The newest park features in Englewood this winter are at two of its smaller neighborhood parks. The two biggest places to swim in the city are behind construction fencing. That's the planned order of Renew & Recreate, the parks program Englewood voters approved as Ballot Issue 2C on November 5, 2024. It authorized up to $41.5 million in General Obligation bonds, repaid through an added property tax mill levy.
The bond covers eight parks: Barde, Belleview, Clarkson-Amherst, Cushing, Emerson, Miller Field, Northwest Greenbelt and Rotolo. It also covers the Englewood Recreation Center, Pirates Cove and a separate $3 million citywide park irrigation project. Under General Obligation bond rules, 85% of the work has to happen within three years, and the city says most projects should be finished by 2028, according to its parks and recreation bond page.
That deadline packs a lot of work into a short window. The order of the work means this winter in Englewood looks different from last winter.
The small parks were finished first
Cushing Park was the first project finished. The city's Cushing Park project page reports the dog park and playground open as of December 2025. Here's how the park is laid out now:
- West of Inca: a fenced dog park with separate areas for large and small dogs, plus an agility course.
- East of Inca: a playground with slides, swings and other equipment.
The city's August 2026 progress report lists Cushing's completion date as December 1, 2025, and says hydroseeding wrapped up in April 2026. That puts this fall at the end of its first full growing season.
Emerson Park, at 2929 S. Emerson Street, was next. The city held a coffee and ribbon cutting there on Saturday, October 17, to celebrate the completion of its Renew & Recreate improvements. In its September 21 update, the city said the new play features, trees, a widened sidewalk, landscaping and irrigation upgrades were in place. A pergola was the last piece, scheduled to go in during the weeks after that update.
Before the project, city planning material described Emerson as a small open lawn with established trees and gardens that hosted the neighborhood's July 4 gathering. The design aimed to keep 82% of the park's northwest section as open space. The May 2025 concept plan also called for these features:
- a bird's-nest swing for ages 2 to 12
- a driftwood climber
- a cobble swale for nature play
- stone seating
- an open-roof shelter with tables
Those were the design plans, so check what was actually built on your next walk through. You can see photos and updates on the Emerson Park project page.
The first two finished projects are both neighborhood parks people walk to, and that matters more this winter than usual. The bigger facilities are closed.
Where the water went
The Englewood Recreation Center reopened September 8, but its pool and locker rooms will stay closed until the expected reopening in summer 2027, according to the city's ERC renovation page. The ERC FAQ lists updated men's, women's and universal family locker rooms, a lift up to the second level, new pool gutter tile and deck surface, a new kids' slide, a hot tub, a cold plunge, new hallway flooring and updated restrooms. The cold plunge, a new elevator and the hallway tile were paid for with money moved over when the city dropped planned pickleball courts at the ERC.
Most of the building is running on normal hours. Here's what's open now, according to the ERC FAQ:
| Area | Status through summer 2027 |
|---|---|
| Pool and locker rooms | Closed |
| Weight room and cardio area | Open |
| Gym, classrooms and Zone Room | Open |
| Racquetball courts 1 and 2 | Open |
| Racquetball courts 3 and 4 | Temporary men's and women's changing rooms |
| Indoor track | Open on a modified section |
Judy, one of the pool instructors, is teaching Dry Aqua classes in the gym Tuesday through Friday.
Members who mostly come for the pool can pause or cancel. According to the FAQ, pauses took effect August 30, 2026, reactivate automatically on May 1, 2027, and monthly payments start again May 15, 2027. Members who cancel have to submit the city's form, and the FAQ says unused months are refunded. A paused or canceled membership doesn't include building access, so visiting the weight room means buying a daily admission or punch pass. The city also says a pause or cancellation can't be undone.
The dates are worth reading closely. Paused memberships come back on May 1, but the city gives the pool's reopening only as summer 2027. This is general information, not financial advice, so confirm the terms for your own membership with the ERC staff before you change anything.
Pirates Cove is out for the season too. Crews were tearing out the old competition pool and deck in September to make room for a leisure pool, a new pump house, two more slides, water-efficiency upgrades and an event pavilion you can rent, according to the city's Pirates Cove project page. The reopening is scheduled for 2027.
Both of Englewood's pools are closed at the same time. The city's ERC guidance covers dry classes, temporary changing rooms and membership options, but it doesn't name a substitute pool.
Belleview is kept running on purpose
Belleview Park has one of the biggest projects in the bond and the most protected calendar. The planned work includes a new barn, animal enclosures, a learning space, restrooms, ADA improvements, a large pavilion, parking and lighting upgrades, landscaping and lights for the ballfield.
The farm will move from the east side of the park to a new spot on the west side near Pirates Cove, and the train depot and tracks will stay where they are. The city says the parking lot will be resurfaced with new lighting rather than shrunk. On timing, the Belleview Park FAQ says construction should start in spring 2027. It also says the current Englewood Farm & Train will stay open and operate normally through 2027 and into 2028, and that the construction isn't expected to affect it.
The regular Farm & Train season has ended for the year. The city says the farm animals are pets that go home to their owners when the farm closes in September. The train still runs for the holiday events, and the rest of the city calendar fills in around them:
| Date | Event | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Sat., