GREELEY, Colo. — The Colorado Eagles are looking for a new home, and the proposed arena in Greeley is moving forward again after a major legal hurdle was cleared.
But the controversial project still faces financing questions, and both sides are now waiting to see what happens next.
The proposed site for the arena near Highway 34 and Weld County Road 17 is back on track after a judge ruled a voter-approved referendum seeking to repeal the project's zoning was unconstitutional.
Colorado Eagles CEO Martin Lind says the proposed arena would be part of a larger complex featuring four sheets of ice and thousands of seats.
“The arena is attached to three sheets of ice. It's one building. It's about $300 million. It is all four sheets of ice. It is 8,600 seats for hockey, about 10,000 for a concert,” Lind said.
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But getting there hasn't been smooth.
Greeley voters approved Ballot Issue 1A in February, which sought to repeal the project's zoning.
A judge later ruled the referendum unconstitutional, meaning the zoning remains in place.
Lind says he's happy to see the project moving forward again.
“We're, you know, there's new oxygen in everybody's lungs over here, and it's no fun treading water when the water's rough,” Lind said. “We're excited about an opportunity to go back to work."
That same news was not exactly what Rhonda Solis with Greeley Demands Better wanted to hear.
“Unfortunately, it went to the courts, and it got overturned. So now we're thinking about appealing it, and then what our other options are. So we haven't had a voice in the beginning,” Solis said.
Greeley voters will decide in November on a proposed 0.6% sales and use tax increase.
If approved, the tax would add 60 cents for every $100 spent.
Solis says voters need to consider the long-term impact of the proposed tax, which would remain in place for 40 years.
“So we'll be talking to people as to what this tax increase could really look like, and the fact that it's going to be for 40 years. I'm not even going to be around, and this tax will still be around,” Solis said.
If voters reject the tax increase in November, Lind says the Eagles will continue looking for a way to make the project financially feasible.
“We're going to continue to try to find the answer to the financial puzzle, but we're hoping that the vote goes good,” Lind said.
It's unclear where funding would come from if the tax increase does not pass.
Meanwhile, Lind says construction could start as early as Nov. 4, with the new arena potentially opening in 2029.
