals before moving forward. Future filings would provide more detail on design, program mix, and timing.
Developing Denver will continue tracking updates as more information becomes available.
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All project information was sourced from publicly available site plans, renderings, and permitting documents.
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