Wine Is Out, Arcade and Green House Are In at Stanley Marketplace

The Infinite Monkey Theorem Urban Winery debuted its second Denver wine bar in April 2017 at Stanley Marketplace, serving wine on tap, in cans and in bottles to Aurora and Stapleton residents frequenting the then-new shopping center. But the third-floor space will soon see changes, as IMT has decided to pull out.

The twelve-year-old winery says it's closing the Stanley wine bar on Sunday, October 27, and will be "concentrating on pushing boundaries in the winemaking business and supporting its main taproom location in RiNo at 3200 Larimer Street."

While the departure will be a loss for the marketplace, the space will not stay vacant for long. Andrew Shear, owner of Mile High Arcade, is opening Stanley Arcade in November. Classic and vintage games like pinball machines, air hockey and Skee-Ball, plus modern video games, will all be part of the fun. Expect Galaga, Ms. Pac-Man, Killer Queen and other multi-player games. Stanley Arcade will serve slushies and fountain drinks, but will not have a bar, although guests can purchase alcoholic beverages from other establishments within the marketplace and bring them to the arcade.

Stanley Arcade will throw its grand opening party on Friday, November 1, with a DJ and prizes. The arcade will be open from 3 to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 3 to 10 p.m. on Friday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Sunday.
Also coming to the Stanley is Gotham Greens, a 30,000-square-foot greenhouse that will supply produce to restaurants, retailers and other food-service vendors along the Front Range. Gotham Greens was founded in New York City in 2009 by Viraj Puri and Denver native Eric Haley, who will grow the company to multiple locations in five states, with 300 employees and more than 500,000 square feet of urban greenhouses, by the end of this year.

The Gotham Greens greenhouse is currently under construction on what was once a runway on part of the old Stanley Aviation property. The company expects to open early next year, with a hydroponic growing system it says uses 100-percent renewable electricity to grow 35 times more lettuce per acre than conventional farms, using 97 percent less water. In addition to lettuce, Gotham Greens produces other leafy greens, herbs, salad dressings and sauces. The facility will also "serve as a resource to educate local residents and visitors on the benefits of sustainable, indoor farming by hosting free guided tours, as well as field trips for schools, universities and other local community organizations and businesses," according to the company.

Stanley Marketplace is located at 2501 Dallas Street in Aurora and is home to more than fifty businesses, including twenty food and drink establishments. Visit the shopping center's website for more details.