Blue Arena
Exterior of venue (c.2008)
Blue Arena is located in Colorado
Blue Arena
Blue Arena
Location within Colorado
Blue Arena is located in the United States
Blue Arena
Blue Arena
Location within the United States
Former namesBudweiser Events Center (2003–2023)
Address5290 Arena Cir
LocationLoveland, Colorado
OwnerLarimer County
OperatorOVG360
Capacity7,500
Sports capacity[1]
  • Basketball: 6,000
  • Hockey: 5,300
Construction
Broke groundAugust 26, 2002 (2002-08-26)[2]
OpenedSeptember 20, 2003 (2003-09-20)
Construction cost$28 million
($45.6 million in 2022 dollars[3])
Architect
[1][4]
Structural engineerKL&A, Inc.[4]
Services engineer
  • US Engineering
  • Nolte Associates
[1]
General contractorNeenan Construction[1]
Main contractorsDelta Construction[1]
Tenants
Colorado Eagles (CHL/ECHL/AHL) (2003–present)
Colorado Chill (NWBL) (2004–2006)
Colorado Lightning (PASL) (2008–2009)
Colorado Ice/Crush (IFL) (2009–2017)
Denver Dream/Denver Rush (LFL/X League) (2017–2019, 2022–present)
Colorado Spartans (NAL) (2024–present)
Website
Venue Website

The Blue Arena is a multi-purpose arena in Loveland, Colorado,[5] 55 mi (89 km) northeast of Denver. It has 24 luxury suites, 777 club seats and[1] 6,800 general admission seats. The arena is located on The Ranch Events Complex (formerly the Larimer County Fairgrounds and Events Complex) and is owned by Larimer County, Colorado. The facility and ticket sales are managed by OVG360[5] (a division of Oak View Group). It is home to the AHL Colorado Eagles ice hockey team and is the former home of the Colorado Lightning indoor soccer team, the Colorado Chill women's basketball team, and the Denver Dream women's football team. It was also home to the Colorado Ice/Crush indoor football team from 2007 until 2017.

History

Construction was completed and doors opened for the first event on September 20, 2003, with a sold-out exhibition hockey game between the Colorado Avalanche and the Florida Panthers.

The Colorado Eagles established a new record for minor league professional hockey with their 145th consecutive regular-season sellout, set on January 12, 2008, in a victory vs. rival Rocky Mountain Rage. Including playoff games, the Eagles had sold out 181 consecutive games total – every single game during their first 4½ years of operation.

Starting on October 1, 2023, Budweiser Events Center will be changing its name to Blue Arena after Budweiser's contract expired and Blue Federal Credit Union was awarded the contract. [6]

Notable events

The Colorado Eagles hosted the 2009 Central Hockey League All-Star Game at the Blue Arena.

The Events Center has played host to: musicians Widespread Panic, David Bowie, Rod Stewart, Yes, and ZZ Top; comedians Bill Cosby, Ron White, Carlos Mencia, Gabriel Iglesias & Larry the Cable Guy; as well as Cirque Du Soleil, Ringling Bros. Barnum & Bailey Circus, Disney on Ice, The Wiggles, Sesame Street Live, and The Harlem Globetrotters.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Puckett, Alisha (November 24, 2003). "Loveland, Colo., gets arena that it 'has been dying for'". Street and Smith's Sports Business Journal. American City Business Journals. Archived from the original on March 23, 2015. Retrieved June 13, 2021.
  2. ↑ Rebchook, John (August 27, 2002). "Work begins on Larimer fairgrounds, events complex". Rocky Mountain News. E. W. Scripps Company. Archived from the original on August 29, 2002. Retrieved May 17, 2012.
  3. ↑ 1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved May 28, 2023.
  4. 1 2 "Public, Government and Institutional Buildings". KL&A, Inc. January 7, 2009. Archived from the original on April 25, 2012. Retrieved June 13, 2021.
  5. 1 2 "Budweiser Events Center". The Ranch Complex. The Ranch, Larimer County Fairgrounds and Events Complex. Retrieved 2023-04-18.
  6. ↑ "Budweiser Events Center to Change its name". The Ranch Complex. The Ranch, Larimer County Fairgrounds and Events Complex. Retrieved May 10, 2023.

40°26′38″N 104°59′22″W / 40.44389°N 104.98944°W / 40.44389; -104.98944

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