A developer planned a beer garden at a vacant aviation plant; the idea grew into a $25 million, 22-acre marketplace with 140,000 square feet of space

A developer planned a beer garden at a vacant aviation plant, but the project changed after the team saw the scale and history of the former Stanley Aviation site. Mark Shaker and Flightline Ventures had first considered a neighborhood beer garden that could serve families and local residents. The vacant aviation building offered a different opportunity. The former plant had once manufactured military ejection seats and had remained unused after its closure. The development eventually became Stanley Marketplace, a 22-acre project on the border of Aurora and Denver, Colorado. The site now contains 140,000 square feet of space and more than 50 independent Colorado businesses.

How a beer garden idea became a large redevelopment project?

The original plan was much smaller than the project that was eventually built. Mark Shaker and Flightline Ventures had considered creating a family-friendly neighborhood beer garden.


The plan changed after the developers discovered the former Stanley Aviation plant. The size of the building and the history of the site created an opportunity to develop more than a single food and drink destination. The former aviation plant had been used to manufacture military ejection seats beginning in 1954. After the facility closed, the building sat vacant for years.

Rather than using the property only for a beer garden, the developers moved toward an adaptive-reuse project. The existing aviation facility became the foundation for a community marketplace. The project eventually developed into Stanley Marketplace, which is located on a 22-acre site on the border of Aurora and Denver.

From an abandoned aviation plant to Stanley Marketplace

The former Stanley Aviation building played a central role in the development. Its previous use connected the property to the area's aviation and manufacturing history. The building was not originally designed as a marketplace. Its conversion required the developers to rethink how the large facility could be used by businesses and visitors.

The final project kept the large-scale character of the former industrial site while creating space for different types of businesses. Stanley Marketplace now covers about 140,000 square feet. It operates as a community hub rather than as a single-purpose development. The project is an example of adaptive reuse, where an existing structure is given a new purpose instead of being used for the same function for which it was originally built.

What is inside the 22-acre marketplace?

Stanley Marketplace was developed as a collective of independent businesses. More than 50 Colorado vendors operate across the site. The businesses cover several categories, allowing visitors to use the marketplace for food, shopping, recreation and work.

The marketplace includes:

• Restaurants and food businesses
• Retail boutiques
• A brewery
• A gymnastics studio
• Collaborative workspaces
• Other locally owned businesses

This mix changed the role of the property. The site was no longer planned around one attraction. Instead, different businesses became part of one larger destination. The presence of restaurants and retail stores gives visitors reasons to spend time at the property. Recreation and workspaces add other uses to the same site. The project also gives independent Colorado businesses a shared location where they can operate alongside other local companies.

The scale of the Stanley Marketplace project

The development eventually reached a reported value of $25 million. It covers 22 acres and includes 140,000 square feet of space. These figures show how far the development moved from the initial neighborhood beer garden concept. The original proposal focused on one type of destination. The final project used the former aviation plant and surrounding property for a wider community-focused development.

The size of the site also allowed the project to accommodate businesses with different purposes. Restaurants could operate alongside retail stores, recreation facilities and workspaces. This model created a marketplace where multiple independent businesses share a larger destination rather than operating as separate locations.

Why the aviation history matters?

The former Stanley Aviation plant is an important part of the story because the property was not an empty site created specifically for retail. The building had an industrial past. It was used to manufacture military ejection seats from 1954. After the aviation operation ended, the facility remained vacant. The redevelopment gave the site another purpose while retaining its connection to its previous use.

Adaptive reuse can allow older industrial properties to become commercial and community spaces. In this case, the former aviation plant became the structure around which Stanley Marketplace was developed. The transformation also changed how the property could be used by people in the surrounding area.

A community hub rather than a single business

The final development is built around the idea of bringing different businesses and activities together. A beer garden could have served as a food and social destination. Stanley Marketplace expanded that concept by creating a location with multiple businesses and services. Visitors can find food, retail, recreation and workspaces at the same development.

The project's independent-business model is also central to its identity. More than 50 Colorado vendors operate within the marketplace. This means the property functions as a shared destination for local businesses rather than a development dominated by one company or one type of business.

From a vacant building to a new use

The story of Stanley Marketplace shows how a development concept can change after a property presents a different opportunity. Mark Shaker and Flightline Ventures began with the idea of a neighborhood beer garden. The discovery of the former Stanley Aviation plant led to a larger plan. The final development combined the existing aviation facility with new commercial uses. The result was a $25 million marketplace covering 22 acres.

The 140,000-square-foot facility now contains more than 50 independent Colorado businesses. Restaurants, retail boutiques, a brewery, a gymnastics studio and collaborative workspaces operate within the development. The project therefore moved from a single-purpose idea to a community hub with several functions.

Stanley Marketplace

• Location: Border of Aurora and Denver, Colorado
• Site size: 22 acres
• Building space: 140,000 square feet
• Development value: $25 million
• Original idea: A neighborhood beer garden
• Founder associated with the project: Mark Shaker
• Development group: Flightline Ventures
• Previous site: Stanley Aviation plant
• Previous manufacturing use: Military ejection seats
• Manufacturing began: 1954
• Current businesses: More than 50 independent Colorado vendors
• Business types: Restaurants, retail, brewery, gymnastics and collaborative workspaces

What makes the project different?

The main change was in the scale and purpose of the development. The first idea centered on a beer garden. The final project used a vacant aviation facility to create a marketplace with several types of businesses. The property also shows how an industrial building can be used for a different purpose after its original operation ends.

For Stanley Marketplace, the former aviation plant became the setting for a collection of independent businesses. The 22-acre property and 140,000-square-foot facility provided the space needed for that broader concept. The result is a community hub that connects the site's industrial history with restaurants, shopping, recreation and workspaces.