Stapleton - New Town Builders vs. David Weekley Homes (Denver: appointed, apartments)
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Depends. There is still a lot to the mantra that retail follows rooftops and while Stapleton south of I-70 might have the "town centers" that make the area more New Urbanist than your standard subdivision, only one of those exists and pretty much all of eastern neighborhoods such as Eastbridge and Bluff Lake are just as car dependent, if not more so, than your standard subdivision. I think that the northern portion of Stapleton will feel more connected over the next ten years or so, there's locations for neighborhood retail/town centers in Conservatory Green and Stapleton Filing 10. But it's going to take some time to make those areas work and even more rooftops with fat wallets residing inside.
Retail does follow rooftops. Forest City has also been very conservative with the types of businesses that it will work with. There have been many offers to develop the land in Eastbridge, but FC continued to hold out so that a King Soopers would be built in that location. Forest City's approach has suppressed the development of small businesses despite the community demand.
The development north of I-70 will be interesting. The Northfield shops have quite a bit of infill available, in addition to underutilized retail spaces. Again, they see a lot of the space as traditional mall space and will only offer short term leases to smaller concepts so that they have the flexibility to bring in national brands when/if interest develops. However, a lot of the traffic at this outdoor mall comes the surrounding neighborhoods and it is those neighborhoods that are driving the a lot of the demand. The remaining additional space north of I-70 is all strip mall quality space on heavily trafficked thoroughfares (Northfield Blvd and E. 56th Ave.). There will also be more commercial property available in adjacent Commerce City for Victory Crossing. The number of rooftops that will be built north of I-70 isn't enough to draw a Whole Foods or Sprouts, so it is likely that we will see another King Soopers concept that will draw from Commerce City and Montbello. This doesn't mean that FC can't develop the space into a walkable urban concept, it just doesn't look like that is the intention.
South of I-70 has been a disappointment thus far. There is still a lot of potential as commuter rail comes through and Fitzsimons gets built out - which will increase traffic in this part of town. In addition, a lot of young professionals at Anschutz are starting to move into NW Aurora, which will be good for developing that section of Colfax into a vibrant main street. I'm also excited about plans for Westerly Creek Village, which lies adjacent to Stapleton (see - https://www.auroragov.org/cs/groups/...ent/014383.pdf). The Stanley Aviation building was recently sold to a developer that plans to create a mixed-use urban marketplace similar to the Ferry Plaza in SF (see - Abandoned Stanley aviation factory taking flight as Aurora biz hub - Aurora Sentinel). The space is going to have 3-4 restaurants, a coffee shop, yoga and fitness, brewery, offices, smaller retailers, and possibly a food co-op grocery store (see - https://www.facebook.com/NortheastCo...CoOpMarketCafe). They've already signed Kevin Taylor to operate a beer garden and restaurant concept in addition to Kindness Yoga and Endorphin Fitness. The City of Aurora sees this project as a catalyst for developing Westerly Creek Village into a vibrant urban corridor. For me, I see this as the creative retail zone for South Stapleton that Forest City doesn't have the vision to develop.
All told - we will have to wait and see what happens. The community is still young.
All told - we will have to wait and see what happens. The community is still young.
Very true. The oldest parts of the community are just over a decade old and the vast majority of Stapleton is 5-7 years old.
North of I-70 has more potential than it's currently given credit for. Montbello, being as under-served as it is, provides a nice chunk of retail traffic and also helps provide the diversity element that Forest City has had difficulty in achieving. Forest City needs to press the retail outlet concept at Northfield to complete the buildout and give the area more of a main-street feel to draw additional foot traffic. If a Sprouts or a Whole Foods was to come to Stapleton, the likeliest spots for these stores is going to be at Northfield and at MLK/Potomac and Peoria which helps Northfield's case. Finally, the City of Denver needs to finish wooing Costco to set up shop in Denver and Northfield is once again the most likely candidate. The quick buildout of retail would greatly aid in additional TIF funding to help complete the unfunded regional parks in Stapleton and the quicker the rooftops go up, the sooner the Westerly Creek Metropolitan District property tax can be sunsetted.
I think that the retail that has gone in along Northfield Blvd to date is extremely disappointing (strip mall quality is an apt description) and I hope that it is not what will end up going in at the mixed-used area along the southern portion of Conservatory Green. While these are not supposed to be town centers with a major anchor, they can support local retail but that's going to require Forest City to not seek out national chains with a lower failure level to make it work.
