Bourbon Brothers Smokehouse & Tavern and The Hall at Bourbon Brothers are taking over the 50,000 square-foot Celebrity Lanes space in Centennial, at the northwest corner of Parker and Arapahoe roads. The $75 million project will convert the former bowling alley and entertainment center into a 2,000-capacity music venue and restaurant/bar that will serve the growing demand for live music and upscale nights out, said owner JW Roth.

“It’ll be similar to what we have here,” Roth said, referring to the 8,000-capacity luxury venue Ford Amphitheater, which he opened in northern Colorado Springs in fall 2024. “We’ll have rideshare lanes right up front, 50 luxury firepit suites for six people, and everything from theater to movies to concerts to fully catered rentals.”

More than $15 million in firepit ownership packages have been sold so far, he said, at $295,000 per suite.

The project is expected to be completed by mid-2027, Roth said, as VENU is currently working through approvals with the city of Centennial. He praised the city for working productively with the company on the new music hall’s potential effect on traffic and parking issues, as well as its potential for sales tax revenue.

For its part, Centennial said the project has not seen any movement since November 2025. The city is awaiting payment for the current permit, which will expire 6 months from the application date if not paid, said Alison Wintern, communications director for Centennial.��“We look forward to working with them,” she wrote in an email to The Denver Post.

The overall model is working so well for VENU that the company is already scouting locations for two new venues in Boulder and Fort Collins. They could be similar to Roth’s other purpose-built, mid-sized music halls .

He’s currently going back and forth between two sites in Boulder, but declined to name their locations. He expects to be able to announce the locations for both cities in 24 to 36 months, he said.

“With us, it always starts with (tour) routing,” Roth said. “No. 1, can we route an act off of something else that we own, and is it far enough away that it����ap not encroaching on our MSA (a market service agreement, or non-compete clause) with AEG Presents? No. 2, we need a demographic that is supportive of the ticket price, and I feel like the demographic in Centennial is very similar to Ford’s. And do we have a demographic that’s going to buy a $300,000 firepit?”

Standard tickets at Ford Amphitheatre can cost between $45 and $75, with upgrades that range up to $500 a pop. The venue, operated and booked by promoter AEG Presents, is expected to host between 35 and 37 concerts this year, Roth said, including previously announced shows from AJR, Dierks Bentley, Lindsey Stirling, Yo-Yo Ma with the Colorado Symphony, John Mulaney and The Black Crowes.

VENU’s rapid expansion contrasts with ongoing criticism and legal action by some neighbors of Ford Amphitheater in the Springs. Since it opened in 2024, a group of nearby residents has claimed that excessive noise from concerts has harmed their health and property values. After two dismissals, 8 residents filed a third lawsuit against VENU in January.

This month, the group has tied a publicity drive to a bill in the Colorado Senate that would strengthen local oversight of noise ordinances. It’s , according to the state’s legislative schedule.

The group of neighbors is in opposition to that bill, however, alleging that VENU is using its own variance from the city of Colorado Springs to exceed safe and reasonable decibel limits.

“VENU has never, not one time, been out of compliance with the city, so when they say we violated all these things, it����ap just factually incorrect and really frustrating,” Roth told The Denver Post in January. “Every judge has ruled in our favor and dismissed previous complaints. … This is eight people who have been saying this for the last three years. Compare that with the 200,000 people who came to shows last year and loved it.”

The planned opening of The Hall at Bourbon Brothers stands out even along the Front Range’s crowded music circuit. No other major venue is scheduled to open in the metro area this year, said promoters Live Nation and AEG Presents, and even smaller promoters are sticking with what works.

VENU’s model relies on the continual growth of Front Range concert demand, which has expanded each year since 2021 as artists transform what would normally be a Red Rocks or Ball Arena-focused visit into multi-show stops at large venues in Loveland, Denver, Colorado Springs, and Dillon.

