The Stanley Marketplace is moving along nicely and is one of the bright spots for Stapleton-area development in 2014. “This is such an exciting project,” said resident Robin Hodges. “From what I have heard, there is going to be many great options regarding stores, food, recreation, etc. Just going to be really neat.” When the development team first thought of the idea, they thought big. “We thought we could get some restaurants, a small market, and even a beer garden into the area,” said lead consultant Sean Asbee. “But, when we toured the facility, we realized we had to think bigger.”
Asbee and his team realized the area was bigger than they had imagined. “I mean, we felt like the lollipop kids touring the Jolly Green Giant’s mansion,” said Asbee. “The space was big, the doors were big, the acreage was big. It was pretty overwhelming. I originally turned to Kerry and said, ‘this is no moon, it’s a space station.’” Asbee said the team realized they had to think bigger. “The space is twice as big as Dollywood,” said team member Kerry Seery. “We could no longer limit our thoughts to a few restaurants and a market.”
The team went back to the drawing board and thought about what else could be included. “One thing we are definitely going to have is a giant Ferris wheel,” said Asbee. “We can position it to get fantastic views of Stapleton, and even the mountains. It draws attention to the area, so it will increase traffic, and it may even become a Denver family destination, much like boardwalks.” Seery said they wouldn’t stop there. “There is plenty of room for things like a go cart track, a small water slide, and even a putt-putt course. We just want to make sure we are using the space effectively.”
Regardless of the new plans for the area, the team hopes they can still open up in the next 15 months. “We think we will be able to move things along quickly, said Asbee. “The only potential hiccup is if somehow Forest City tries to get involved, but we are doing everything possible to make sure that doesn’t happen.”
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