I am building in Bluff Lake, closing next month, and I am very excited about the prospects of the Westerly Creek Village redevelopment as well as the Stanley and the new food coop (the latter of course being a lot closer to fruition than the former but I'm still hopeful!)
I am building in Bluff Lake, closing next month, and I am very excited about the prospects of the Westerly Creek Village redevelopment as well as the Stanley and the new food coop (the latter of course being a lot closer to fruition than the former but I'm still hopeful!)
Still not sure how the Stanley Marketplace is going to be walkable. It's entirely disconnected from the streetgrid, is surrounded by open space on two sides and has a huge amount of parking. From a connectivity standpoint, it's worse than Eastbridge, but it's got "local" and "co-op" concepts so its sins are largely forgiven.
It's also in a poor section of Aurora so when the parking spills over onto the neighborhoods streets, no one will care about the complaints.
Still not sure how the Stanley Marketplace is going to be walkable. It's entirely disconnected from the streetgrid, is surrounded by open space on two sides and has a huge amount of parking. From a connectivity standpoint, it's worse than Eastbridge, but it's got "local" and "co-op" concepts so its sins are largely forgiven.
It's also in a poor section of Aurora so when the parking spills over onto the neighborhoods streets, no one will care about the complaints.
So which is it - so much parking that it's not walkable or not enough parking so it's going to overflow and take over the surrounding neighborhood?
I expect that the developers will create plans consistent with their stated intent to integrate the Marketplace into the the neighboring community and I anticipate that provisions will be make to enhance the walkability with footpaths, bike paths, and other amenities that will make the site readily accessible from all sides.
And I guess ultimately walkability depends on your starting point. Stapleton is a very large area so of course not every area is walkable to every location. For many areas, the Marketplace will be a pleasant walk, although admittedly I am more likely to drive if I am planning to stock up at the Coop.
Still not sure how the Stanley Marketplace is going to be walkable. It's entirely disconnected from the streetgrid, is surrounded by open space on two sides and has a huge amount of parking. From a connectivity standpoint, it's worse than Eastbridge, but it's got "local" and "co-op" concepts so its sins are largely forgiven.
It's also in a poor section of Aurora so when the parking spills over onto the neighborhoods streets, no one will care about the complaints.
The City of Aurora is going to extend Westerly Creek Park down to Montview Blvd, with walking/biking trails connecting to 26th, across Westerly Creek to Beeler, and down to Montview. Forest City has submitted plans to Aurora for the completion of the 26th Ave park, which will have trails south of 26th from Fulton to the WCV neighborhood. Here's a look at an older design:
There is also one more street connection being developed the will connect Emporia in Stapleton with Dayton in Aurora.
Parking isn't a bad thing in the retail world - most retailers will demand a significant amount of parking to ensure customers can to get to the store. The design of the Stanley lot keeps parking mostly centered on the south side of the building, which keeps vehicle traffic separate from the directions where the majority of foot will arrive, from the north and the west. At some point, the southern most portion of the lot will be redeveloped into more retail.
While the neighborhood may seem "poor" now, there is significant developer interest in the area. The tow yard to the south is moving out around the end of this year and will be developed into condos. The auto shops to the east have plans to develop mixed use buildings with retail below and condos above.
From a personal perspective, my neighbors and I have already been biking to events being held at the Stanley site. I've also walked, but that is a bit trickier due to the lack of street connections and the demilitarized zone. Ultimately, it is something this part of the community is excited about and will bring about huge changes to this area. Most importantly, it doesn't involve Forest City, which means we can avoid hopeful statements about what we think Forest City should do...because we know what they are going to do...build 7-11's, car washes, and storage facilities.
Retail does follow rooftops. Forest City has also been very conservative with the types of businesses that it will work with. There have been many offers to develop the land in Eastbridge, but FC continued to hold out so that a King Soopers would be built in that location. Forest City's approach has suppressed the development of small businesses despite the community demand.
