A potential rivalry between the Walton and Kroenke families, owners of prominent Denver sports franchises, could significantly alter the city's sports landscape. The article discusses the recent land acquisitions by both families, suggesting a competitive land grab.
This rivalry could lead to substantial changes in Denver, including the construction of new stadiums and accompanying infrastructure (condos, hotels, etc.). The article speculates about the potential impact on Coors Field and the Colorado Rockies franchise.
The article suggests that this competition between powerful families could revitalize Denver, potentially addressing issues like crime and homelessness through economic development spurred by the new sports complexes.
The article concludes with speculation about the future, including the possibility of a future acquisition of the Colorado Rockies by one of the families, but this is seen as a longer-term prospect.
The big boss man of a $4.65 billion NFL team wasn’t going to ask a knucklehead like me twice.
So the only time Broncos CEO Greg Penner sought my wish list for a new football stadium, I made three requests.
No. 1: Keep ‘em the Denver Broncos.
No. 2: Celebrate the Colorado sunshine.
No. 3: No new taxes.
Well, maybe you can check No. 1 off my wish list.
It remains to be seen if a new stadium will have a roof that protects fans from the elements but lets the sun shine on the field.
And while personal seat licenses purchased by season ticket-holders will almost certainly defray costs of any new construction, it’s probably pollyannaish to think a $2-billion stadium would break ground without any public funding.
But it appears the Penner-Walton ownership team will do the best thing for Colorado next to winning a Super Bowl by keeping the Broncos’ next home in Denver, if we can accurately connect the dots to news first reported by BusinessDen.
In an area occupied by a historic old railroad yard south of Colfax Avenue and east of Interstate 25, there have been recent purchases connected to the Broncos of land parcels worth approximately $150 million.
Walk out the front door of the Buckhorn Exchange, a restaurant known for steaks and a menagerie of animal heads hanging from the walls, and you can not only see the Rocky Mountains, but envision the spot where the Broncos could make history for the next 50 years.
Since ambitious new ownership took control of our local NFL team back in 2022, it has never been a question that the Broncos would build a new stadium, but when … or where.
Nobody in their right mind – or at least anybody who has been stuck lately in that snail crawl known as Pena Blvd – wants them to be the DIA Broncos
Relocating the team to Lone Tree or anywhere out in the burbs would be a wicked blow to Denver, which still feels to me like a victim of long COVID, where the chronic issues of crime and homelessness present serious threats to the likability and livability of a city I’ve loved for more than four decades.
But know what gives Denver a real chance to reclaim its shine in the first half of the 21st century?
A good old-fashioned and new-fangled sports rivalry.
A friendly family feud, featuring Stan and Josh Kroenke versus Carrie Walton-Penner and her husband.
The vibe of Denver can be remade by the Walmart fortune.
In a time when crazy-rich entrepreneurs can wield more power than politicians, the Broncos, Nuggets and Avalanche could have more impact on shaping the future of Denver than the mayor.
Kroenke Sports and Entertainment announced last week it has finalized the purchase of a major tract of land surrounding Ball Arena, including the current sites of Elitch Gardens and Meow Wolf, expanding the vision for redevelopment along the banks of the South Platte River as it flows northeast through town, past Union Station and LoDo.
The Walton family tree is fixing to shake the landscape of Denver real good … and hopefully change it for the better.
Ann Walton-Penner, 54, and the wife of the Broncos CEO, is the granddaughter of Sam, founder of the Walmart retail chain.
Josh Kroenke, 45, and the right-hand man of his father in the KSE empire, is the grandson of Bud, who helped his brother realize there was a fortune to be made in selling everything from coffee makers to pet supplies.
But the acquisition of real estate has long been a key component of the Walmart success story.
My belief that Kroenke and Penner would unite both halves of the Walton dynasty to build a sports complex together when the Broncos became part of these Walmart families’ holdings three years ago proved to be terribly naive.
It appears to me now that there’s a competitive land grab between the families that own the Nuggets, Avs and Broncos.
Although it’s hard to believe Ball Arena is now more than 25 years old, it’s not far-fetched to expect it will be leveled and replaced in the next 25 years.
Two powerful families that own three of the four most high-profile sports franchises in Denver are poised to be the movers and shakers that can bring a facelift to a city that has seen better days, because with new stadiums comes condos, hotels, sports bars, restaurants and plazas.
One more thing: Take a closer look at the map of these real estate holdings, and this friendly family feud between the owners of the Broncos, Nuggets and Avs seems to be headed straight for Coors Field.
Maybe, one of these years, the heirs to either the Sam or Bud Walton family fortunes can buy out Dick Monfort and renovate the woebegone Colorado Rockies baseball franchise.
But that’s another story for another day.
In the meantime, a knucklehead like me can only dream.
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