The $14-million project next to the Stanley Marketplace will move the creek west, improve stormwater management, enhance water quality, and increase recreation opportunities.

The Westerly Creek reconstruction process has started in the field just west of Stanley Marketplace. In January, large trucks hauled dirt on and off the site and pedestrian and cycling detours were set up to keep people out of the construction area. “We’re all excited to finally get this project underway,” says Nicole Ankeney with Aurora Parks, Recreation, and Open Space.

The $14-million project will move Westerly Creek to the other side of the field and is designed to improve stormwater management, enhance water quality, and increase opportunities for recreation. Completion of the project is planned for mid 2026. It was funded by the City of Aurora, the Mile High Flood District, Adams County open space sales tax, and Stanley Marketplace.

According to Ankeney and Colin Haggerty, watershed manager for the Mile High Flood District, the large piles of dirt that have been put next to the existing creek consist of topsoil that has been retrieved from the site and supplemented from additional sources. Once the site has been fully re-graded, the topsoil will be used to grow native grasses and other vegetation.

After years of planning, crews have begun grading the field west of Stanley Marketplace in order to design a more natural-looking creek that will improve flood management and create more opportunities for outdoor entertainment.

So far, the work crews have only discovered discarded metal and concrete construction materials at the site, but an inspector is working with the construction contractor to make sure no significant cultural or historic items are uncovered.

Over the next few months, the most notable change at the site will be the relocation of the Village Farm from the south side of the field to the north side. The plan is to have the new farm site completed before planting season in the spring. Concrete Express, the construction contractor, will be installing signs at the site with QR codes linking to a website so that neighbors can stay updated on the progress.

One question that some Stanley patrons have raised is whether the construction will include additional parking for customers. “The Stanley Marketplace is working on some parking plans that are kind of related to this project but aren’t currently part of this project,” says Ankeney.

Jonathan Power, director of retail at Stanley Marketplace, didn’t address the construction process directly but said “we’re actively looking at several alternatives and options to address our parking challenges.” The marketplace was criticized after launching a paid parking program designed to charge patrons who stayed longer than three hours. Power says free parking offered during the holidays will remain “until we land on a long-term solution that meets the needs of our guests.”

For more information about this project and to see renderings of the finished project, go to A Major Facelift for Westerly Creek

Front Porch photos by Christie Gosch