DENVER — Thursday wasn't technically Opening Day for McGregor Square, but it might as well have been.
The business-residential-entertainment complex isn't finished yet, but there are just enough businesses open for Rockies fans to get a taste of what lies in store.
During the Rockies Opening Day, fans packed into the plaza to listen to live music and to watch the game on the live screen.
The Rally Hotel has been open for more than a week. Work crews are continuing construction on ground floor units, which will host several other fan-related businesses.
"We’re really excited for the public to see what we’ve been working on for the last four or five years," said McGregor Square General Manager Patrick Walsh.
McGregor Square is a three-building, family-oriented development owned by the Rockies, which is intended to draw crowds year-round with unique attractions.
"That’s the hotel right there. That’s the residential tower right there, and that’s the office tower," Walsh said, pointing to three separate buildings during a short tour. "And then on the first two floors of the residential and office tower, we have retail."
Curated retail.
Among the businesses yet to open is Tom's Watch Bar.
"That will be an upper-end sports bar experience with a lot of TVs," Walsh said. "We’re going to have some Top Golf swing suites and a couple other things in the space."
A few blocks away, the staff at Tattered Cover Book Store is busy boxing up books and periodicals, and deconstructing bookcases in preparation for their big move to McGregor Square.
Tattered Cover will occupy two floors of the condo building at the corner of 20th Street and Wazee Street.
"It’s quite a big change," said Store Manager Derek Holland. "As you can probably see, we’re in the process of taking things apart here."
Holland said he's looking forward to the transition.
"I think it’s going to be a fun space," he said. "The staircase is amazing. The light that’s coming into the store is amazing."
McGregor's 28,000-square foot plaza, with its monster screen, will be the center of attraction.
"We’re looking at having an ice rink in the winter, putt putt golf, batting cages, and anything else we can think of," Walsh said.
Rockies fans said they look forward to the excitement and a return to normalcy.
"If you can’t get into the stadium, you can go over there and watch it," said Rockies fan Chris Shinolt.
"And have a party there," added fan Dana Hutchins. "Why not? You're close. Have fun. That's the whole point of it, to have fun."
Walsh said more attractions are on the way.
The second floor of the hotel will include the Rockies Hall of Fame.
"A traditional more interactive Hall of Fame experience that we’re really excited about," he said.
Walsh said the owners are already moving into the condo tower, which has 103 units, ranging from a 470-square foot studio to a 6,000-square foot penthouse.
He said prices range from just under half a million dollars for the studio, to upward of $2 million for the penthouse.
"The genesis of the project was Coors Field itself," Walsh said.
The Rockies commissioned a study on the 25-year-old ballpark, which determined there would be a need for $200-million worth of improvement in the next 30 years.
"You know seats, boilers, grease traps and the like. So they tried to figure out how to pay for that," Walsh said..
One of the ideas was to develop the west parking lot, which is owned by the stadium district, and feed the money into the stadium.
"We think it’s a great solution and it’s a big driver for activity on a once-vacant lot," he said.
A vacant lot — now humming with activity.