N3rd Street Gamers to open massive esports hive in Denver

Inside an 18,000-square-foot hub in Lakewood, Colo., N3rd Street Gamers hopes to develop the next great cadre of esports athletes.

The space, set to open in November, is a symbol of our times: Formerly an out-of-business retail storefront, the space will house Localhost Arena Denver, a jumbo version of the well-known Northern Liberties gaming hub.

Per N3rd Street Gamers founder John Fazio, the second hub will let the company grow the pipeline of esports luminaries by being near to one of the country’s strongest and oldest gaming communities.

“Denver is close to my heart as a place I have traveled to annually for decades,” Fazio said. “Localhost Arena will be our largest and most advanced facility, and we are excited to push forward innovation in our industry while being a home to developing esports athletes in Colorado.”

At the space, gamers can pay a daily fee (or monthly subscription) to access one of 100 gaming PCs with monitors. Xbox One, PlayStation 4 or Nintendo Switch consoles are also on hand. But the main draw of the Denver gaming hive seems to be the event space, which can hold up to 1,000 spectators.

Chief Experience Officer Ryan Barr said the new venue will attract events and tournaments from out-of-state organizers.

The growth spurt is part of a strategy laid out last year, when VC firm SeventySix Capital invested an undisclosed amount in the company.

In June, it was announced that Comcast Spectacor pumped some more resources into N3rd Street Gamers. The amount, again, was not disclosed, though a spokesperson said it was enough to fuel a national framework of esports competitions and player development.

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The Colorado space, located about 15 minutes from downtown Denver, will have other type of gamers as neighbors: a huge bingo hall called Slammers Bingo.