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Aurora, Co. - a Series of Planned Communities
The town of Aurora goes back to 1891, and was a rather small community till after WW II. However, it rapidly expanded as the city south and east of Denver, and today has a population of over 275,000, more than half that of Denver. It is part of the Denver metropolitan area, of over 2.4 million people, and is convenient for travelers, being right next to the Denver International Airport. Neighborhoods for Aurora homes include The Dam East, The Dam West, Fitzsimons Campus, Mission Viejo, Original Aurora - Aurora's "downtown", Stapleton and the Buckley Air Force base. Aurora has grown over the past 40 years as a series of development communities. For example, Mission Viejo occupied what was formerly a farm of 640-acres, or about 1 square mile, by Quincy Avenue and Chambers Road. The company that built the development modeled it around Mission Viejo, California, including characteristic "Barcelona" entrance walls and "Mission Bell" street lights. The development opened in September of 1972. Local transportation needs can be met by several highways and the E-470 beltway. The Regional Transportation District's light rail transit system was extended to serve the southwestern edge of Aurora on November 17, 2006. An extension of light rail along I-225 through the city is planned to connect with a commuter rail line between downtown Denver and Denver International Airport (DIA), by 2015. The Denver Metropolitan FasTrack system is being expanded 119 miles, with six new lines and the extension of two existing rail lines. The 14-year project will cost almost $5 billion.
– The Dam West Development, near the State Park, at South Peoria Street & East Yale Avenue, was built by Writer Corporation in the 1960’s and 70’s. It was one of the Denver area’s earliest communities and planned developments. Its 327 single family homes enjoy 24 acres of gardens and lawns, clubhouse, swimming pools and playgrounds. The Dam West is just walking distance of RTD’s FasTrack and bus service lines located at the Nine-Mile-Park & Ride. In the Aurora area, a 3 bedroom home can
room from $245,000 and up, with larger, more elaborate homes on
several acres costing over $1.5 million.
In an innovative move, when the Fitzsimmons Base was put on
the list for base closings, a plan was made to turn it into a