That����ap because concerts at Red Rocks and other venues sell out so quickly that promoter AEG Presents, which books the majority of large Denver concerts, can sell additional venues and multiply the value for artists of visiting our relatively isolated tour-routing hub, promoters have said.

The sheriff’s office announced shortly after 6 p.m. that residents who had evacuated an area of the 20700 block of Outback View, about six miles west of Wigwam, could return.

The Hanover Fire Protection District, which is based a few miles south of Fountain, that two structures burned in the fire — a house and an outbuilding. Investigators are looking at the house as the potential source of the fire, which burned about 50 to 75 acres of grassland.

The district said its crews “remain on scene and will continue working diligently to locate and extinguish hot spots to ensure the fire is fully contained and safe.”

El Paso County Sheriff Sgt. Kurt Smith told The Denver Post on Monday night that his office is investigating a potential act of arson on Sunday in that “same general area.”

“As of right now, we have no evidence to connect the two,” he said.

He said the sheriff’s office will be issuing a press release on Tuesday regarding Sunday’s incident but wouldn’t provide more details.

The Bureau of Land Management said the blaze, which is called the , was human-caused but provided no other details.

Authorities issued the evacuation notice shortly after 4 p.m. on Monday.

A specific site has not been disclosed yet, nor has it been specified when construction will begin. But the Fort Collins store will join existing locations in Centennial and Colorado Springs, which introduced a smaller-format version of the brand in November.

The move is part of a larger push across the United States. IKEA said it intends to open additional stores in Chicago, Los Angeles, and Tulsa, Oklahoma, in 2026. Those projects build on six previously announced locations and bring the total number of new U.S. stores slated to open in 2026 to 10.

Those earlier sites include Huntsville, Alabama; University Park in Dallas; Phoenix; Rockwall, Texas; Chantilly and Dulles in the Washington, D.C. region; and Houston-Webster, Texas.

IKEA had previously intended to build a store in Broomfield on a 110-acre parcel of land on the northwest corner of the interchange between Interstate 25 and Colorado 7, also known as Baseline Road. Those plans were abandoned, and now UCHealth is set to buy that same land to build a new medical campus.

As part of the announcement, IKEA released its 2025 annual summary, highlighting key milestones in customer engagement, sustainable growth and community impact achieved between Sept. 1, 2024, and Aug. 31, 2025.

Despite challenging external factors, including rising inflation and declining consumer confidence, IKEA U.S. reported $5.3 billion in total sales in fiscal year 2025, including $1.9 billion in e-commerce revenue.

The company welcomed nearly 61 million visitors to its stores and more than 457 million visitors online. The IKEA Family Rewards program reached 25 million members in fiscal year 2025, a 17% increase from fiscal year 2024.

“FY25 was a year of meaningful connection and growth despite a challenging external environment. We strengthened our ability to serve customers through new store formats, digital innovation and expanded rewards, all while reinforcing our commitment to communities and the environment,” said Rob Olson, interim CEO of IKEA U.S. in the Tuesday news release.

“Looking ahead to FY26, we will build on this momentum, focusing on continued investment in the U.S.�� to make IKEA more affordable, accessible and sustainable.”

The 8,000-capacity outdoor complex, which opened in fall 2024 with Colorado pop-rock act OneRepublic, was part of the industry publication’s 2026 Top Music Venues ranking. The 28 venues included in the list were judged “based on editorial insight and Billboard Boxscore performance data,” according to from Ford owner VENU.

Those numbers include gross and attendance figures, which were not disclosed in the list, that were reported to Billboard Boxscore from Oct. 1, 2024, to Sept. 30, 2025, magazine editors wrote.

The ranking features stadiums and arenas alongside open-air amphitheaters and small clubs ranging from Canada to Mexico, . “Think of it as a guided tour of the places where sound, setting and community collide — the stages that turn concerts into memories and local music scenes into legends.”

Billboard cites Denver-based promoter AEG Presents Rocky Mountains, which books most of the concerts at Red Rocks and other top Front Range venues, as part of Ford’s success.

