Grovewood Community Development, a values-driven provider of affordable housing in south metro Denver, has broken ground on The Stables, marking the start of Phase I of a new intergenerational multifamily affordable housing community at 10850 E. Exposition Ave. in Aurora. The 4.79-acre infill redevelopment will transform the former site of the historic Aurora Horse Boarding Stables into more than 130 affordable rental homes designed to support stability, connection and quality of life for residents of all ages.
Phase I represents the first step in bringing this vision to life, delivering 85 affordable family apartments within a thoughtfully designed setting that reflects the site’s history. Phase II will build on this foundation with 52 senior apartments for residents aged 62 and older, completing the 137-unit community and reinforcing The Stables’ intergenerational approach to housing.
“This site has a rich and meaningful history,” said Jo Ellen Davidson, executive director of Grovewood Community Development. “For decades, it was a place where the community came together through a shared connection to animals, open space and nature. With The Stables, we are carrying that legacy forward, transforming a beloved gathering place into a community that will become a beautiful, nurturing home to generations of people.”
The property was formerly home to the Aurora Horse Boarding Stables, operated by the Baker family since 1947 and widely recognized as the city’s oldest indoor stable. For more than six decades, the site served as a rare nature-forward refuge in the heart of the city.
Beyond housing, the new community will feature walking trails, play areas, community gardens, indoor gathering spaces and architectural and landscape elements that reflect the site’s historic use and equestrian character. Shaped by outreach to neighbors and future residents, resident services and programming will reinforce the project’s intergenerational, community-centered approach. Located within an established neighborhood, The Stables offers rare access to nearby parks, recreation facilities, schools, trails, and services, including Exposition Regional Park, a City Recreation Center, Highline Community Elementary School, the Highline Canal Trail and the Aurora Housing Authority’s adjacent campuses.
According to the Common Sense Institute Colorado, elevated home prices and rising interest rates in recent years have pushed housing affordability in Aurora to its lowest point in more than 20 years, with the cost of purchasing a home nearly doubling. Amid these conditions, The Stables will provide high-quality, intergenerational, affordable rental housing for households earning between 30% and 80% of Area Median Income, with an overall average income of 56%, expanding access to stable and attainable housing options for Aurora residents.
“Affordable housing options are essential for families and seniors who want to remain in the city they call home,” said Mayor of Aurora Mike Coffman in his remarks at the event. “This project helps ensure Aurora continues to be a place where people of all ages and incomes can live and thrive. The Stables Family Project aligns directly with the goals outlined in our affordable housing strategy, increasing our housing stock and deepening community investment. The city is proud to support efforts like this.”
The Stables was made possible through grant, loan and equity sources provided collectively by the City of Aurora, Arapahoe County, the Colorado Division of Housing, CHFA, Impact Development Fund, The Recovery Foundation, ANB Bank, The Richman Group, Sugar Creek Capital and the Aurora Housing Authority. Shopworks Architecture is the project architect and Calcon Constructors is the general contractor.
“We know that The Stables and the quality affordable housing it will provide will serve to strengthen this community,” said Steve Johnson, COO of Colorado Housing and Finance Authority (CHFA). “CHFA supported The Stables with an allocation of federal and state Housing Tax Credits. The federal Housing Tax Credit program has helped build or preserve more than 83,000 affordable rental housing units in Colorado since it was created forty years ago in 1986.”
The Stables represents the preservation of a rare infill site and a reinvestment in Aurora’s future, where legacy, nature and housing stability come together.
To learn more about Grovewood Community Development and its affordable housing projects, please visit grovewoodcommunitydevelopment.org.
