Parking at the National Western Center is about to get a serious boost. A new multi-level garage is rising on the west side of the campus and is expected to add more than 400 spaces to the site. Officials say the structure is designed to support year-round activity across the grounds, from the National Western Stock Show to CSU Spur programs, and they are aiming to have it ready for the 2027 Stock Show.
The project, identified in local reporting as the Legacy 6 Spur parking garage, officially broke ground this week and is slated to be open in time for the 2027 National Western Stock Show, according to KUSA. National Western Stock Show CEO Wes Allison told KUSA that the work "represents a meaningful step forward as we continue to enhance the experience for everyone who visits the National Western Center campus." Coverage notes that the garage will sit near the Stock Show headquarters, the Legacy building, and the CSU Spur campus.
The new structure is one piece of a larger campus expansion that the Denver City Council approved last year. That broader plan includes a new equestrian center, a 160-room hotel, and workforce housing, as reported by Denverite. The National Western Center’s own project pages describe an equestrian-center plan with a separate parking structure of more than 500 spaces adjacent to the horse facility, indicating that multiple new garages are ultimately expected to handle high-traffic events. The Center’s construction updates further detail those parking and facility plans.
Public support for the redevelopment ties back to voter-approved revenue. Denver’s Ballot Measure 2C extended lodging and short-term car-rental taxes to help finance National Western projects, according to city planning documents. Officials say the mix of public investment and private partners is intended to transform the grounds into a year-round destination that pulls in tourism dollars and jobs while also delivering community benefits to the Globeville‑Elyria‑Swansea neighborhood.
What This Means For Events
For big events, the new ramp is expected to cut down on the need for overflow lots during major shows and to better sync with transit and circulation plans around the campus. The National Western Stock Show’s parking pages and event maps highlight the RTD N‑Line stop at the National Western Center and outline current lot layouts, and local reporting says the extra garage capacity is aimed squarely at improving the visitor experience for multi-day events.
Next Steps And Timeline
Construction teams will continue mobilizing on site in the coming months, and officials say more details about operators, parking management, and fees will roll out as the project advances. The National Western Center has also moved procurement forward for the equestrian center, hotel, and parking project by selecting stage-two proposers, a step that advances design work and developer selection ahead of future construction milestones.
Officials say they will share additional specifics on parking operations and construction timelines as work continues. The Authority has indicated that the new ramp will be coordinated with shuttle service and neighborhood access plans in an effort to limit disruption for nearby residents.
