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Bow Mar's gate fight draws national attention

A New York Times report highlights tensions over traffic, safety and public access.

Politics

Building barriers may make communities safer, but it can also deepen divisions between neighbors.At least that&#x27;s the takeaway from this week&#x27;s <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="New York Times story" data-vars-click-url="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/20/us/bow-mar-colorado-suburb-gated-town.html" data-vars-content-id="1b0c8f8f-b225-4574-b5de-5981b4086aea" data-vars-headline="Bow Mar&#x27;s gate fight draws national attention" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/20/us/bow-mar-colorado-suburb-gated-town.html" target="_blank">New York Times story</a> about Bow Mar&#x27;s controversial plan to gate its Sheridan Boulevard entrance — and the battle over public access.

Grow a monster pumpkin with these tips

A Colorado pumpkin-growing expert shares his secrets to producing huge gourds.

News

Next Halloween&#x27;s hulking pumpkins start with a patch of dirt this fall.The big picture: That is, if you want a gourd that&#x27;ll make your neighbors jealous and your exes on Facebook rethink their decisions.

Glendale's 4 Mile District stalls in court

The $150 million project is stalled as Glendale and its developer battle.

Business

Glendale spent years promising a new entertainment district, but all the city&#x27;s gotten so far is an escalating legal battle.Why it matters: The $150 million <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="4 Mile District" data-vars-click-url="https://4miledistrict.com/" data-vars-content-id="e22fa781-214c-4104-88df-4c554be7ce96" data-vars-headline="Glendale&#x27;s 4 Mile District stalls in court" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://4miledistrict.com/" target="_blank">4 Mile District</a> was supposed to transform 10 acres near Virginia Avenue and the Cherry Creek Trail into a destination packed with restaurants, bars, shops and entertainment.

Aurora residents mobilize over massive data center

Neighbors want more scrutiny for a massive data center

Dan Bergander&#x27;s forever home in northeast Aurora might come with an unexpected — and unwanted — neighbor.The big picture: Vantage Data Centers wants to build its massive Trident campus near thousands of residents who have little say over what happens next.

LDS church's Aurora development boom

The Tributary development could include more than 12,000 residents.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is planning nearly 4,900 homes on land it&#x27;s quietly owned in Aurora for decades.The big picture: The church&#x27;s real estate arm, Property Reserve Inc., is <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="developing" data-vars-click-url="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2026-08-25/florida-colorado-developments-are-part-of-mormon-church-s-real-estate-arm" data-vars-content-id="35587c4e-7446-4970-991e-3fd97c9c7852" data-vars-headline="LDS church&#x27;s Aurora development boom" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2026-08-25/florida-colorado-developments-are-part-of-mormon-church-s-real-estate-arm" target="_blank">developing</a> <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Tributary" data-vars-click-url="https://tributarycolorado.com/" data-vars-content-id="35587c4e-7446-4970-991e-3fd97c9c7852" data-vars-headline="LDS church&#x27;s Aurora development boom" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://tributarycolorado.com/" target="_blank">Tributary</a> across roughly 960 acres between I-70 and East Sixth Avenue, on Aurora&#x27;s far-east side.

Aurora weighs how close data centers can get to homes

City leaders are still debating how much space should separate data centers from homes.

Aurora&#x27;s writing new data center rules, but months into the debate, city leaders haven&#x27;t settled on how far the massive structures should sit from neighborhoods.Why it matters: Data centers can be behemoths — warehouse-size buildings with noisy generators and industrial equipment that can run around the clock, just beyond residential yards.

Stanley's new owner promises continuity

More than 20 leases are coming due as Magnetic Capital takes over Stanley.

Stanley Marketplace&#x27;s <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="new owner" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/arapahoe/2026/05/26/stanley-marketplace-redevelopment-plans-aurora" data-vars-content-id="f360e1bd-48ad-427a-b1e0-f1f1af15b696" data-vars-headline="Stanley&#x27;s new owner promises continuity" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/arapahoe/2026/05/26/stanley-marketplace-redevelopment-plans-aurora" target="_self">new owner</a> doesn&#x27;t want its $40.9 million takeover to be noticeable.Why it matters: Stanley has become one of metro Denver&#x27;s defining mixed-use success stories, drawing 1.3 million visits annually to a former aviation factory now packed with local businesses.