Ford inclusion is notable not just because it’s the sole Colorado or Rocky Mountain West venue, but because Ford’s owner, VENU, was sued last month by some neighbors over allegedly excessive noise that allegedly bleeds into their neighborhoods and disrupts their health and quality of life.

VENU founder J.W. Roth told The Denver Post last month that always taken neighbors’ concerns seriously and last summer spent $3.5 million on noise abatement efforts, including testing stations and walls. He said he wants to be a good resident, having lived in Colorado Springs himself for 62 years, but that the lawsuit is meritless.

He blames the continued resistance to the venue, which began even before it opened, on a small group of disgruntled locals.

Ford Amphitheater operates under an agreement with Colorado Springs that allows it to exceed the usual 50-55 decibel (dB) limit placed on outside, human-made sounds in residential areas. Fifty dB is equivalent to normal conversation levels, car traffic or kitchen appliances. But thanks to its Noise Hardship Permit, the city raised that significantly. The complaint alleges the decibels measured from Ford Amphitheater range between 60 and 77.

Ford Amphitheater, owned by the VENU company, is an 8,000-capacity outdoor music venue that opened in late 2024 and has hosted dozens of concerts over the last two seasons from artists such as OneRepublic, Cypress Hill, Miranda Lambert and Yo-Yo Ma.

Before it even opened, however, some neighbors with noise concerns wanted to hold VENU accountable for any future disturbances. That was followed by the filing of 600 noise complaints in the opening two weeks of the venue, which is located at 95 Spectrum Loop in Colorado Springs, just east of I-25 and the Air Force Academy. The concerts generating the anonymous complaints included shows by The Beach Boys, Walker Hayes, and Iration and Pepper.

The new lawsuit, filed in El Paso County on Jan. 21, alleges Ford and owner VENU are violating the state’s Noise Abatement Act. That includes noise violations ranging from 1,000% to 10,000% above the state’s allowable decibel limits, it alleges. It also says that a charitable foundation connected to Ford Amphitheater is illegitimate.

The complaint asks for new restrictions on noise and increased testing during concerts; accountability for VENU when they violate those; and repayment of residents’ “reasonable costs” as determined by the court.

Roth said he’s always taken neighbors’ concerns seriously and last summer spent $3.5 million on noise abatement efforts, including testing stations and walls. He said he wants to be a good resident, having lived in Colorado Springs himself for 62 years, but that the lawsuit is meritless.

“VENU has never, not one time, been out of compliance with the city, so when they say we violated all these things it’s just factually incorrect and really frustrating,” he said. “Every judge has ruled in our favor and dismissed previous complaints. … This is eight people who have been saying this for the last three years. Compare that with the 200,000 people who came to shows last year and loved it.”

The 43-page lawsuit includes detailed studies and explainers on decibel limits, which Roth said appeared to have been gathered before the venue even opened.

Ford Amphitheater operates under an agreement with Colorado Springs that allows it to exceed the usual 50-55 decibel (dB) limit placed on outside, human-made sounds in residential areas. Fifty dB is equivalent to normal conversation levels, car traffic or kitchen appliances. But thanks to its Noise Hardship Permit, the city raised that significantly. The complaint alleges the decibels measured from Ford Amphitheater range between 60 and 77.

The lawsuit marks an escalation of tactics after dozens of meetings with Ford Amphitheater’s owners, local politicians including Colorado Springs Mayor Yemi Mobolade, lawyers and other neighbors over the last three years.

“For two concert seasons, residents on the north side of the City of Colorado Springs have contended with harmful noise pollution from an outdoor amphitheater known as the Ford Amphitheater,” according to court documents.

The affected neighborhoods include Gleneagle, Northgate Highlands, and Northgate Estates, among others, the lawsuit said. They existed prior to the amphitheater’s 2024 construction.

