AURORA, Colo. -- The once-abandoned Stanley Aviation factory on Dallas Street in Aurora is full of noise once again.
Sitting just footsteps from the runway at the old Stapleton airport, the former plant is in the midst of a renaissance.
Soon it will house more than 50 new businesses set to provide approximately 500 jobs.
“No franchises or chains, no offense to them. But it’s just a kind of organic development of like-minded folks,” said developer Mark Shaker.
What you will see is an ice cream shop, a brew pub, a dentist office and a daycare center. A karate studio and a salon is also part of the mix.
“They need a place where everyone is of the same ilk and that’s what’s gravitated them toward this project,” said Shaker.
The goal is to draw to people from the Denver suburbs, describing the new marketplace as a destination. He hopes the success here in the hangar will benefit the entire neighborhood
“Of the 54 businesses, every one of them is a first-time city of Aurora business. So you’re having a whole new swath of businesses coming out east,” he said.
The red lines on the floor and the upper-level offices remain – part of the effort the keep the charm from the past alive.
The factory was once one of the area’s biggest employers. Now a new generation is hoping to continue the tradition.
Some businesses will open in December, with more following into 2017.
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