The development north of I-70 will be interesting. The Northfield shops have quite a bit of infill available, in addition to underutilized retail spaces. Again, they see a lot of the space as traditional mall space and will only offer short term leases to smaller concepts so that they have the flexibility to bring in national brands when/if interest develops. However, a lot of the traffic at this outdoor mall comes the surrounding neighborhoods and it is those neighborhoods that are driving the a lot of the demand. The remaining additional space north of I-70 is all strip mall quality space on heavily trafficked thoroughfares (Northfield Blvd and E. 56th Ave.). There will also be more commercial property available in adjacent Commerce City for Victory Crossing. The number of rooftops that will be built north of I-70 isn't enough to draw a Whole Foods or Sprouts, so it is likely that we will see another King Soopers concept that will draw from Commerce City and Montbello. This doesn't mean that FC can't develop the space into a walkable urban concept, it just doesn't look like that is the intention.
South of I-70 has been a disappointment thus far. There is still a lot of potential as commuter rail comes through and Fitzsimons gets built out - which will increase traffic in this part of town. In addition, a lot of young professionals at Anschutz are starting to move into NW Aurora, which will be good for developing that section of Colfax into a vibrant main street. I'm also excited about plans for Westerly Creek Village, which lies adjacent to Stapleton (see - https://www.auroragov.org/cs/groups/...ent/014383.pdf). The Stanley Aviation building was recently sold to a developer that plans to create a mixed-use urban marketplace similar to the Ferry Plaza in SF (see - Abandoned Stanley aviation factory taking flight as Aurora biz hub - Aurora Sentinel). The space is going to have 3-4 restaurants, a coffee shop, yoga and fitness, brewery, offices, smaller retailers, and possibly a food co-op grocery store (see - https://www.facebook.com/NortheastCo...CoOpMarketCafe). They've already signed Kevin Taylor to operate a beer garden and restaurant concept in addition to Kindness Yoga and Endorphin Fitness. The City of Aurora sees this project as a catalyst for developing Westerly Creek Village into a vibrant urban corridor. For me, I see this as the creative retail zone for South Stapleton that Forest City doesn't have the vision to develop.
All told - we will have to wait and see what happens. The community is still young.
I don't see Colfax through Aurora turning into anything pleasant unless they start bulldozing the crack motels. I drive through there a lot and see what goes on. Tweekers, prostitutes, etc. And it's all those "motels" attracting this activity.
The City of Aurora is going to extend Westerly Creek Park down to Montview Blvd, with walking/biking trails connecting to 26th, across Westerly Creek to Beeler, and down to Montview. Forest City has submitted plans to Aurora for the completion of the 26th Ave park, which will have trails south of 26th from Fulton to the WCV neighborhood. Here's a look at an older design:
There is also one more street connection being developed the will connect Emporia in Stapleton with Dayton in Aurora.
Parking isn't a bad thing in the retail world - most retailers will demand a significant amount of parking to ensure customers can to get to the store. The design of the Stanley lot keeps parking mostly centered on the south side of the building, which keeps vehicle traffic separate from the directions where the majority of foot will arrive, from the north and the west. At some point, the southern most portion of the lot will be redeveloped into more retail.
While the neighborhood may seem "poor" now, there is significant developer interest in the area. The tow yard to the south is moving out around the end of this year and will be developed into condos. The auto shops to the east have plans to develop mixed use buildings with retail below and condos above.
From a personal perspective, my neighbors and I have already been biking to events being held at the Stanley site. I've also walked, but that is a bit trickier due to the lack of street connections and the demilitarized zone. Ultimately, it is something this part of the community is excited about and will bring about huge changes to this area. Most importantly, it doesn't involve Forest City, which means we can avoid hopeful statements about what we think Forest City should do...because we know what they are going to do...build 7-11's, car washes, and storage facilities.
I'll be able to walk to Stanley from my house, so I'm hopeful about this project. And there's a lot of potential to "clean up" that area all the way down to Montview.
I don't see Colfax through Aurora turning into anything pleasant unless they start bulldozing the crack motels. I drive through there a lot and see what goes on. Tweekers, prostitutes, etc. And it's all those "motels" attracting this activity.
Most of these motels are actually concentrated on the Denver side of Colfax and I agree - they need to go. The "downtown" portion of Aurora runs from Clinton to Havana, which has no motels.
Most of these motels are actually concentrated on the Denver side of Colfax and I agree - they need to go. The "downtown" portion of Aurora runs from Clinton to Havana, which has no motels.
The old downtown Aurora has some potential, but east or west of it looks like an episode of "COPS" most evenings I don't know how they could get rid of all those hotels though. Where would all the "troubled" people go?
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I don't know how they could get rid of all those hotels though. Where would all the "troubled" people go?
