Wynkoop Crossing: Building on Denver’s Bold Vision at Ball Arena

Sustainable Design Build has been closely following the Ball Arena redevelopment since City Council’s approval in late 2024. In its article Ball Arena Redevelopment Approved By City of Denver, the firm detailed how Kroenke Sports & Entertainment (KSE) secured rezoning for approximately 70 acres surrounding the arena. The approval opened the door for mixed-use development that could bring up to 6,000 residential units — 18 percent of which are planned as affordable housing — along with taller buildings beyond the city’s traditional view plane restrictions and a strong emphasis on sustainable, people-centric urban design. Sustainable Design Build Denver continues to highlight how these changes are shaping the future of the city’s urban landscape. Sustainable Design Build Denver

Now, the newly submitted concept for the Wynkoop Crossing Pedestrian Bridge marks an important next step in making that vision tangible. Below, we contextualize how the bridge fits into the framework we covered previously, and why it’s a key infrastructure element for sustainable, resilient growth in Denver.

From Approval to Implementation

In 2024, the redevelopment’s approval relied on a framework based on: rezoning, affordable housing targets, mixed-use buildings, and the transformation of surface parking into vibrant, walkable urban fabric. The Wynkoop Crossing concept is one of the earliest physical infrastructural pieces to emerge from that framework — a bridge that does more than move people: it shapes how people will live, move, and connect in this new mixed-use district.

How Wynkoop Crossing Answers Key Challenges

Here are the ways the bridge responds to and builds on what was laid out in our earlier coverage:

The Bridge as a Symbolic & Practical Gateway

In the 2024 article, it was noted that KSE’s plan will be “a cornerstone in Denver’s redevelopment strategy, aligning with the city’s broader goals for affordable housing and urban sustainability.” Wynkoop Crossing is more than a physical structure: it is that strategy taking shape. It:

• Provides safer pedestrian movement across Speer Boulevard — a place we had identified as problematic for pedestrian safety, vehicle congestion, and conflicts among different users.

• Helps reveal how the area’s fabric will change: not just where buildings go, but how people experience the urban environment.

• Begs a future when streets like Wynkoop may become more than vehicular corridors: envisioned “Sports Mile” linking Ball Arena to Coors Field is more feasible when crossings like this exist.

Project Details & Sustainable Design Highlights

Here are some design and planning features from the concept that echo sustainable design best practices:

• Contextually responsive design: The bridge will “land lightly in LoDo” with a compact ramp, integrating into both the streetscape and planned activity hub. No monolithic statement piece disconnected from its surroundings, but a connector.

• Multi-modal safety & circulation: The design addresses known conflicts (pedestrians, bikes, scooters) and unsafe conditions during Arena events. This reflects a shift away from car-centred planning toward balanced, shared mobility.

• Connectivity to green/open infrastructure: Tying into the Cherry Creek Trail, connecting to other trail systems and district plans (Outdoor Downtown, AHEC, etc.), helps extend the benefit of open/green space and trail networks into denser parts of the city.

• Long-term vision alignment: The bridge isn’t just a standalone amenity; it is designed so as not to preclude longer term plans (e.g. future Speer Blvd redesign, Sports Mile, etc.).

Looking Forward: What We’ll Be Watching

As the project progresses, Sustainable Design Build will be particularly interested in:

1. Affordable Housing Delivery: In the 2024 article, we reported that ~18% of the residential units in the redevelopment are to be affordable. We will be looking to see if that goal is preserved in phasing and financing, and how access is ensured via design (e.g. transit, walkability, bike etc.). Sustainable Design Build Denver

2. Environmental & Energy Performance of Buildings: Mixed-use buildings could be large energy consumers; embed sustainability in materials, passive design, green spaces, etc.

3. Speer Boulevard Redesign & Urban Streetscape: The bridge is part of corridor improvements. How will Speer Blvd be transformed? Will vehicle priorities shift? Will pedestrian, transit, bike infrastructure be elevated?

4. Soft Infrastructure: Public spaces, programming, landscaping, lighting, etc. A bridge is more than structure if its environment supports use, safety, and comfort, day and night, event and non-event.

5. Implementation Timing & Phasing: Groundbreaking is expected around 2026-2027 for much of the redevelopment (as we wrote in October 2024) Sustainable Design Build Denver — how soon will the bridge be built relative to other pieces (residential, hotel, performance venue)? “First phase” plans now include the hotel, residential buildings, and performance venue.

Conclusion: Bridging Promise and Reality

The Wynkoop Crossing is a physical manifestation of the promise outlined in Ball Arena Redevelopment Approved By City of Denver: turning zoning approvals, policy shifts, and ambitious plans into concrete infrastructure that supports sustainable, inclusive, and resilient urban life. Projects such as this — where design, policy, affordability, and mobility intersect — help define the future of construction in Denver. The bridge has the potential to become more than a functional crossing, serving instead as a true gateway that connects past, present, and future within a livable city.

Link to our earlier article: [Ball Arena Redevelopment Approved By City of Denver] — read it here: https://sdb-denver.com/2024/the-construction-industry/ball-arena-redevelopment-approved-by-city-of-denver/