“Plaintiffs purchased their homes and raised their families in these communities for years, sometimes decades, before the amphitheater opened,” the lawsuit said. “They did not move to a concert venue; a concert venue moved to them. Now, families who invested in the tranquility of these neighborhoods find themselves unable to escape noise pollution that exceeds state law by multiples — 1,000% to 10,000% in sound level — and that has deprived them of the comfort of their homes.”

The lawsuit alleges serious health issues stemming from the noise: “a mother forced to medicate her autistic son and place him in a sensory room with noise-cancelling headphones during concerts to prevent manic episodes; a disabled veteran with a diagnosed anxiety disorder who must flee his own home for hours on concert nights schoolchildren unable to sleep on school nights because of thumping bass and profanity-laced lyrics audible through closed windows.”

The plaintiffs’ case is led by attorney Laura J. Ellis of Colorado Springs’ First & Fourteenth PLLC, who specializes in civil disputes, according to . She did not immediately return a request for comment. Roth and VENU are represented by Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, as well as attorney Tobin Kern.

VENU on Jan. 21 also released its , featuring artists such as Yo-Yo Ma with the Colorado Symphony, O.A.R., Alison Krauss & Union Station, and Brantley Gilbert. VENU operates the Ford Amphitheater in partnership with promoter AEG Presents Rocky Mountains. The company also owns Phil Long Music Hall, The Hall at Bourbon Brothers, Bourbon Brothers Smokehouse and Tavern, Aikman Owners Clubs, and Roth’s Sea & Steak.

The German-based discount supermarket chain announced Monday it will open more than 50 stores across the Denver and Colorado Springs areas, supported by a new distribution center in Aurora.

The move marks Aldi’s first expansion into the state, with the Aurora facility expected to open in 2029 and bring hundreds of new jobs to the region.

“One in three U.S. households shopped at Aldi this past year, and in 2026 we’re focused on making it even easier for customers to shop our aisles first,” said Aldi U.S CEO Atty McGrath in a news release.

“That means bringing Aldi to even more neighborhoods, upgrading our website and planning additional distribution centers to keep our shelves stocked with the products our shoppers love.”

As Aldi enters its 50th year in the United States, the discount grocer plans to open 180 new stores by the end of 2026 and is outlining expansion plans for the next five years.

The company said it will continue expanding in Southeast and Western markets and will open three new distribution centers nationwide, including the Aurora center and facilities in Goodyear, Arizona, and Baldwin, Florida.

In addition to Colorado, Aldi is expanding in key U.S. markets such as Maine, Phoenix, Las Vegas and the Southeast, while continuing to convert nearly 80 Southeastern Grocers locations to the Aldi format.

Since acquiring Southeastern Grocers in 2024, Aldi has converted and opened nearly 90 stores, with plans to convert more than 200 in total by the end of 2027.

With its increased footprint, Aldi said it will operate nearly 2,800 stores by the end of 2026, moving closer to its goal of 3,200 locations by the end of 2028.

By 2028, the company said it will have invested $9 billion over five years to expand its store footprint, strengthen its supply chain and upgrade its online shopping experience.

“These strategic investments are all about making sure customers can continue to count on us for the quality, affordable groceries and enjoyable shopping experience they love,” McGrath said.

“As we look ahead to our next 50 years in the U.S., we’ll continue to earn shopper loyalty by staying true to what’s made Aldi successful: keeping things simple and delivering real value.”

and launching its first U.S. store in Iowa in 1976, Aldi now operates thousands of stores in more than 10 countries.

The girls, a seventh-grader and an eighth-grader on the Colorado Springs School basketball team, were attending an away game at Elbert School when staff noticed they were missing, spokesperson Marie Newbrough said.

Newbrough said the two girls left before the game began and were spotted leaving the building at 5 p.m. Monday.

Once school officials realized the girls were missing, they immediately notified local authorities and the students’ families, Newbrough said in an email to The Denver Post.

Classes were canceled Tuesday in Elbert County as the search continued into the morning, .

