Stock Show Unveils Plan To Make Denver A ‘World-Class’ Agriculture Hub

(Xandra McMahon/CPR News)

The National Western Stock Show unveiled plans Tuesday to transform its north Denver complex into a world headquarters with four new facilities.

The National Western Center plans to expand beyond the stock show and feature year-round events. Officials said the center is expected to see 2 million visitors annually and bring roughly $230 million a year to the area’s economy.

“This project will support Denver’s global standing as a world-class hub for agriculture and innovation,” Paul Andrews, the president of the Western Stock Show Association, said at a press event Tuesday.

The four facilities include new equestrian and livestock centers, an expansion of the stockyards and a 100,000 square foot legacy building. The Western Stock Show Association Legacy Building will be the main attraction for the headquarters.

Pete Coors of Molson Coors Brewing Company and chairman of the campaign fund described the ambitious Legacy Building as a focal point for the center. It will include a heritage center and 8,000 square feet of rotating exhibit space.

“This building will serve as a home to all members of the National Western family,” Coors said. “It will be the only building and area of our four that will not be a naming opportunity for an individual or corporation.”

Instead, Coors said, the Legacy Building is meant to be a place supported by the community’s donations and participation.

The fundraising campaign for the project did see a large donation Tuesday by a Denver businessman. Former gas company CEO, Ron Williams, donated $10 million, advancing the campaign closer to its $100 million goal. The planned 20-acre stockyards will be named for Williams.

Mayor Michael Hancock also joined members of the Western Stock Show Association for the announcement.

"We're playing for the entire state of Colorado here, this is not just for Denver,” Mayor Hancock said. “But what we are doing is solidifying the future and the legacy of the National Western Stock Show and the National Western Center for over the next 100 years."

Construction will begin until the upcoming stock show, which is set to begin in January.