With the opening of the Stanley Marketplace a few months ago, and the completion of the Gaylord Rockies Resort slated for late 2018, can Aurora keep building a more positive image?
If you haven't been to the new Stanley Marketplace since it opened, you really should make a point of stopping by. Its warehouse feel is both cold and surprisingly friendly -- a quirky environment probably best described as "industrial chic." For all intents and purposes, Aurora's new marketplace is a "food hall" -- the latest trend in food concepts -- but it certainly has its own special charm.
Add to that the R Line (the newly-opened light rail line that cuts a convenient path right through Aurora), the new Hyatt Regency Aurora-Denver Conference Center, and the coming 485,000-square-foot Gaylord Rockies Resort and Convention Center, and the thought of Aurora as an eventual travel destination could be somewhat plausible.
[caption id="attachment_16653" align="aligncenter" width="650"] The Stanley Marketplace (Image courtesy of The Know/The Denver Post)[/caption]Visit Aurora's new executive director Bruce Dalton is trying to turn that thought into a reality. One of the biggest challenges he faces is not ignoring the many great things the entire Denver metro area has to offer and working with those things instead of against them.
Over the past several decades, the city has had to overcome a largely negative image. In addition, though it is the third largest city in Colorado population-wise, it has struggled to forge its own identity, living largely in the shadow of booming, bustling Denver.A visitor doesn’t know the boundaries between Centennial and Aurora, or where Stapleton is and Aurora isn’t,” Dalton told the Aurora Sentinel. “We are going to have to cross some of those boundaries and understand how we can sell Aurora as a destination, but utilize some of those attractions. ...We want them to stay and spend money in Aurora at our hotels and eat and drink, then go to those places, and come back.”
As a gateway to the Rockies, Gaylord Rockies will offer memorable experiences to its guests with first-class restaurants, a luxurious spa and salon, diverse shops, winding waterways, and picture perfect sunset views," their web site states. "Rustic alpine charm and exciting 'open-air' activity make this Rocky Mountain Front Range retreat an adventure in itself."In addition, the nearing completion of the Veteran Affairs Medical Center, not to mention the development of the entire University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, will continue to feed the positive image that the city is trying to attain. Could it truly become a destination spot? Only time will tell. What do you think? Does Aurora have potential as a travel destination? We'd love to hear your opinion!