Denver retail center The Shops at Northfield, recently rebranded as the Avenues at Northfield, has launched a multimillion-dollar redevelopment.
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At the center of the face-lift is a reimagined Main Street that will be turned into a pedestrian-only walkway.
Plans include a large central lawn, shaded gathering areas, mature trees, kids’ play spaces, fire and water features, outdoor dining patios, communal seating and year-round programming, including concerts and markets.
The 1.1 million-square-foot property sits in the heart of the 4,700-acre Central Park master-planned community, formerly the site of Stapleton International Airport, and attracts more than 8.5 million visitors annually.
Los Angeles-based real estate private equity firm Stockdale Capital Partners acquired the center in 2022 with plans to reinvigorate the early-2000s development through new investment, updated amenities and a long-term growth strategy.
“After listening to the metro Denver community, we saw an incredible opportunity to evolve The Shops at Northfield into a destination that reflects the way people want to live, shop and connect today,” said Bastian Peters, managing director of retail asset management for Stockdale Capital, when redevelopment plans were first announced.
“We are not just reinvesting in the property — we’re investing in the future of Central Park and Northeast Denver by introducing first-to-market retail, diverse amenities, and thoughtfully designed public spaces.”
Across the property, visitors will see updated storefronts as well as enhanced lighting, signage and landscaping.
Signs of construction progress are becoming more noticeable at the Avenues at Northfield. Construction trucks continue hauling and moving dirt across the site as crews work throughout the development, bringing retail anchors one step closer to opening.
Furniture retailer Wayfair is set to open a new 140,000-square-foot brick-and-mortar location by late this year, which will cover two floors and feature 19 departments, including furniture, housewares, appliances, mattresses, florals, decor and dedicated areas for design services.
The building, 8298 E. Northfield Blvd., used to be a Macy’s before closing its doors earlier last year.
“Denver is an awesome city,” said Liza Lefkowski, vice president of merchandising and stores at Wayfair.
She said Northfield’s growth, established retail presence and transition toward a more pedestrian-oriented district made it an attractive location for the retailer.
“There’s a lot of great things going for (Avenues at Northfield). I mean, the minute I got there, I was like, ‘This is great. Yes, Wayfair would be lucky to be part of this.’ So we’re thrilled,” she said.
Lefkowski said the new location will employ about 150 people, ranging from entry-level and part-time workers to experienced leadership roles.
The Northfield location will join Wayfair’s growing roster of large-format stores, following openings in Wilmette, Ill., in 2024 and Atlanta in March 2026. Wayfair also has another large-format location planned for Yonkers, N.Y., with an expected opening in early 2027.
“Our aspiration is to have a national footprint of stores, and we’re especially keen to enter those communities that are growing, that are really keen to celebrate the home, and Denver is very high on that list,” Lefkowski said.
Lefkowski said the company believes many metro areas can support multiple locations and that it is “certainly reasonable to believe” Wayfair will continue exploring opportunities in the greater Colorado area.
Major retailer JCPenney also exited the shopping center in late May 2025, but will be replaced by a 103,000-square-foot Life Time. The athletic club chain is set to open in 2027 at 8568 E. 49th Ave., and feature pickleball and a resort-style outdoor pool.
Meghan Akradi, Life Time’s senior vice president of membership and market strategy, said Central Park and the Northfield area have become one of the most vibrant parts of the Denver market, particularly over the past decade, attracting many young families and driving demand for lifestyle-oriented entertainment and recreation options.
The new club is expected to employ between 200 and 300 people and is being designed as more than a fitness facility, but as a social hub, Akradi said.
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In addition, the Northfield location will also feature Life Time’s largest pickleball complex in the Denver market, with 12 to 13 courts planned.
Alongside another Life Time club scheduled to open this fall in Castle Pines, south of Denver, Akradi said the company hopes the Northfield location will help build on the area’s growing commercial momentum when it opens next year.
Other changes
Although traditional shopping centers and malls experienced declining foot traffic because of the rise of e-commerce and the COVID-19 pandemic, activity has begun to rebound, according to Peters.
“As a property owner of a shopping center like the Avenues at Northfield, in order to remain relevant, you really need to provide an experience to the consumer,” Peters told The Post earlier this month.
Since the acquisition, Stockdale has executed leases totaling more than 344,000 square feet.
“I think that is what we’ve been pretty successful in curating, and we’re very confident that the Central Park community has been waiting for this kind of renovation and transformation of the property, and we’re ready for that,” he said.
That confidence is also fueling online buzz around additional developments at the center.
Construction is underway on a national specialty grocery store expected to open next to the Old Navy, filling a long-anticipated grocery gap on the north side of Central Park, according to Peters.
While Peters said he could not comment on who the prospective tenant is, several media outlets have reported that the grocer will be a 12,527-square-foot Trader Joe’s near the corner of E. 47th Ave.
The quirky chain has not officially announced the location, but a Formal Site Development Plan submitted to the city late last year included drawings identifying Trader Joe’s as the occupant.
Public records also show a Subordination, Non-Disturbance and Attornment Agreement was recorded in March among SCP Northfield LLC, Bank of America and Trader Joe’s Co., further fueling speculation that the grocery chain will anchor the development.
Peters told The Post that they expect to conclude construction on the grocer by the end of the year.
Elsewhere at the center, global lifestyle retailer MINISO celebrated the grand opening of its new 6,487-square-foot store at the corner of Main Street and 46th Avenue.
Additional tenants are on the way, including Mexican restaurant chain 3 Margaritas and Bubba’s 33, an American dining chain known for its scratch-made menu, according to the shopping center’s website.
The new additions will join a roster of established retailers, including Lululemon, Sephora, Nike, American Eagle, Bass Pro Shops, SuperTarget and Harkins Theatres.
Peters said the redevelopment is a substantial investment divided into three sections: new anchor tenants, including Wayfair, Life Time and the grocer; common-area renovations; and additional specialty shops over the next several years.
He said the transformation is expected to be completed in phases through 2027, coinciding with the property’s 20th anniversary.
While retail construction continues to advance, additional development could soon take shape nearby. In March, plans were submitted to the city for 105 duplexes on a 15.5-acre site east of the shopping center.
A submitted plan said the proposed development consists of three- and four-bedroom duplex homes.
Drawings of the residential community show open green space and a private amenity center, envisioned to feature a pool and hot tub, outdoor seating and lounge areas, a dog park and gathering spaces for residents.
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