Karla Rehring and Nicole Landeck deliver flowers to one of Poppy and Pine’s business customers, Mici.

Stanley Marketplace, in northwest Aurora, is nearing the end of the demolition stage and projecting an early 2016 opening for 35 tenants, which will include five restaurants, a brewery, and two fitness operations. “We programmed it into different neighborhoods,” explained Mark Shaker, one of the Stanley owners, at the May Stapleton Development Corporation meeting. The southeast area, by the main entrance, has a morning focus with a breakfast restaurant, an independent coffee shop and “daytime” retail along that corridor. A variety of noncompeting businesses were selected and, in keeping with the Stanley philosophy (the Stanifesto), owners are asked to find ways to collaborate and support each other. A health and beauty corridor will be located on the second floor, with nail and hair salons, waxing and massage businesses, a chiropractor and a dentist, said Shaker. In addition, there is 15,000 square feet of office space.

A daycare center in the northeast corner has its own entry and parking area in a cul-de-sac, totally separate from the bars and restaurants on the opposite side of the 100,000+-square-foot building. On the west side of the building is a 10,000-square-foot event space that will be managed by Kevin Taylor, who will also operate a German-style beer hall.

The property includes a seven-acre park to the west, across Westerly Creek. “It’s our intention to have it morph into the Westerly Creek plan so it will be easy to tie in from the north, south and west. About three or four acres will be sports fields that can be used by the community,” said Shaker. Patio space and landscaped areas on both sides of the creek will be accessible for families to picnic. Shaker says Stanley is planning to have festivals there in September and October.

Working with the Aurora Historical Society, Stanley obtained landmark status based on keeping the color scheme, restoring the signs, keeping the hangar doors and not changing the entrances.

Stanley Marketplace is in a designated urban renewal area and Aurora City Council will be voting on tax increment financing for the project.

Stapleton Dental

Dr. Carrie Dougherty understands that sitting in a dental chair is not high on the list of her clients’ favorite activities. “I try to make going to the dentist as much about visiting and catching up and watching their families grow as it is about ‘now let’s focus on your teeth.’” She says locating in a fun and pleasant atmosphere like Stanley Marketplace fits with her goal of making dentistry a pleasant experience.

Dougherty, who opened her current practice in 2007, says, “I am very interested in collaborating with other business owners in kind of unconventional ways. A lot of that is to be determined once we’re in there—but the idea behind this smart, vibrant mixed-use place incorporates a lot of different aspects of well-being.” She believes meeting with neighbors is a part of health and wellness, as is going to the gym. She’s interested in “making dentistry fit into this kind of joyful experience of being in a place where people come together.”

Dougherty is looking forward to working with her architect on the design of her new space where she can grow her full-service family dentistry business—and says her staff of five is excited about the upcoming move. Contact: 303.399.1488303.399.1488 or www.stapletondental.com.

Poppy and Pine

Four and a half years ago, Nicole Landeck started arranging and delivering flowers for friends “for fun” and to keep herself surrounded by what she loves. After learning about Stanley Marketplace (in a Front Porch article), she launched into an analysis of whether she could turn her passion into a viable business. She discovered she would need a business partner to make it all work—and joined forces with her good friend Karla Rehring. Together they are creating a full-service floral business, Poppy and Pine, that will have its unveiling in early 2016 at Stanley Marketplace.

“We’ll have somewhat of a French market feel. We’ll have small arrangements at price points from $15 to $45 where you can grab a bunch and we’ll wrap it. We will also have traditional floral, placing orders and having them delivered around metro Denver, including an e-commerce website. Seasonally we’ll do live plants. This spring we did hanging plants and patio arrangements—customized based on colors and what direction the house faces.” Landeck and Rehring will also “carefully curate” a selection of gift and home items for their store, based on feedback from people in the community who will be shopping there.

From the Hip Photo

Rather than a one-shot deal, From the Hip Photo believes in photographing events throughout their clients’ lives. The company does a wide variety of photography projects, from headshots to weddings to babies, and extends its business throughout Colorado and beyond.

Danny de Zayas and his wife, Nina Barry, started From the Hip when they had the ah-ha moment that photography is the key to both their interests. They both have art degrees and wanted to collaborate professionally for a long time.

“It was a serendipitous organic beginning. We started in the wedding realm but when clients came back for the next event in their lives we grew. We call ourselves ‘photographers for life,’” de Zayas says.

The couple, along with their three coworkers, has been operating out of their Stapleton home. Once they heard the initial murmurs about Stanley Marketplace, they jumped on the opportunity, considering they had outgrown their space years ago. They are thrilled to have secured a spot.

From the Hip has been photographing the demolition and build-out of Stanley Marketplace, and plans to do more collaboration with the fellow businesses. “We’re so excited to be apart of that community and provide assistance,” de Zayas says. They will also host photography workshops, curate film screenings and collaborate with other artists. Contact From the Hip Photo at fromthehipphoto.com or call Danny directly at 720-251-5329.