Shortly after 9:30 a.m., Newbrough confirmed the girls had been found safe.

Information about how and why the students left the school was not immediately available on Tuesday.

“Our entire school community is focused on supporting the safe return of these students,” Ryan Kelly, head of the Colorado Springs School, said in a statement. “We are fully cooperating with law enforcement and providing all requested information to assist in search efforts. Our thoughts are with the families during this difficult time.”

Elbert School, 24489 Main St., served as the incident command post for search and rescue efforts on Tuesday, .

This is a developing story and will be updated.

“The decision was tied to how Peak Innovation Park at the Colorado Springs Airport is shovel-ready, and that Colorado Springs offered the fast, business-friendly partnership the company was looking for,” said Colorado Springs Deputy Communications Officer Joe Hollmann in an email to The Post.

Swire Coca-Cola plans to break ground on the 620,000-square-foot facility in 2026. It will replace the current 90-year-old production plant in Denver.

This includes world-class energy and water efficiency performance, according to a news release by the Colorado Springs Chamber & Economic Development Corporation.

“We’re excited to welcome 170 new jobs to Colorado Springs through Swire Coca-Cola USA’s expansion in the community,” said Gov. Jared Polis in the release.

“This new facility will help support the local economy, and we’re glad Swire Coca-Cola USA chose to expand their business in Colorado.”

Earlier this year, Swire canceled its plan to construct a 570,000-square-foot bottling plant at the northeast corner of Tower Road and Peña Boulevard near DIA for “unforeseen delays” and “ongoing timeline instability.”

However, The Post found that the project struggled with missed deadlines and communication issues and ultimately was scrapped after Xcel Energy failed to provide electricity to the site, according to city documents and a Denver City Council member.

The new plant will produce more than 230 beverage options across more than 60 brands, including sparkling soft drinks, waters, teas, juice drinks and sports beverages.

“Colorado Springs has been a great partner for our existing distribution facility, where we employ 170 people. The city offers a highly skilled workforce and a strong sense of community—all of which make it an ideal location for this strategic investment,” said Bryan Sink, senior vice president, supply chain at Swire Coca-Cola.

“At this facility we will pursue LEED Gold certification, demonstrating our commitment to sustainability and being a responsible business within the community. This investment represents our long-term commitment to the region, supporting local jobs, enhancing our production capabilities, and ensuring we continue manufacturing our large portfolio of beverage brands right here in Colorado.”

Once operational, the Colorado Springs plant����ap employees will include production, maintenance, quality, logistics and management roles.

Each on-site job is expected to support two additional jobs in the local economy, benefiting suppliers, service providers and other regional businesses.

During construction alone, the project is expected to support approximately 1,190 construction and installation jobs, generating an estimated $103 million in direct labor income for workers and families in El Paso County.

The Colorado Springs Chamber & EDC worked with numerous partners throughout the Pikes Peak region to offer an incentive package based on the performance of Swire Coca-Cola, which was referred to as Project Manitou during the review process.

“Colorado Springs is proud to welcome Swire Coca-Cola USA to Peak Innovation Park. This new state-of-the-art manufacturing facility is a vote of confidence in our city’s ability to attract global brands. Through our partnership with Urban Frontier and our Economic Development team, we provide businesses the support, speed, and clarity they need to succeed,” Colorado Springs Mayor Yemi Mobolade said.

Headquartered in Utah, Swire Coca-Cola USA manufactures, distributes and sells Coca-Cola and other beverage brands in 13 states across the American West.

In Colorado, the company employs 1,300 people, according to the news release.

It will consolidate and modernize its production operations into the new bottling facility at ,.

This is a developing story and may be updated.��

Robert Dear, 67, died at 6:30 a.m. Saturday in the U.S. Medical Center for Federal Prisoners in Springfield, Missouri, Bureau of Prisons spokesperson Randilee Giamusso said. His death was “preliminarily linked to natural causes,” Giamusso said Tuesday, and prison officials followed advanced medical orders before he died.

