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Rooted in Community, The Ranch is Growing
The implementation of The Ranch Master Plan is in full swing! Since its opening in 2003, The Ranch Events Complex has been a monumental landmark for Larimer County, hosting everything from hockey games to horse shows, 4-H practices and the beloved Larimer County Fair. The Ranch serves as a community gathering place, a major economic driver and one of the premier event facilities in the region. To continue to serve Larimer County and meet the evolving needs of event organizers and attendees, exciting changes are underway at The Ranch!
Master Plan Updates
Larimer County took a proactive approach to keep The Ranch Events Complex competitive and prepare for the future by creating a community-driven master plan in 2017. This plan was heavily influenced by The Ranch’s vision to continue to be a place where people can connect with their long-standing agricultural roots and experience high quality facilities, programs and services that improve the lives of Larimer County residents.
The Ranch Master Plan was amended in 2019 with multiple projects identified to move forward based on community support and the greatest cost-benefit for the county. These projects include:
- Relocation of Arena Circle to the outer edge of current parking, and to create new entrance and exit points on the southeast and northern edge of the property.
Status: This project is currently underway and is expected to be completed in summer 2023. These infrastructure updates will improve traffic flow throughout the complex and enhance the safety of visitors moving between facilities at The Ranch.
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Construction of a new 60,000-square-foot flat floor trade show facility to be attached to a privately funded full-service hotel.
Status: In lieu of a new 60,000-square-foot trade show facility, we are currently researching opportunities to expand the current FNBO building to include a 70,000-square-foot flat floor facility with contiguous space. This change reflects recently updated market studies and the shift away from using this space for 4-H or community events due to the continued use of the McKee building and the future 4-H, Youth and Community Livestock Arena. The Ranch released a request for proposals for the hotel project in early 2022 and received no interest from the private sector. We are currently investigating why potential developers did not show interest and are developing next steps for the future of this project.
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Construction of a recreational sports complex to house three ice sheets and a natatorium (indoor swimming pool).
Status: We are currently exploring opportunities that could allow us to build the three ice sheets sooner and attached to a new events center. For the natatorium, we are working closely with our neighbors in Fort Collins and Loveland to ensure we are not duplicating efforts for public facilities. We will continue to support the development of a recreational natatorium in Larimer County either at The Ranch or at a partner facility.
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Expansion of the equine and livestock facilities to include a new barn and covered show arena.
Status: The beginnings of this project are currently underway in the expansion of the MAC warm-up arena, newly constructed outdoor arena, new RV camping and trailer parking. The new barn and covered show arena have not been eliminated but rather pushed out further into the project phasing.
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Conversion of the existing First National Bank of Omaha show halls into an expanded 4-H, Youth and Community Building.
Status: Based on the needs of the community, this project has evolved to become the new 4-H, Youth and Community Livestock Arena, which broke ground during the 2022 Larimer County Fair. This arena was identified as a potential alternative project should financing be secured and will include classrooms and community offices to meet the need for current programs to expand and allow for new community programming.
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Conversion of the current McKee 4-H Building into administrative offices for The Ranch.
Status: The McKee Building will remain in its current use as a 4-H, youth and community building for Larimer County residents to enjoy and administrative offices will remain in the First National Bank building. This change occurred due to the reduced need for office space and the construction of the 4H, Youth and Community Livestock Arena to supplement the activities at McKee Building. Future phases of this project may consider expanding this facility to create one contiguous space for expo needs.
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Construction of a new event center arena with a capacity of approximately 10,000 seats to replace the existing Budweiser Events Center. Alternately, should financing not be secured from the private sector for a new arena, we would move forward with renovations to the existing Budweiser Events Center.
Status: We are currently evaluating opportunities for our event center and considering options that will allow us to add three new sheets of ice for recreational sports sooner and adjacent to a potential new event center.
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Construction Updates
4-H, Youth, and Community Livestock Arena Groundbreaking
On Sunday, Aug. 7, The Ranch Events Complex held a groundbreaking event to mark the start of construction on the first major implementation of The Ranch Master Plan: the new 4-H, Youth, and Community Livestock Arena. The Larimer County Board of Commissioners and Loveland Mayor were joined by local county officials, 4-H families, community leaders and construction partners who all played major roles in the development and implementation of the new arena.
The Community Arena will provide a home for our 4-H partners, youth groups and community members to host livestock events, practices and educational opportunities year-round. The 41,000-square-foot livestock arena will include:
- A 125’ x 200’ interior dirt arena complete with bleachers and storage.
- Classrooms and educational facilities.
- Supporting event infrastructure such as concessions spaces, restrooms and lobby areas.
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Larimer County community members, elected officials and The Ranch staff gathered to celebrate the groundbreaking of the 4H, Youth and Community Livestock Arena on Sunday, Aug. 7.
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Current Construction Zones
The 4-H, Youth, and Community Livestock Arena is currently under construction and is expected to be complete in late 2023. The construction zone is located northwest of the MAC Equipment, Inc. Indoor Arena. Hazardous areas will be fully fenced for the safety of visitors to The Ranch. You may hear increased activity from equipment at the site, but current events at The Ranch will not be impacted.
Arena Circle has been under construction since the spring of 2022 and is expected to be completed in early summer 2023. The roadway improvements will relocate Arena Circle to the outer edge of the property to help ease traffic and add new entrance and exit points.
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