Beyond the Storefront: A Journey Through Aurora's Business Past
July 11 Nov. 5, 2023
For over 130 years, business helped drive Aurora’s growth from a small Denver suburb to the third largest city in the state of Colorado. Wide-ranging development such as storefronts, shopping malls, and the aerospace industry have established Aurora’s status as a commercial hub in the metro area.
In the 1890s, Aurora’s business district consisted of a few shops near the Colfax Avenue trolley line. As cars replaced the trolley, business owners gained the flexibility to open stores in other areas of the city. By the 1950s, developers began planning large-scale neighborhoods with nearby commercial centers in mind. As Aurora expanded south and east, its businesses shifted to areas like Hoffman Heights, the Aurora Mall, Havana Street and the Southlands Shopping Center.
Take a journey through Aurora’s business past and learn more about our city’s economy and history.
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The Big Top convenience store opened in 1959 with its eye-catching circus tent style arhchitecture.
Southlands
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Southlands Mall opened in 2005 and is the largest non-enclosed Mall in the United States.
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Aurora Oil Company with its iconic Phillips 66 neon sign.
E COLFAX AVE
In the 1940s, Aurora municipal judge Lt. Col. Homer Preston requested building materials from the federal government to construct a new movie theater. He received a surplus, prefabricated Quonset hut, which became the main auditorium of the Aurora Fox Theater. When it opened in October 1946, the Aurora Fox Theater wa dubbed the "Theater of Tomorrow" by local newspapers, featuring a distinctive Art Moderne entrance block, marquee, and neon sign. It quickly became a popular destination for movie-goers in Aurora, as it was the only indoor theater until the arrival of multi-screen cinemas at Buckingham Square and Aurora Malls in the 1970s. However, by the late 1970s, the Fox struggled to compete and was managed as a dollar theater.
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Originally developed during WWII, Quonset huts consisted of a corrugated steel skin fitted over metal arches. After the war, surplus huts were adapted for a variety of civilian residential and commercial purposes.
In 1981, a fire devastated the theater, destroying the movie screen and causing significant smoke damage throughout the building. The following year, the city of Aurora purchased the Fox and restoration began. After a complete renovation of the historic theater, it reopened on March 8, 1985 as the Aurora Fox Arts Center, and has since served as a cultural and performing arts hub for almost 40 years in the Aurora community. It currently has a 225-seat main theater, visual arts gallery, 50-seat black box theater and numerous backstage work areas. The Fox was landmarked by the city of Aurora in 1987 as a local historic site.
The main auditorium in the Fox was built from a military surplus Quonset hut.
The Fox neon sign is an instantly recognizable feature of Aurora’s East Colfax Avenue. The sign is slated to be restored in the coming year.
950 S ABILENE ST
A refugee family from Thailand started the original Tasty Thai restaurant near Capitol Hill on Colfax Avenue in Denver. The family-owned restaurant chain expanded with the opening of a second location near Aurora's Town Center Mall, named Bua Tasty Thai. Bua Tasty Thai takes pride in cooking up delicious dishes using authentic family recipes passed down for generations and are "Grandma-approved" according to its website. The restaurant’s interior and dinnerware come directly from Thailand, adding to the authentic experience. The restaurant strives to showcase robust and bold flavors that transport tastebuds on a culinary journey to Thailand.
Bua Tasty Thai Photo
Bua Tasty Thai Photo
A look at Bua Tasty Thai’s bar featuring authentic decor from Thailand.
Much of the serving and dinnerware also comes directly from Thailand.
