Getting To Know Stapleton In Denver, Colorado

Stapleton is a neighborhood in Denver, Colorado that sits in the former site of the Stapleton International Airport. The airport was decommissioned and replaced by the Denver International Airport in 1995. The area is now being redeveloped as a neighborhood by Forest City Enterprises. It is slated as the largest new urban project in the United States. The Stapleton site is a mixed use development zoned for both residential and commercial purposes. Stapleton is conveniently located within the City of Denver and is only a 10 minute drive to downtown Denver.

Stapleton International Airport was Denver's primary airport from 1929 to 1995. The Stapleton International Airport served as a hub for TWA, People Express, Frontier Airlines, Western Airlines, Continental Airlines and United Airlines.

When plans for Denver International Airport to replace Stapleton International Airport began in 1989, planners began to decide how the Stapleton International Airport site would be redeveloped. The Stapleton Development Foundation, a private group composed of Denver civic leaders, convened in 1990 and produced a master plan for the site in 1995, emphasizing a pedestrian-oriented design rather than the automobile-oriented designs found in many other planned developments. The Stapleton area is slated to become grounds for the "green plan," a world-recognized outline for a sustainable community. Nearly a third of the airport site was slated for redevelopment as public park space.

Over a thousand homes have been built on the former Stapleton International Airport site after construction began in 2001. The Stapleton site also includes office parks and 'big box" shopping centers.

When completed, Stapleton is expected to be the largest neighborhood in the city of Denver. An eastern portion of the redevelopment site overlaps into the neighboring city of Aurora. Eventually, Stapleton is expected to be home to at least 30,000 residents, 4 schools and 2 million square feet or 180,000 square meters of retail space.

One of the Stapleton's major retail centers, The Shops at Northfield Stapleton, recently opened. It is an open air shopping district featuring specialty shops and restaurants including Macy's, Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World, and Harkins Theatres 18. Located in north Stapleton and minutes from downtown Denver, The Shops At Northfield Stapleton is a pedestrian-friendly gathering place for shopping, dining and entertainment.

Although still largely under construction, the Stapleton neighborhood has taken the recognizable shape of an idyllic, suburban neighborhood. At the East 29th Avenue Town Center, Quebec Square and Northfield at Stapleton shopping centers, Chipotles, Starbucks, Home Depots, SuperTargets abound. Visitors to the Stapleton area have a plethora of hotels and restaurants to choose from, including The Timbers Boutique Hotel and Peoria Bar & Grill (in nearby Peoria), Coral Room (Stapleton's hip dining bistro), Best Inn & Suites and Comfort Inn & Suites.

Developers have set aside nearly 30 percent of Stapleton's 4,700 acres to parks, recreation facilities an open space, the nucleus of which will be "Central Park." Bike paths and running trails will soon follow, as will Stapleton's rise to be one of Denver's cleanest and greenest neighborhoods.