Stanley Aviation
Aurora
Adams County
I got to build my own vision and dream and make it exactly the way I want it. All of us have been waiting for this for such a long time, and it makes it so much more special to be at this point now. This is a dream come true.
US Navy test pilot Robert Stanley opened a sprawling factory—covering nearly five acres—in 1954 to design, test, and manufacture ejection seats for the military. Located right next to the bustling Stapleton Airport, the colorful Stanley Aviation sign was a familiar sight to Denver passengers in the 1960s and 70s. Stanley continued to manufacture high-tech aerospace parts at the plant until 2007, when the factory closed for good.
The building’s location between the growing neighborhoods of Stapleton and downtown Aurora—along with $2 million in State Historic Preservation Tax Credits—led to the renovation of the building as the Stanley Marketplace. This $25 million project is expected to bring more than 200 full-time jobs to Aurora and to spur new economic development in Aurora’s historic downtown core. The factory’s wide-open spaces house dozens of small, independently owned shops and businesses, and wedding parties can gather under the steel gantry once used to stress-test jet engines and rockets.
2501 Dallas Street, Aurora
Built in 1954
Project costs: $25,698,448
State Tax Credit: $2 million
Opening date: 2017