E MISSISSIPPI AVE & S HAVANNA ST
In 1965, The Denver Business Journal announced that the Joslins Department store chain planned to build a two-million-dollar store, which would include other retail, offices, and restaurants. The shopping center was to be built on a fifteen-acre site at Mississippi and Havana streets in Aurora. In August 1971, the planned project came to fruition when Buckingham Square Mall opened. The Rocky Mountain News warned that Buckingham may eventually displace Aurora’s East Colfax Avenue shopping district and become Aurora's new downtown. The mall opened to renowned acclaim. It featured a modern interior design, a climate control system and boasted a 99% retail occupancy when it opened. One of the mall’s most popular components was the American Multi-Cinema, Inc. (AMC) multi-screen movie complex, which offered patrons options between different genres played on different screens throughout the theater.
Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, the mall was a community hub. It hosted special events, was a place where the youth gathered and socialized and thrived as a family-friendly community destination. In the 1990s, the mall started to lose anchor retailers and struggled to compete with its primary competitor, the Aurora Mall on East Alameda Avenue and Exposition Avenue, which opened in 1975. The decline of Buckingham was slow and gradual until it finally folded in 2007.
Two palace guards, fondly referred to as Buck and Ham, served as mascots for the mall. Buck and Ham are now on display in the Growing Home exhibit at the Aurora History Museum.
An aerial view of the mall with a packed parking lot in the late 1970s.
10547
E COLFAX AVE
Bob and Reggie Poetzl acquired the 10-unit Cactus Motel in 1948 for $60,000 and expanded it to 26 units by 1953. Initially, motel rooms rented for $4 and $5 per night. In 1951, they installed a large neon saguaro cactus sign to attract visitors to the motel and Cactus Beauty Salon. The Poetzls personally designed the iconic neon sign, which was installed by the Gordon Sign Company. The neon cactus cost the Poetzls around $1,500, and it was quickly established as a fixture of Aurora’s East Colfax Avenue. The building was red brick and boasted green trim, with a rounded decorative overhang above the office area comprised of seven beams extending beyond the roof line. In 1971, the Poetzls sold the motel, and in July of 1995, the Cactus Motel sign was removed to make way for a Walgreens. Shorty Hanger, who had erected the neon sign over 40 years prior, was the one responsible for taking the sign down.
The neon cactus sign was saved by the Aurora History Museum and has not been on public display since its removal from Colfax in 1995.
2501 DALLAS ST #
Dr. Javier Perez and his wife, Jennifer Perez, opened Cheluna Brewing Company in December 2016 in Aurora’s Stanley Marketplace. Before starting their brewery, the couple worked as public servants: Javier as a Jesuit volunteer, public school teacher and Veteran’s Administration emergency physician (where he still works full time) and Jennifer as a Peace Corps volunteer, public school teacher and counselor. Javier has been an enthusiastic home brewer since the late 1980s. Their Oaxaca, Mexico-inspired brewery operates on a 10-barrel brewhouse and specializes in a variety of international styles. In 2017, 5280 magazine named Cheluna Brewing Company as the state’s “Best New Brewery.” Cheluna has cemented themselves as a social gathering place at Stanley Marketplace. They feature local musicians, host running groups and home brewer groups, and offer Oaxacan-inspired snacks and beers.
A look at Cheluna’s taproom in 2022 featuring their new mural.
15120
E HAMPDEN AVE
Dry Dock Brewing Company, which opened its doors in Aurora in 2005, was the first craft brewery in town. Founded by Kevin DeLange and Michelle Reding, Dry Dock opened next to The Brew Hut, a homebrew supply shop they also owned. Since then, it has grown to become Aurora's largest brewery, producing and distributing over 24,000 barrels of beer annually. In 2012, Dry Dock expanded further with the opening of its North Dock location, which serves as both a primary production site and auxiliary taproom. The company's distribution network is limited to Colorado, and it employs over 60 individuals. Dry Dock beer owes much of its success to its commitment to quality production, along with a philosophy of being “Aurora's brewery.” Most notably, the brewery's flagship beer, Apricot Blonde, has become incredibly popular, and is responsible for a significant percentage of annual sales.
A look at Dry Dock’s South Dock location on the corner of East Hampden Avenue and South Chambers Road.
