“The same suspect burglarized the park five times”: Crime, landlord dispute blamed for American Ninja Warrior closure

Just seven months after opening in southeast Denver, the American Ninja Warrior Adventure Park will close sometime before Jan. 13, that company has told a state judge.

In November, the park was sued by its landlord at 7150 Leetsdale Drive, which sought to evict the 37,000-square-foot indoor park and collect $237,588 in back rent. The park had signed a 10-year lease in March 2023 and, after $1 million in renovations, opened in June 2024.

Nine days after being sued, ANWAP fired back, accusing its landlord of negligence.

The American Ninja Warrior Adventure Park “has experienced problems with criminal activity that sends a message to its customers that the shopping center is not a safe place to bring their families,” that company alleged in a countersuit on Nov. 29.

Between April and August, the same suspect burglarized the park five times, there were drug overdoses, a bag of drugs was found at the back of the park, homeless folks slept behind the building, and there were “routine drug deals in the parking lot,” ANWAP claims.

Finally, in early November, four men were shot just a few doors from the park, which could not open that day because police tape blocked the parking lot.

The tenant accuses its landlord of failing to act on security concerns and low-level crime there in the months before the shooting, and also failing to repair a roof. Leaks occur every time it rains and have required the park to close several times this year, according to the countersuit.

7150 Leetsdale is owned by Antero Retail Group LLC, a subsidiary of Legacy Capital Partners, a private- equity firm in Denver. Christina Schaefer, director of operations at Legacy, declined to discuss the case with BusinessDen at length because it remains in active litigation.

“However, I can assure you that the property owner has consistently worked to address tenant concerns, including those related to roofing and security, within reasonable timelines and in accordance with the lease agreement,” Schaefer wrote in an email.

On Dec. 16, American Ninja Warrior Adventure Park agreed to leave 7150 Leetsdale by 11:59 p.m. on Jan. 12. That resolves the eviction portion of its dispute with Antero. But the debate over who breached the lease and owes money must still be decided by a judge.

A spokesperson for ANWAP did not respond to requests to discuss its decision to close, the timing of that closure and whether it will seek another location in Denver.

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