Arapahoe Community College lands NASA aerospace training hub

ACC will train technicians for the fast-growing aerospace industry.

Aerospace

Arapahoe Community College isn&#x27;t sending astronauts into space, but it wants its graduates building the bolts, soldering the parts and drawing the plans that get them there.Why it matters: ACC&#x27;s leaning into aerospace as community colleges nationwide face pressures to prove their programs lead to good-paying jobs and four-year degrees.

Career classrooms become hot ticket

Students are lining up for career-focused classes.

About 20 years ago, Megan Trail&#x27;s high school counselor asked why such a promising student was choosing a construction job over a college education.Zoom in: Today, Trail leads three new HVAC classes at Cherry Creek Innovation Campus in Centennial, where enrollment has more than tripled in seven years and the school&#x27;s finishing a <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="$100 million expansion" data-vars-click-url="https://ccic.cherrycreekschools.org/ccic-20" data-vars-content-id="697766f8-14e2-4155-9253-ec80f126267e" data-vars-headline="Career classrooms become hot ticket" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://ccic.cherrycreekschools.org/ccic-20" target="_blank">$100 million expansion</a>.

Inside Zyn's $1.2B Colorado bet

The new campus grows manufacturing jobs as debate over nicotine pouches continues.

Philip Morris International ramps up production at its planned $1.2 billion Zyn campus in Aurora on Monday, cementing Colorado&#x27;s role at the center of the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="booming" data-vars-click-url="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/06/business/zyn-nicotine-pouches-tobacco.html" data-vars-content-id="fa4b3586-1dbd-43d0-9448-2b0d8033175c" data-vars-headline="Inside Zyn&#x27;s $1.2B Colorado bet" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/06/business/zyn-nicotine-pouches-tobacco.html" target="_blank">booming</a> nicotine pouch business.Why it matters: The tobacco giant&#x27;s first U.S. <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="greenfield" data-vars-click-url="https://www.archistar.ai/blog/what-is-a-greenfield-development/" data-vars-content-id="fa4b3586-1dbd-43d0-9448-2b0d8033175c" data-vars-headline="Inside Zyn&#x27;s $1.2B Colorado bet" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.archistar.ai/blog/what-is-a-greenfield-development/" target="_blank">greenfield</a> manufacturing complex is being pitched as a boon to Aurora&#x27;s economy, but critics say Colorado is backing a product that could addict young users.

Bennett's big small-town boom

Cheaper homes, open plains and aging infrastructure collide just beyond Aurora's edge.

A small town straddling the Arapahoe-Adams county border is becoming Colorado&#x27;s latest growth test, as less expensive homes, open plains and aging infrastructure collide just beyond Aurora&#x27;s edge.Why it matters: Bennett is increasingly part of metro Denver&#x27;s housing market as builders look east and buyers search for something they can afford.

Bookstores fill gap left by disappearing third places

Book clubs, coffee and quiet spaces are drawing people back to local bookstores.

Bookstores are <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="finding new life" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2026/07/03/bookstores-barnes-noble-james-daunt" data-vars-content-id="9e6b2849-e95e-4312-b782-5a98d5156bb7" data-vars-headline="Bookstores fill gap left by disappearing third places" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/07/03/bookstores-barnes-noble-james-daunt" target="_self">finding new life</a> as Americans lose many of their casual gathering places.The big picture: The comeback isn&#x27;t just about selling books. It&#x27;s about turning browsing into belonging.

Business 🏦

State audit blasts Colorado's marijuana testing framework

Boulder climate case gets boost in Supreme Court

Summit FC breaks ground on stadium

Glendale's 4 Mile District stalls in court

Aurora residents mobilize over massive data center