Community Arena ribbon-cutting Tuesday at Ranch

LOVELAND — The Ranch Events Complex will host a ribbon-cutting event on Tuesday to celebrate the grand opening of the 41,000-square-foot 4-H, Youth and Community Arena at the complex owned by Larimer County.

The ceremony will celebrate the opening of the new arena and the completion of the first phase of the Ranch Master Plan. County commissioners, Ranch staff, Larimer County 4-H partners, and other key project partners will attend the event from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. at the new arena, northeast of the MAC Equipment Inc. Indoor Arena at 5400 Arena Circle.

Among those scheduled to attend are county commissioners John Kefalas, Kristin Stephens and Jody Shadduck-McNally; Assistant County Manager Laurie Kadrich; Kathay Rennels, special advisor for rural-urban initiatives at Colorado State University; James Pritchett, CSU’s vice president for engagement and extension; and Kerri Rollins, Front Range Regional Extension director.

The new facility, for which construction began in August 2022, includes a 125-by-200-foot indoor arena with bleachers and storage, classrooms with livestock wash areas and educational facilities, plus supporting event infrastructure such as offices, restrooms and lobby areas. It will provide a home for The Ranch’s 4-H partners, youth groups and community members to host livestock events, practices and educational opportunities year-round, and will be available to the community at an accessible rate.

Larimer County created a community-driven master plan for the expansion and renovation of The Ranch Events Complex in 2017. The same year, voters approved an extension of the 0.15% sales and use tax to expand and enhance The Ranch facilities based on the master plan.

Phase 1 of the master plan also included:

• Relocation of Arena Circle and roadway improvements complex-wide, including new ingress and egress points.
• Expansion of the MAC Indoor Arena.
• Increased vehicle and trailer parking.
• Improvements to maintenance and storage facilities.
• Development of a new campground with RV hookups for events. 

The next phase of the master plan is scheduled to kick off this fall with the start of construction on an expanded event lawn at the heart of the campus.

In the event of inclement weather on Tuesday, the ribbon cutting will be held inside the new arena.

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