E COLFAX AVE
Col. Arthur Hart recognized the need for housing near Fitzsimons and built a cottage camp in 1926, at the corner of Peoria Street and East Colfax Avenue. He later added a windmill in 1927 to advertise the business. The windmill was flanked by a group of 13 cottages which were rented out to tourists and workers at the Fitzsimons Army Hospital. The structure exemplified roadside architecture of the motor-travel age of the 1920s and 1930s. For more than 80 years, the stoic Dutch Mill stood vigil in front of an East Colfax Avenue trailer park that shared its name. Throughout its history, the windmill was used as a tobacco shop, flower shop, barbershop, grocery store, jewelry store, and beauty salon.
In 2006, the Dutch Mill Trailer Park closed, and in 2010, the historic windmill was demolished as development progressed on the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. Before the blue-and-white windmill was dismantled, many local advocates fought to save the landmark. Ideas included moving it to Bicentennial Park as an attraction for kids, turning it into a concession stand at a sports park, or finding another place to display it.
In this Library of Congress photo, the Dutch Mill was operating as a jewelry store.
An advertisement for Dutch Mill Cottages and Trailer Park.
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E COLFAX AVE
The Denver Drive-In Theatre Corp, along with other investors, built Colorado’s first drive-in theater on East Colfax Avenue across from the Fitzsimons Army Hospital. The drive-in opened on July 4, 1947, premiering with Groucho Marx in A Night in Casablanca and Gale Storm in Sunbonnet Sue at a cost of 60 cents for adults and free admission for children. In 1951, a Ferris wheel was constructed at the site. The drive-in was modernized in 1965 with a larger screen, an upgraded sound system, new concessions stands and a top-of-the-line 70mm projector. It was renamed East 70 Drive-In after the new projector. At its height, the theater had an 850-car capacity and was a popular attraction in Aurora. The drive-in was torn down sometime during the mid-1990s. The Springhill Suites Hotel now occupies part of the site, across from the Children's Hospital Colorado in Aurora.
Do you remember seeing a movie at the East 70?
This night photo of the New East 70 Drive-In Theater neon sign was taken in 1980 by a member of the Aurora Central High School class of 1970 reunion.
E COLFAX AVE
The Friend Furniture site has been home to many different businesses since the original building was constructed in 1917. No records have been located that tell what function the building was originally built to serve. By the mid-1920s it housed the Vorbeck Motor Company‒which later became the first Ford dealer in Aurora. The volunteer fire department stored their hose cart there until roughly 1930, when a dedicated fire house was built. In 1938, the Friend family purchased the building to house their growing furniture store. Around the same time, the Friends bought Stucker’s Furniture shop on the south side of Colfax and the following year bought the building on the north side of Colfax and relocated the business. According to the owner, the Colfax façade was changed in 1951 and again in 1968 when the south-eastern portion of the original building was demolished and replaced by a large addition that makes up the current structure. The first city library was in a house behind the original Friend Furniture and was torn down to provide parking for the business. Friend Furniture Company operated until 1986, when they closed the store, though they continued to own the property. Since that time a dress shop, general store, gift store, and indoor flea market have been rental tenants. Today, the blue "Friend" sign is currently displayed on the exterior of Friend's office around the corner on Dallas Street, which now is home to St. Andrew's Hospitality, an organization that feeds the homeless.
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George Friend in front of the store his mother started in the 1930s.
A photo of the Friend Furniture building in 1947.
