Stapleton is a neighborhood in Denver and Aurora, Colorado. Located 15 minutes Northeast of downtown Denver, the development is on the site of the decommissioned Stapleton International Airport, which closed in 1995. Now referred to as the Stapleton Community, Stapleton contains nine neighborhoods, nine schools public/private, 50 parks, several shopping and business districts, even its own visitor center. Planned to be operational by the year 2016. Stapleton is connected to the rest of the Denver metro area by a recently opened commuter rail line.
History
While Denver International Airport was being constructed, planners began to consider how the Stapleton site would be redeveloped. A private group of Denver civic leaders, the Stapleton Development Foundation, 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. Nearly a third of the airport site was slated for redevelopment as public park space.
The former airport 4,700 acres (19Â km2) site 10 minutes from Downtown Denver is now being redeveloped by Forest City Enterprises new urbanist project. Construction began in 2001, and as of 2008, 3,200 single-family houses, row houses, condominiums and other for-sale housing, as well as 400 apartments, had been built. The new community is zoned for residential and commercial development, including office parks and "big box" shopping centers. Stapleton is by far the largest neighborhood in the city of Denver and a southern portion of the redevelopment site lies in the neighboring city of Aurora.
In 2004, residents moved into Stapleton’s first apartments, pushing Stapleton's population to 2,500 residents. In 2006, Stapleton’s population grew above 5,000 and the Denver School of Science and Technology opened along with The Shops at Northfield Stapleton. In 2007, the 80-acre Central Park opened along with three new office buildings. Additionally, Stapleton’s population surpassed 7,500 people.
Three years later, more than 14,000 people called Stapleton home and the trail network reached 38 miles. In 2011, Stapleton received national recognition as the site of the 2011 HGTV Green Home. Additionally, a new interstate interchange opened, connecting Central Park Boulevard to I-70, I-270 and neighborhoods south of the interstate. Now, Stapleton is celebrating 10 years of residential growth.
The community is expected to be home to some 30,000 residents in 12,000 homes, 10-plus schools, an 80 acres (320,000 m2) Central Park, a commuter-rail station, 10,000,000 sq ft (930,000 m2). of planned office space, 1,500,000 sq ft (140,000 m2). of retail space, and 1,100 acres (4.5 km2) for parks and open space. Stapleton's 1,100 acres (4.5 km2) of open space also borders the restored Sand Creek Regional Greenway and Bluff Lake Nature Center, one of the nation's largest urban wildlife refuges.
Name controversy
Stapleton International Airport was named for Democrat Benjamin F. Stapleton (Denver Mayor 1935-1947) who was a member of the Ku Klux Klan. In 2015, Denver's Black Lives Matter group initiated a movement to change the name of the neighborhood.
Transportation
Stapleton is served by the Central Park commuter rail and bus station, with direct connections to Union Station in downtown and the Denver International Airport via the A Line.
References
External links
- Forest City Stapleton website - Forest City Enterprises is the master developer for the redevelopment project.
- Bluff Lake Nature Center is an urban wildlife refuge, outdoor classroom and urban natural area located on the former Stapleton Airport property.
- Stapleton neighborhood advocacy group
- Stapleton retail center
