Dust, Dreams & Dirtwork: A Master Plan Year in Review at The Ranch
The Ranch team and project partners at the Ranch Master Plan Phase II groundbreaking in October 2025 in Loveland, Colorado.
If you grew up in Northern Colorado, you probably have a Ranch story.
It might begin with the clang of a livestock gate. Or the scent of fair food mingling with hay. Maybe it’s the screech of skates on ice, a concert that shook the arena floor, or your child’s first blue ribbon still tucked into a keepsake box somewhere.
And maybe you don’t remember the exact moment. But you remember the feeling.
In 2025, we honored that feeling by laying the foundation for what’s next.
Not just through groundbreaking ceremonies or design drafts, but through hard-won partnerships, built with a great deal of effort, collaboration, and intention, and the kind of work that happens well before the public sees the payoff.
This was the year Phase II of the Master Plan got real.
And what a year it was.
Groundbreaking Moments — And the Meaning Beneath Them
In October, we gathered, jackets zipped against the cold, boots dusted with future — to break ground on the first project of Phase II: the Event Lawn, a 21-acre green space that will host the Larimer County Fair, festivals, and eventually, the Outdoor Amphitheater.
But before construction began, something powerful happened.
An Indigenous blessing led by the Meskwaki Nation and Iron Family opened the day with drum, sage, and song, a moment of reverence that grounded the work in gratitude and tradition.
“We take this time to bless this land, the machines, and the people so that all projects move forward in the way we all intend them to for our community.”
— Jan Iron, Fort Collins resident
That moment reminded us: we’re not just starting something new, we’re honoring everything that came before it, and progress means more when it’s rooted in respect.
📖 Read all about the big day here: A Cold Wind, A Warm Beginning.
Meskwaki Nation and Iron Family lead an Indigenous blessing at the Phase II groundbreaking in Loveland, Colorado.
Conor McGrath, the Ranch team, and the Larimer County Board of County Commissioners in Loveland, Colorado.
Larimer County Sheriff’s Posse, including Posse Queen Alexis Badberg, Phase II Ground Breaking, Loveland, CO
$110+ Million Secured: Built with Purpose
2025 marked a major milestone in turning vision into reality. With support from the Larimer County Board of County Commissioners, we secured more than $110 million in project funding through Certificates of Participation (COPs) to move forward with Phase II. 📖 Read more: Larimer County Commissioners Support Phase IIa Projects and Funding for The Ranch Master Plan
It’s the kind of decision that reflects more than a budget; it reflects belief. In the value of community gathering spaces. In the future of Northern Colorado. In The Ranch, as a long-term economic and cultural anchor.
“These projects will significantly enhance visitor experiences, generate material economic benefits, and ensure the continued relevance of The Ranch as a vital community hub,” said Conor McGrath, Managing Director of The Ranch.
Commissioner Kristin Stephens added: “This strategic investment will reinforce our County as a vibrant destination for both residents and visitors, enhancing our local economy and tourism.”
Building the Team That Builds the Future
You may not see them every day, but they’re behind every milestone.
In 2025, we expanded the dream team, bringing in even more powerhouse partners to move the vision forward.
- Crossland Construction, our construction partner for the Event Lawn, is bringing the first Phase II project to life, translating plans on paper into a space the community will soon gather, celebrate, and return to year after year.
- Perkins&Will, our architecture and engineering partner for Phase II, is going full force in designing the spaces you’ll come to know, use, and love. 📖 Read more: Behind the Design: What Schematic Design Really Means
- Linsey Chalfant, our Master Plan Project Manager, whose leadership, coordination, and care have become the heartbeat of Phase II, keeping every moving part aligned and driving the work forward with focus and purpose.
- Portia Cook, our Strategic Communications Coordinator, whose strategic lens, storytelling instincts, and deep community engagement have shaped how the Master Plan is communicated, understood, and embraced across Northern Colorado.
- BHA and AVI, our campus engineer and landscape architecture teams, who are leading the charge on site civil design, wayfinding, and shaping key spaces like the Event Lawn and Event Plaza, bringing form and function to life across the campus.
- YESCO, the contractor driving preconstruction and construction of the Master Plan’s new wayfinding system, is helping create a more welcoming, navigable experience for every Ranch visitor.
- Conor McGrath, Ranch Managing Director, who continues to steer this work with focus, vision, and steady commitment to both detail and big-picture goals.
The Ranch, BHA, and AVI teams during an Event Lawn grass informational session at a local golf course in Colorado.
The Ranch team, joined by BHA, AVI, Perkins&Will, and other project partners, during a Ranch infrastructure tour in Loveland, Colorado.
National Attention on a Local Challenge
Not every story this year stayed local.
In 2025, The Ranch gained national attention for its efforts to address a growing challenge facing communities across the country: a shortage of accessible ice for youth hockey and skating programs. What started as a local conversation, families driving hours for practice time, coaches juggling schedules, kids waiting for ice, struck a chord well beyond Northern Colorado.
