Ace Padel is gearing up to turn the former Great Divide Barrel Bar in Denver's RiNo into a 26,000-square-foot padel playground, trading brewery tanks and a barrel room for court nets and viewing terraces. The club is planned for 1812 35th St., the Barrel Bar space that Great Divide vacated earlier this year, and is expected to feature seven padel courts, locker rooms, lounges, and a café.
According to the Denver Business Journal, the current schematic shows five indoor courts and two outdoor courts within the roughly 26,000-square-foot footprint. The outlet's June 9 report details the most recent layout and court count for the project.
Earlier promotional materials painted a slightly different picture, with five indoor courts and three outdoor courts. The project page from Aventura Asset Management includes renderings and a summary that highlight the earlier seven-court mix. Separately, BusinessDen first reported the Ace Padel deal back in January, noting plans for locker rooms, lounges, and food-and-drink service alongside the courts.
What the club will include
Plans show men's and women's locker rooms equipped with saunas and cold plunges, a mezzanine-level lounge, and a restaurant serving light bites along with beer and wine. Developing Denver reports that concept filings also call for temporary exterior courts adjacent to the Platte River Art Park and parking for more than 70 vehicles.
From barrels to ball courts
Great Divide closed its RiNo Barrel Bar and another Denver taproom after a sale and restructuring, which opened the 35th Street space to a new tenant. Denver7 covered those closures, while earlier reporting from BusinessDen details how local developer McWhinney owns the land and building and has been working with Ace Padel on the lease and build-out.
City records indicate the concept-plan review for the site is complete, although the exterior courts will still need zoning permits and a special-exception review before construction starts. Developing Denver notes that Ace is targeting a third-quarter 2026 opening, a goal that depends on those approvals lining up.
Padel is on a fast climb across the United States, and in Denver, where both private clubs and public courts are starting to pop up to meet rising interest. Padel Browser already lists several planned and recently opened courts across the metro area, suggesting Ace Padel will enter an increasingly busy but enthusiastic market.
The transformation of a well-known brewery space into a social-sports club highlights RiNo's ongoing shift from industrial blocks to lifestyle destinations. As permits are issued and construction moves ahead, project milestones and membership details are expected to come into clearer focus.
