At Sheridan Boulevard and West 17th Avenue, the parking lot and basketball court have been closed since September. Denver Parks and Recreation is turning the building on that corner into a maintenance facility, and the city's project page says a stretch of trail will also close later in construction. The closures are expected to last through early 2027.
That same western edge of the lake, near Sheridan, holds more sediment than anywhere else in the water, according to the Sloan's Lake Park Foundation. The lake projects play out in three stages: a fenced corner now, a rebuilt Boathouse next, and then the $50 million dredging announced in September. The dredging is the project with the most at stake, and when it was announced, it came with approvals to clear and a construction target two years out.
The fenced corner is a yard for maintenance crews
The Sheridan and 17th project isn't part of the lake cleanup. Denver Parks and Recreation is renovating the maintenance yard and shop in the southwest corner of the park to support upkeep across northwest Denver. Watch the posted detours when the trail section closes. Until early 2027, the walk or run along the southwest shore will look different from what you're used to.
The north side has its own court project. The basketball and tennis courts there are being replaced with better access, and the city projects completion in fall 2027.
The Boathouse has the firmest calendar
The historic Boathouse on the north shore, near Wolff Street and West Byron Place, currently houses Parks Operations, Adaptive Recreation and Park Rangers. Denverite reported in February that the city plans to turn it into an event space costing about $7 million. In May, the city put out a request for information to concession operators with a detailed timeline:
- February 2027: construction contract setup and submittals
- May 2027: the general contractor mobilizes
- May 2027 to February 2028: construction
- About February to April 2028: fixtures, equipment and concessionaire access
- Spring 2028: expected public opening
That same document spells out what the building will hold. Plans call for a community event room for 177 people with AV, private restrooms, a catering kitchen and its own patio. The lake-facing serving windows will be restored for a concession that could pour coffee, beer and wine and scoop ice cream. There will also be renovated public restrooms, a ranger's office, a hub that rents outdoor equipment, and hookups for one food truck by the parking lot. The city calls the building "the central activation point for the park in the future." Dragon Boat races and Jammin' on the Jetties already center on it.
The schedule is clear. The water the Boathouse faces is another matter.
Why the lake is about three feet deep
According to the city's September 2 announcement, many parts of Sloan's Lake now average 2.5 to 3 feet deep, compared with historical depths of 8 to 12 feet. Decades of stormwater runoff and other natural sources filled it in.
Much of that sediment comes from outside the neighborhood. The Denver Gazette reported that a city drainage plan shows the lake collecting runoff from a watershed reaching west into Lakewood, Wheat Ridge and Edgewater, and storing a lot of water during floods. The foundation told the Gazette that sediment enters through 23 unfiltered storm drains.
Shallow water heats up fast, and warm water holds less oxygen. In July 2024, a heat-driven bloom killed more than 2,000 carp and crappie, the Colorado Sun reported, and the lake had a similar die-off in 2020. The Gazette reported the lake's average depth at the time of the 2024 die-off as 3.3 feet, citing the foundation. The city's water quality page says toxic blue-green algae advisories at Sloan's Lake regularly ran from late June through September in the decade before 2022.
The lake's most vocal advocates don't think the whole lakebed has to be scraped. Kurt Weaver, executive director of the Sloan's Lake Park Foundation, told the Gazette:
"You don't need everything out to make it healthy. You just need some real deep, cold areas."
What $50 million would pay for, and what it depends on
The proposal combines three pieces: dredging out sediment, steps to stop new sediment from building up, and shoreline restoration. Denverite reported that restoring shoreline banks and habitat would help filter sediment before it reaches the lakebed. The work is expected to take 30 months once it starts. The Denver Post reported that the lake won't need to be drained, though crews may wall off sections during the work. The stated goal is a lake that's safe for paddleboarding and boating. Swimming isn't the target.
The money would come from three places:
- Up to $40 million from the St. Anthony Urban Redevelopment Area, the tax district created in 2013 around the former hospital site
- $5 million that voters approved for Sloan's Lake in the Vibrant Denver Bond
- About $5 million from the city's Wastewater Enterprise Fund, which pays for stormwater and drainage infrastructure
The city says the project won't raise taxes or affect its budget. Mayor Mike Johnston told Denverite that the St. Anthony redevelopment has been "so successful ahead of schedule that we have additional dollars we can allocate."
In September, the plan was announced as a proposal that needed approval from both the Denver Urban Renewal Authority board and Denver City Council. DURA put a resolution committing funds for a St. Anthony project on the agenda of a September 14 special meeting. If both approvals come through, the city expects to award a contract and finish U.S. Army Corps of Engineers permitting in 2027, with work starting in 2028. The Post's same-day report estimated construction could start in 2027. Either way, those are targets, and no crew will be on the water this winter. Parks director Jolon Clark put it this way to Denverite: "So in the very short term, not a lot of changes, but the focus throughout the project will be to keep as much of the park open and usable as possible, doing work in the lake."
Put the two calendars side by side. The Boathouse is set to open in spring 2028 on a lake that, under the city's own target, could just be starting a 30-month dredge. For the first few seasons, the new concession windows may well look out over active work zones.
The groups who have been waiting for deeper water
Shallow water has already changed how the park gets used. Denverite reported that the Colorado Dragon Boat Festival has struggled in recent years to find routes deep enough for its boats, and its organizers came to the mayor's press conference celebrating. Edgewater Mayor Steve Conklin, whose city relies on park visitors to support its nearby businesses, said, "This is such a regional asset. It's something that's important to Denver and to Edgewater right across the street." In the Gazette, foundation government-relations coordinator Miller Hudson, who has lived in the neighborhood for 40 years, recalled boating on deeper water and praised the investment.
The foundation, which turns 10 this year, is already planning for after the restoration. Weaver told Denverite it could become a "Friends of the Park" group that checks on the park every week. "Can we plant some more trees? Do we need more benches? Are the soccer fields upkept?" he said.
Before any construction crew shows up
For now, the park looks mostly the way it has, apart from the Sheridan corner. The calendar around it is filling up anyway. Black Box Bakery owner Arielle Israel is opening Black Box Café in the former Suzette space at 5901 W. 25th Ave. in Edgewater, Westword reported, with sandwiches, coffee and house-made ice cream. The bakery's site lists the grand opening for Saturday, Nov. 7. The free Sloan's Lake Holiday BAZAAR is set for Saturday, Dec. 5, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 1611 N. Raleigh St.
The next date to watch is February 2027, when the Boathouse contract setup begins. The dredging's own milestones, contract and Army Corps permitting, matter more. They decide whether the lake gets deeper before the Boathouse opens, or whether the work starts after.
A multi-year park project raises fair questions for homeowners near the lake, from what to expect while crews are working to how the eventual finished park might factor into a home's value. Dianne Goldsmith has followed Sloan's Lake for more than 25 years and is glad to talk through how these timelines line up with your plans. Get your free home valuation whenever you're ready to see where your home stands today.
