The City and County of Broomfield unveiled plans for a new sports facility in the Denver Metro area, in May 2005. Led by Jim Wiens and John Few, the venue is an anchor for the 215-acre commercial and residential development, Arista Metropolitan District. The facility would serve as competition for several mid-sized venues in Colorado, including the: Magness Arena, Bellco Theatre, Fillmore Auditorium, Budweiser Events Center, World Arena and the City Lights Pavilion. To set it apart from its competition, the arena was designed to give an arena-sized show a theatre feeling. Construction began in October 2006 to a rocky start. Six months after construction began, the venue's owners faced a lawsuit regarding noise control. Before opening, the facility saw staff and management changes. Despite pushbacks, the venue opened on November 9, 2006, with a concert by Bonnie Raitt. However, the facility proved it couldn't stand against its competitors. Many patrons complained of a lack of parking and street sign leading to the venue. Others complained about the acoustics, describing the arena as a concrete barn. For its first two years of operation, the venue did not see a profit. It was unable to pay bills and staff salaries. Until 2009, the arena was operated by Broomfield Sports and Entertainment. Management ceased when the company could no longer financially afford to maintain the failing venue. The Broomfield Urban Renewal Authority began seeking a new management company in January 2009. AEG Live, VenuWorks and SMG all placed bids. Operations were passed off to Peak Entertainment—a joint venture between Kroenke Sports Enterprises and AEG Live Rocky Mountains, in June 2009, for 28 years. Chuck Morris, President and CEO or AEG Live Rocky Mountains, was responsible to the revitalization of the Fillmore Auditorium. Under the new management, the venue saw over one million dollars in renovations. This included a new paint job, window treatments, terrace balconies, improvements to lighting and acoustics. Over 2,000 parking spaces were added, along with a pedestrian bridge connecting patrons to RTD's US 36 and Broomfield Park-n-Ride. During this construction period, the facility was given a temporary name change of Odeum Colorado. In February 2010, it was announced local financial institution, FirstBank Holding Company of Colorado, Inc. purchased naming rights for five years, at an undisclosed amount. The agreement began on March 1, 2010. The arena reopened on March 5, 2010, with a concert by Furthur. Since its reopening, the arena has hosted numerous concerts by popular artists, alongside family shows and sporting events.