Dear’s death ends a decade-long — and ultimately unsuccessful — effort to convict him of crimes connected to the mass shooting. Although Dear had been in state or federal custody since the 2015 attack and confessed to carrying out the mass shooting, he was never convicted because he was always considered to be too mentally ill to go through the court process — that is, he was consistently found incompetent to stand trial.

Fourth Judicial District Attorney Michael Allen said in a statement Tuesday that the victims of the shooting were denied justice in the “evil attack.”

“All three victims and this community deserved the full measure of justice in this case, but they are now denied that possibility,” Allen said. “Their family members and loved ones have endured this horror for far too long.”

The Bureau of Prisons declined to provide any additional information about Dear’s death and officials with the Greene County Medical Examiner’s Office did not immediately return requests for more information.

Dear’s attorneys did not respond to requests for comment Tuesday.

Dear was accused of attacking the Planned Parenthood clinic on Nov. 27, 2015. Authorities believe he intended to wage “war” on the clinic because the staff performed abortions. He arrived armed with four SKS rifles, five handguns, two more rifles, a shotgun and more than 500 rounds of ammunition, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Twenty-seven people who were inside the clinic at the time hid until they could be rescued by law enforcement, according to prosecutors. Dear fired 198 rounds in the attack and tried to blow up propane tanks to take out law enforcement vehicles during a five-hour standoff.

Those killed were��Ke’Arre Stewart, 29,��Jennifer Markovsky, 36, and��Garrett Swasey, 44, a campus police officer who responded to the clinic after hearing there was an active shooter. Another four police officers were wounded.

The issue of Dear’s competency stalled the state’s murder case against him in 2016. Federal prosecutors brought their own case alleging firearm and civil rights violations in 2019; those proceedings also stalled due to Dear’s compromised mental state.

A��competency evaluation��considers whether a criminal defendant is mentally ill or developmentally disabled, and whether that mental illness impedes the defendant����ap ability to understand the court process. Rooted in the constitutional rights to due process and a fair trial,��competency centers on two prongs��— whether defendants have a factual and rational understanding of the proceedings, and whether defendants are able to consult with their attorneys and assist in their own defenses.

Experts previously testified that Dear understood the facts and circumstances of his case but was still incompetent to proceed because he could not assist in his own defense.

Dear was known for frequent outbursts in court. During a 2019 hearing, he declared himself to be a “religious zealot” who was being prosecuted in a “political kangaroo court.” In 2021, he insisted in federal court that he was competent to stand trial, shouting, “I’m not crazy.”

In September, a federal judge started the process for Dear to be committed long-term to the mental health facility in Missouri after finding he was unlikely to be restored to competency.

The decision came nearly three years after the judge ordered that Dear be medicated against his will in 2022. Federal prosecutors believed doing so would restore him to competency.

Dear, who called involuntary medication a “chemical lobotomy,” challenged that order all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, which in February refused to take up the case. The judge then ordered that Dear’s treatment go forward, and the involuntary medication started in April.

The medication did not restore him to competency, the judge found in September.

Colorado Springs firefighters responded to the blaze at 5320 Pikes Peak Avenue shortly after 1:30 a.m. Sunday, .

A posted by the Colorado Springs Fire Department shows smoke wafting from the building, with burnt and peeling siding visible toward the upper floors.

The bulk of the fire has been knocked down. All of Pikes Peak between Byron and Murray will remained closed.

PIO is on scene

— Colorado Springs Fire Department (@CSFDPIO)

Firefighters rescued four people from the burning building with ladders and seven people were injured, fire officials said. Five of those injured were treated and released at the scene, but paramedics took two to the hospital with unknown injuries.

Roughly 50 people were displaced by the fire, according to Colorado Springs officials.

The cause of the fire and the extent of the damage remained under investigation Sunday.

This is a developing story and may be updated.