PEORIA ST & E COLFAX AVE
Before the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, and before the Fitzsimons Army Hospital, the site at Peoria Street (formerly known as East End Boulevard) and East Colfax Avenue was the home to A. H. Gutheil’s Nursery. The business operated from 1901 until 1918. In a 1915 advertisement, Gutheil Nurseries described their grounds as “situated on the open plains, an ideal location for producing the best and hardiest nursery stock possible.” Irrigation was required to make the plantings flourish on the dry plains, and the nursery acquired water from the High Line Canal and the Antero Reservoir. The West Branch of the High Line Canal crossed Colfax Avenue within two blocks of the nursery. The nursery gardens and associated park were regarded as an attraction by locals and drew many visitors from Denver. The development's pamphlet stated that “the Gutheil Park Nurseries are said to comprise the most beautiful grounds near Denver. We are continually adding new drives, lawns, and other attractive features of landscape gardening.”
was
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in Altenburg, Germany. He came to the United States in 1880, lived in Maryland, Ohio, and Illinois, homesteaded in Nebraska, and managed a stock ranch in Wyoming before settling in Denver in 1886. Two years later, he purchased the land that became his nursery. In addition to his entrepreneurial ventures, Gutheil served as an Adams County judge from 1905 to 1909. He died in 1955.
In 1917, Colorado’s congressional and commercial delegations successfully campaigned the military to construct a hospital in the state. The new hospital, later named Fitzsimons Army Hospital, was built on the 595-acre Gutheil Tree Nursery after the Denver Chamber of Commerce purchased the land and leased it to the U.S. Army for $1 per year. A. H. Gutheil's home, with alterations, became the base commander's residence.
A. H. Gutheil
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1864,
Large brick and wrought-iron entry gates stood at the southwest corner of the property and was a recognizable feature of early Aurora along Colfax.
E COLFAX AVE
The Hollywood Theater was Aurora’s first theater when it opened in October 1924. The 300-seat Hollywood had a short life in Aurora. It struggled acquiring first run movies, commonly having to wait up to four months to show a new film. The larger establishments in Denver premiered new movies and the suburban theaters could not compete. The Hollywood operated from 1924 until 1928. In August 1928, the Hollywood and its equipment were sold to E. K. Menagh, of Fort Lupton. Menagh reopened the establishment as the Parrot Theater. At the time, Aurora’s population was less than 3,000 and the ambitious company struggled to fill its seats. The Parrot eventually closed in 1932. Following its closure, the city of Aurora went without a public theater for 14 years until the Aurora Fox opened in 1946.
Today, the building still stands and recently was home to the Music City store next to Fletcher Plaza on East Colfax Avenue.
9715
E COLFAX AVE
Benjamin “Bert” Howard opened Howard's Rexall Drug Store at 9715 East Colfax Avenue in 1943. Over the years, Howard’s business sense and promotional ideas made it extremely successful. In 1950, a new, modern store featured a corner entrance and a glass front which provided a view of the prescription department. Bert ran the Howard’s Rexall Drug store until his death in 1964. The store later merged with Nome Drugs in 1967.
Howard would give Aurora children a free Coca-Cola as a reward for attending Sunday school at church. Note Bert Howard on the left looking over the children’s church programs.
Local respect for Bert Howard is evident in his Aurora Chamber of Commerce profile: “An earnest student of city affairs, a homespun philosopher, but especially a typical hometown druggist, no story of the Aurora scene would be complete without Bert and Howard’s Rexall Drug Store.”
In addition to being a pharmacist, Bert Howard was an important figure of the Aurora community. He took an interest in local politics and initiatives, even serving as mayor from 1945 to 1946. Howard was interested in city planning and promoting Aurora’s growth. He campaigned for Aurora to be a home rule city and have a city manager form of government. For his contributions to the community, he was named both “Mr. Democrat” and “Man of the Year” in 1958.
10180 E COLFAX AVE
SUITE 118
The Mango House on East Colfax Avenue is an innovative refugee resource center, housing multiple non-profits and a unique food court with a variety of international cuisine options such as Burmese, Sudanese, Syrian, and Somali dishes. Among the first restaurants to open within the Mango House was Jasmine Syrian Food, a charming, family-owned establishment serving authentic Syrian fare. Mohamad Alnouri, the owner, fled conflict-ridden Syria in 2015 and arrived in Denver in 2017 where he sought work, learned English, and pursued a food safety course at the University of Denver. When invited to take part in the Mango House project by Dr. P.J. Parmar, Alnouri seized the chance, and in 2019, Jasmine Syrian Food launched to rave reviews. The restaurant's expertly crafted dishes comprise an array of fresh, wholesome ingredients bursting with flavor. Must-try menu items include the falafel, shawarma, and baba ghanoush, along with dessert choices like baklava, kanafeh, and qatayef.
