Budweiser Events Center
The Budweiser Events Center is a 7,200-seat multi-purpose arena in Loveland, Colorado, United States. The Arena is located on The Ranch (Larimer County Fairgrounds and Events Complex) and is owned by Larimer County, Colorado and managed by Global Spectrum, L.P., and tickets are handled by ComcastTIX.
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| Location | 5290 Arena Circle Loveland, Colorado 80538 |
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| Owner | Larimer County |
| Operator | Global Spectrum |
| Capacity | 7,200 (concerts) 5,289 (ice hockey) |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | August 26, 2002[1] |
| Opened | September 20, 2003 |
| Construction cost | $28 million ($38.9 million in 2019 dollars[2]) |
| Architect | PBK Architects Inc.[3] Bullock Smith & Partners[4] Kenney & Associates Inc.[4] |
| Structural engineer | KL&A, Inc.[4] |
| Services engineer | US Engineering Co.[3] |
| General contractor | Neenan Construction Co.[3] |
| Tenants | |
| Colorado Eagles (AHL) (2003–present) Colorado Chill (NWBL) (2004–2006) Colorado Lightning (PASL) (2008–2009) Colorado Ice/Crush (IFL) (2009–2017) Denver Dream (LFL) (2017–2019) | |
It is home to the Colorado Eagles ice hockey team and the former homes 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.
It contains 777 club seats and 24 luxury suites.[3]
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.
Notable events
The Colorado Eagles hosted the 2009 Central Hockey League All-Star Game at the Budweiser Events Center.
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
- Rebchook, John (August 27, 2002). "Work Begins on Larimer Fairgrounds, Events Complex". Rocky Mountain News. Denver. Retrieved May 17, 2012.
- Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved January 1, 2020.
- Loveland Colo Gets Arena That It Has Been Dying For
- KL&A Public Projects Archived April 25, 2012, at the Wayback Machine