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.
Stanley Aviation Marketplace.
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.
Workers at the Stanley Aviation complex.
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