Founder of the Mango House, Dr. P.J. Parmer, was recently quoted in a 2022 Westword article, “Mohamad's food, which are all family recipes, check all the boxes. Whether you're American, Middle Eastern or not, you will love the food. I highly recommend the lentil soup and Syrian snowballs.”
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E COLFAX AVE
La Cueva Restaurant on East Colfax Avenue was founded on Christmas Eve 1974 by Norma and Nabor Nuñez. Today, the restaurant is run by their son, Alfonso. Alfonso started cooking with his father when he was just 10 years old. Alfonso grew up in Aurora, graduated from the Rocky Mountain Fire Academy and had a twenty-four-year career as an Aurora fire fighter. He received additional culinary training at Johnson & Wales University in 2004. The founders of La Cueva immigrated to the U.S. from Mexico in the 1950s. Alfonso explained, “My dad is from Guanajuato and my mom was from Coahuila. The food here at La Cueva is from Guanajuato. Guanajuato is where the revolution from the Spanish started. So, there is a lot of Spanish influence in the sauces. Like our red chili is made with a roux. The clear sauce, like the green chili, there is no flour in it. . . We make our own tortillas, which adds its own flare and taste to it. . . Some people really like it. It’s just a little different.”
Alfonso Nuñez, photographed in 2022, behind the bar at La Cueva. The restaurant carries over 100 tequilas from across Central America.
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HAVANA ST #4749
M Mart is the only Korean independently owned international grocery market in Colorado with a slew of fresh veggies, sprouts, quail eggs, bok choy, large Korean peaches, and Japanese and Korean-style noodles. Jubong Lee and his brothers opened M Mart on April 3, 1983, along Aurora’s thriving Havana Street. Aurora has a very sizable Korean population that support M Mart. The store features import items and fresh meats along with a large selection of frozen seafood and sushi. M Mart squeezes a considerable selection of Korean and Japanese essentials into a moderately-sized space.
Jae Lee
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M Mart also includes a Korean-style bakery using traditional and unique flavors.
The large selection of authentic foods brings the flavors of home to Aurora’s growing Korean community and beyond.
E COLFAX AVE
The Powerine Station at the northwest corner of East Colfax Avenue and Peoria Street served tourists along US 40 and patients and staff at Fitzsimons. The Denver Powerine Company was founded in 1913 and specialized in petroleum products including selling under other brand names such as AutOKrat and Power Lube. Records suggest the station across from Fitzsimons was operated by the Hasamaer Bros Inc. Lou Hasamaer, of Hasamaer Bros Inc., was a prominent member of the Aurora community until his death in 1943 on his 55th birthday. Lou Hasamaer played a key role in organizing a civic and commercial club in Aurora and coached and umpired local youth baseball. In addition to the fill station on Colfax, the Hasamaer Bros Inc. owned a fuel processing station 2 miles north of Aurora, which suffered a major fire in 1924. The Hasamaers purchased the Aurora Dolberg Service Station in 1933. The Powerine later became a Conoco until the site became a 7-Eleven.
The Fitzsimons Corner Powerine station as seen in the late 1930s.
Aurora Democrat advertisement, July 12, 1940.
2501
DALLAS ST
The Stanley Marketplace currently houses an innovative commercial venture that pays homage to the history of this industrial site and its founder, Robert Stanley. A groundbreaking test pilot and engineer, Stanley established the Stanley Aviation manufacturing plant in northwest Aurora in 1954, which eventually became the city’s largest employer. The Stanley Aviation plant produced ejection seats and other jet aircraft components, primarily used by the U.S. Air Force. Stanley Aviation was a leader in aerospace manufacturing throughout its history in Aurora even after Robert Stanley's death in 1977. Production gradually slowed at the plant into the early 21st century.
