First reported in The Gazette, the Colorado Springs city council approved The Sunset Amphitheater, a proposed 8,000-seat, outdoor music and entertainment venue two weeks ago. Slated to host its first concert in summer 2024, The Sunset will sit at the Polaris Pointe development in north Colorado Spring, southeast of Interstate 25 and North Gate Boulevard. Financed by $40 million in investment funding, “the venue will host the largest touring acts in the country in style and comfort,” according to its homepage.
This ease will be provided, in part, by a stacked concourse filled with traditional and self-service concessions, walk-up bars, and VIP service. Just outside, Notes Live will augment these options with year-round restaurant properties just outside of The Sunset, per Notes Live public relations director, Chloe Hoeft. Hoeft informed What Now Denver that Notes Live (the company behind The Sunset) will offer three to four full-service restaurant spaces. The hospitality and entertainment company will operate one of these spaces as an anticipated two-story dining establishment capped off by an outdoor rooftop bar.
“The first floor will feature ROTH Seafood and Chophouse, an elevated, white tablecloth dining experience,” Hoeft wrote in an email. “The second floor will feature a high-end specialty bar reverently named Brohan’s with spectacular views of Pikes Peak. We will top off this collection with an open-air rooftop bar, where patrons can enjoy cocktails under the stars.” The additional open restaurant properties will be available for lease.
Notes Live’s comprehensive vision for The Sunset “to elevate the cultural and arts industry here in Southern Colorado.” The organization aims to carve out a community gathering place where people can share creative endeavors together. According to The Gazette, not everyone was behind approving the development, however.
While the concept is an attractive one, 30 to 40 big-name acts the approximately 100 days from Memorial Day through Labor Day are going to bring a lot of noise into backyards during the summer months. The site is zoned for concerts to run until 10:30 p.m. on weekdays and 11:30 p.m. on weekends. This also means a lot of event traffic on Voyager Parkway to the east of Polaris Pointe.
Still, the opportunity for Colorado Springs to put-in a peer competitor to Denver’s Red Rocks, in addition to bringing in 500 jobs and an estimated $100 million a year in associated local revenue (per Notes Live) is too much to pass up.
Notes Live will begin initial construction on the site in the next few weeks. Hoeft said that the company estimates about 7,500 square feet for each eatery outside of The Sunset. With a west-facing, sunset view of “America’s Mountain” behind the stage, the amphitheater and accessory properties will serve as stunning settings to catch some good grub, show or not.
