The AHL’s Colorado Eagles could soon have a new home arena.

Last month, the city of Greeley and Windsor’s Water Valley Company unveiled a 5,000-acre development plan in West Greeley, a proposed development that would include a new rink for the Eagles.

The Greeley City Council voted unanimously to have the city explore the the vision Eagles owner and local developer Martin Lind has at U.S. 34 and County Road 17.

Official documents call the West Side Project, “a mixed-use, transit-oriented, entertainment district development that includes a new arena and ice center, a new transit center/multimodal hub with connections to local, intercity and national bus service, retail, lodging (which is anticipated to include a water park hotel), and mixed-income and affordable housing.”

The West Side Project would focus on a new arena/events center, hotel and water park.

“The Greeley staff is beyond dynamic,” said Lind. “They worked so hard and in such good faith that it got very sincere very fast,” said Lind, who has been acquiring land in the area. Greeley has 1,000 acres as well, he said.

The first phase would cover about 800 acres.

The proposed arena would seat 8,600 spectators, include three ice sheets and have public spaces. The current Blue Arena (formerly Budweiser Events Center) in Loveland has 5,200 seats.

Lind said the goal is “to create a paradigm shift when you enter Greeley.”

“I go where the puck is going,” Lind said. “And the puck is going to West Greeley whether the Eagles go or not. That’s where it’s growing. And that’s because of water, available land, stable soils, political will. You just started layering them all up and West Greeley is going to be where Northern Colorado grows.”

Photo rendering/Water Valley Company

— Matt Mackinder

(August 17, 2024)