By the summer of 2014, residents of the Denver‒Aurora‒Stapleton neighborhood acquired the former manufacturing site with plans to redevelop it into a joint, mixed-use urban environment. Working with both private and public partners, including the Aurora Urban Renewal Authority, Flightline Ventures embarked upon a $30 million project to renovate the former Stanley Aviation manufacturing facility into a thriving marketplace. The company purchased the property during the summer of 2014, and construction began soon after. The first businesses opened in late 2016, and a grand opening was held in 2017. Stanley was landmarked by the city of Aurora in 2015 as a local historic site.
A Douglas A-1E Skyraider equipped with the Stanley YANKEE Extraction System outside of the manufacturing facility in 1967.
A look at Stanley Aviation before its modern renovations.
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E COLFAX AVE
Strait Lumber is the oldest, currently operating, family-owned business in Aurora. The Strait family moved to Colorado from South Dakota during the Great Depression. In 1934, the Strait’s established a small lumber business including a portable sawmill near Deckers, Colorado. Their primary contracts were for cutting mining shore timbers and railroad ties. Soon after, they acquired land in Aurora at 11300 East Colfax Avenue that was used to dry and store excess construction grade lumber. Straits Mill and Lumber Company officially opened in Aurora on May 7, 1937.
The post-World War II population influx in Aurora led to increases in retail sales at the Strait family business. During this retail boom, construction of the new Strait Lumber office, attached warehouse and lumber yard was started in March 1947. At this time an iconic neon sign was constructed by Hanger Neon & Sign Company, a local sign vendor, the backing of which still stands today.
Strait Lumber, in its third generation of Strait family ownership, is Aurora’s oldest continuous privately-owned business. For over 80 years, they have sold building materials for Aurora’s residential and commercial properties through numerous growth booms. The business was landmarked by the city of Aurora in 2019 as a local historic site.
An exterior look at Strait Lumber.
1301
S HAVANA ST
The Suss Family has been on Havana Street since Jim Suss Sr. purchased the Seifert Pontiac dealership in 1980. The Suss Family added the Buick line in 2007 after purchasing the Mike Shaw Buick Dealership on Colorado Blvd in 2007. Pontiac was discontinued by GM in 2008, so the dealership became Suss Buick GMC. The Suss Family did a major dealership remodel in June of 2011. The Suss Family has been influential in the Aurora Community, with Jim and Paul serving on many boards, Rotary Clubs and Aurora Chamber committees. Paul Suss was a founding member and first president of the Havana Business Improvement District.
This series of photos show the evolution of the historic storefront on Havana.
9842
E COLFAX AVE
The White Way Grill was manufactured by the Valentine Diner Company in Wichita, Kansas. This prefabricated diner model, designed by Richard Ten Eyck in the 1940s and called an “Aristocrat”‒the smallest of the “Little Chef” models‒had eight stools, a rounded parapet above the door and buttresses at the corners. There are several other Valentine Diners still open in Buena Vista, Colorado Springs, Lake City and Pueblo. The White Way Grill was originally located just east of the Aurora Fox Theater at 9842 East Colfax Avenue until 2003. It remained named the White Way Grill under four consecutive owners until 1970, when the name was changed to White Way Grill Café. By 2002, when it finally closed altogether, it was known as the China Palace. Through an agreement between Aurora and Lakewood, the diner was saved from demolition and moved to Heritage Lakewood, where the completely restored building was dedicated in 2009 as part of the 20th century history park.
contemporary look
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at the White Way Grill at Heritage Lakewood.