The Ranch’s long-form feature, Skating on Empty – The Fight for Ice and the Future of Northern Colorado Hockey at The Ranch, helped surface the issue, and soon after, 9NEWS picked up the story, spotlighting both the problem and what The Ranch is doing to help address it. The coverage focused not just on the shortage itself, but on the role The Ranch can play in keeping youth sports accessible, local, and sustainable.
Phase II includes a new Youth Hockey & Sports Facility, a multi-sheet complex designed to meet growing demand, host tournaments, and keep local athletes close to home.
9NEWS interview with reporter Amanda Gilbert and Ranch Managing Director, Conor McGrath at The Ranch in Loveland, CO.
9NEWS interview with reporter Amanda Gilbert and Ranch Managing Director, Conor McGrath at The Ranch in Loveland, CO.
Community Connection, One Conversation at a Time
Maybe you’ve seen a Master Plan newsletter land in your inbox.
Maybe you visited The Ranch for a Master Plan tour.
Maybe you caught Strategic Communications Coordinator Portia Cook at a booth at a local expo or a chamber event.
Maybe you’ve stopped to ask questions at a pop-up table.
Heard about the plans at a stakeholder meeting.
Or read one of our blog posts and thought: “Ohh… now that makes more sense.”
In 2025, we took our Master Plan communications and engagement to new heights. One major highlight: participating in our very first Larimer Unlocked tour, a behind-the-scenes experience that gave community members the chance to walk the campus, ask questions, and see the future of The Ranch through an insider’s lens.
However we connected, we’re glad we did.
This year, we built a communications and engagement approach rooted in one core idea:
People should feel like they’re part of this process, not on the outside of it.
Take the Master Plan Community Engagement Survey here
If we haven’t met yet, we will. And if you ever wonder who to talk to, we’re only an email, booth, or conversation away.
Community members get a behind-the-scenes look at the Master Plan during Larimer Unlocked at The Ranch in Loveland, Colorado.
Learning from the Best: Master Plan Site Visits
Behind every Master Plan milestone are hours of research, collaboration, and learning, and in 2025, that work extended far beyond Larimer County.
To better understand best practices in operations, event hosting, and facility design, our team visited a variety of industry-leading venues across multiple states. These trips provided invaluable insight into what makes public spaces work, from convention centers and sports complexes to amphitheaters and fairgrounds.
Locations toured included:
- Large Colorado fairgrounds and the Denver Convention Center
- Gaylord Rockies Resort & Convention Center in Aurora
- Savannah Convention Center in Georgia
- Louisville, Owensboro, and Lexington Convention Centers in Kentucky
- Dillon and Aspen outdoor arenas for amphitheater research
- Blue Sports Stable, to evaluate youth hockey and multi-sport facility operations
These site visits continue to inform the decisions we make, so that what’s built at The Ranch reflects the very best of what’s possible.
Origin Arena: A Name That Already Belonged
In 2025, we welcomed a new name to a space that already means so much:
Origin Arena, home of 4-H events, youth competitions, and thousands of cherished memories.
The partnership with Origin Heating, Cooling & Electrical didn’t rename a space. It simply gave it a name that reflects its roots: community-driven, homegrown, and proud to invest in the future of The Ranch.
📖 Read all about the big day here: Origin and The Ranch: A Homegrown Partnership Rooted in Family, Trust, and Community
What’s Ahead in 2026
The work continues. And so does the momentum.
In the year ahead, you’ll continue to see progress — both visible and behind the scenes.
What’s next includes:
- Continued Event Lawn construction, with completion anticipated in 2026
- Ongoing design for Phase II projects, including:
- Event Plaza enhancements
- Outdoor Amphitheater
- Youth Hockey & Sports Facility
- Event Center Expansion & Modernization (Blue Arena)
- Exposition Center and Hotel
- New and evolving ways for the community to stay informed, engaged, and connected as Phase II continues to take shape
It Starts and Ends With People
It always has.
Not a ribbon. Not a rendering. A story.
This isn’t just about buildings. It’s about belonging
It’s about the grandma who takes her grandkids to the fair every year.
The teenager who dreams of performing at the amphitheater.
The hockey coach who just wants enough ice to give every kid a shot.
The family that’s made The Ranch part of their story for decades.
This Master Plan isn’t ours. It’s yours.
And with your input, your questions, and your pride, we’ll keep building a place where Northern Colorado comes together, in honor of our history, in celebration, and in community pride.
Thank you for being part of 2025.
The fences are up. The dirt is flying. And the future is already taking shape.
We hope to see you out on the grounds, at a game, a show, a fair day, a tour, or a moment that turns into a memory.
Until then, we’re digging in, and we’re excited to bring you along for another incredible year. 💙