Englewood recreation projects move ahead, but costs and opening dates remain unsettled
The Recreation Center is scheduled to reopen Sept. 8 without its pool, while Pirates Cove, Belleview playground and pickleball projects advance on varying timelines.
The Englewood Recreation Center is scheduled to reopen Sept. 8 after an Aug. 31-Sept. 7 maintenance closure, but its pool and regular locker rooms are expected to remain closed through spring 2027, city staff told the Parks and Recreation Commission. Temporary changing areas will not include showers or additional restrooms.
Staff now estimate that broader Recreation Center construction will finish in summer 2027. The city has not reported a firm pool reopening date, a detailed aquatic-project budget or an alternate swimming-pool or winter swim-lesson location.
The work is part of Englewood’s $41.5 million Renew and Recreate general-obligation bond program, approved by voters in November 2024 for improvements to eight parks, the Recreation Center and Pirates Cove Water Park. The city’s bond progress report says 85% of the work must be completed within three years, with most projects expected to finish by 2028. The bond total is not the cost of the Recreation Center’s aquatic renovation.
More than 20 seasonal aquatic workers were told they would not have jobs during the closure, staff said. A couple would remain with modified duties, while the others were invited to return in spring. Staff cited salary savings from the affected positions amid broader budget challenges.
Pirates Cove closed after the 2026 season for planned improvements. The city’s project page estimates the east-end renovation at $6.3 million and lists new slides, a leisure or lounge pool, water-efficiency infrastructure, pump-house work and rentable pavilions. Construction was expected to begin after the 2026 season, with reopening targeted for the 2027 season; no firm date or final cost has been published.
At the Aug. 13 commission meeting, staff said contractors had mobilized at Pirates Cove and were beginning early work, including evaluating trees near a planned tower and demolition-related activities.
Arapahoe County awarded Englewood a $600,000 grant for the Belleview Youth Playground Project, staff said. City Council is expected to consider an agreement accepting the grant Sept. 21. Staff said a probable project cost estimate was still expected, and the city has not published a separate total for the playground.
Playground construction documents were targeted for the end of 2026, with construction potentially beginning in fall 2026 if approvals and other steps proceed as planned. The city’s Belleview Park project page lists an estimated park-wide renovation budget of $9.025 million and anticipates overall construction beginning in spring 2027. That figure is not a separate playground cost, and the city has not published a final schedule.
The Belleview Park pickleball project includes two new courts. Staff said site work could begin the week after the Aug. 13 meeting. The courts could open in fall 2026 or spring 2027, while final acrylic surfacing may wait for consistently warm temperatures. Staff estimated full completion in spring or early summer 2027. No final contract amount or separate project budget has been reported.
The city’s Renew & Recreate page lists the Recreation Center among facilities receiving bond-funded work and warns that construction may cause temporary closures. A Parks and Recreation notice calls the work a “massive makeover” but does not provide a pool reopening date.