I think Stapleton's marketing is brilliant.  We are nationally renowned for our New Urbanism vision: front porches, bike paths, parks, schools you walk your kids to, sipping coffee with your neighbors at the locally-owned cafe just down the block...

 There's just one catch. It seems like the local businesses have a hard time making it work.

 Nothing represents this better than the future Eastbridge Town Center (remember when it was going to break ground in 2009 2012 201?)

 But hey, this is the community that gets schools built in 9 months! We can have a say in this. Here's why you should give a damn.



1. Since Forest City is marketing a grocery store at Peoria and MLK, does it stand to reason, there will NOT be a grocery store at the Eastbridge Town Center at Havana and MLK, barring a miracle? HALLELUJAH!! We couldn't be happier! Really, do we need two King Soopers' in Stapleton? Doesn't a big grocery that stays open late and needs a big parking lot belong on Peoria?


 2. Does that mean Forest City is open to Plan B?


 3. The new Bluff Lake neighborhood is under construction, and selling like hot cakes! We visited David Weekely's model homes (lovely!) and about half their lots are already taken. If you're buying there, we'd love to hear your comments - why are you buying there?

 4. Eastbridge is going to have a population boom - doubling in size! Right now, there are 500 households in Eastbridge. Bluff Lake will add 120 new homes in the first phase, 150 homes in the second phase. Plus 200 units in the Botanica Apartments. Plus 100 families in the Bluff Lake Apartments. That is 570 new households coming to Eastbridge.

 5. If the average household is 4 people, that's 4,000 people living in Eastbridge. People who would love nothing more than to walk to your cafe or yoga studio or pub or dry cleaner or cute gift shop or consignment store or deli or wine shop or sushi bar and spend our money there.


6. Did I mention Stapleton residents WANT to support locally owned businesses?


7. We want a town center with family-oriented businesses that we can walk to. Lots of us came from the Highlands, where we loved the 32nd and Lowell shops. Or Wash Park's South Gaylord block. Or Park Hill's little retail strips mixed in to the neighborhood - 23rd and Oneida, 26th and Cherry... We LOVE those neighborhood, locally owned shops.


8. And just to be clear, we don't want a 7-11 or gas station (we have one just down Havana, thanks), we don't want a Jiffy-Lube or whatever interpretation of "automotive retail" you can come up with, and we already have The Shiny Happy Car Wash. Our cars have an abundance of businesses to support.

9. Now, before I get all opinionated and sassy... I realize I don't have all the facts. There's lots of questions that only Forest City can answer. Are they planning to sell or lease the land at Havana and MLK? Could the Town Center move forward without a grocery anchor? If not, will they let the land continue to sit empty? Or would they fill it up with more housing? (Please, no!) How choosy will they be about what type of business goes in there?

10. Get involved. A community group has formed, and they want your voice. Go join the Eastbridge Town Center at Bluff Lake Retail Development group on Facebook. Get to the meeting with Forest City and join the conversation.