10601
E COLFAX AVE
A staple of East Colfax Avenue, the Zanza Bar seemed to exist in its own reality, with the slogan, “It’s later than you think.” The nightclub was featured in the 1978 film, Every Which Way but Loose, starring Clint Eastwood in an over-the-top bar fight inside the establishment. Over the years, the Zanza Bar became a fixture of Aurora’s nightlife in the 20th century. The owner, Samuel Goldberg, was the secretary of the Epicurean League of Colorado, whose objective was, “To satiate one of man’s greater senses‒that of hunger.” Originally opened in 1946, the country western bar hosted live music and was popular with local servicemen from the surrounding military bases. Known to locals as the “ZBar,” it closed its doors in the mid-1990s, and the location is now home to a Walgreens on East Colfax Avenue.
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An exterior look at the Zanza Bar.
This Aurora Advocate advertisement for the Zanza Bar boasts a new “Grand Opening,” following renovations in 1960.
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E COLFAX AVE
Barry Melnick and his partner, Al Wolf, purchased the Zephyr Lounge from the Potter brothers in 1948. They thought the location near Fitzsimons Army Hospital was ideal and Melnick believed his knowledge as a World War II medic would come in handy while talking to his customers. The Potter brothers constructed the original Zephyr building from a Hires Root Beer stand (which was used as the kitchen), and part of a Quonset hut made to resemble a trolley car. It was in disrepair by the early 1970s, so Barry Melnick moved the business into part of the Top Rail Motel building. Melnick ran the Zephyr for over 50 years before his son, Myron, took over the business in the early 2000s. The Zephyr celebrated its 70th anniversary in 2017. New development around the Anschutz Medical Campus increased competition for the Zephyr and business declined. The COVID-19 pandemic put further strain on the business and the Zephyr closed its doors in November 2020.
An exterior look at the Zephyr Lounge early in its operation.
A more modern exterior look at the Zephyr Lounge before it closed in 2020.
E GIRARD AVE
Gladys and Bill Kelly bought their first roller rink in Grand Island, Nebraska in the 1960s. The Kellys experienced success in Grand Island and sought to open a new rink in a larger market. In 1970, they built one of the country’s biggest and most elaborate skating facilities in Aurora. In the following decades, the Kellys bought old rinks around Colorado and renovated them, folding them into the Skate City brand. Today, the Aurora Skate City is owned by the Ingrum family. Jeff and Terri Ingrum started working at Littleton’s Skate City in 1981. He was a janitor and she worked at the snack counter. Now they own most of Colorado’s skating rinks, including the Arvada location which they purchased in 2023, the state’s seventh Skate City. Their three sons help them run the company just as the Kellys’ daughters helped them. Skate City is still in operation in Aurora and is open 7 days a week at 15100 E. Girard Avenue.
Mayor Paul Beck during grand opening ceremonies in 1970.
Members of the Aurora Red Cross Big Brother-Big Sister program skating at their annual holiday outing in 1972. Aurora Advocate Photo
E ALAMEDA AVE & S SABLE BLVD EST. 1975
In August 1975, Town Center at Aurora, formerly known as the Aurora Mall, was built. The million-square-foot indoor shopping center was constructed on the far eastern reaches of 1970s Aurora. Located at Interstate 225 and Alameda Avenue, the Aurora Mall predated the completion of the adjacent interstate. With the successes of the Buckingham Square Mall and the Aurora Mall there was a marked shift in Aurora’s business district away from East Colfax Avenue in the 1970s and 1980s. It was during this period the city expanded geographically and incorporated residences further south and east. Due to this changing geographical landscape, the rise of corporate “big box stores” and the mall as a community destination, the once thriving East Colfax Avenue saw a time of retail decline and a decrease in capital investment. In 2003, the mall started a renovation, which was completed in 2005 when it reopened as Town Center at Aurora. Today, the mall has over 130 retailers, and hosts over 100 events a year.
The mall under construction in 1974.
An interior look at the Aurora Mall in the late 1970s.
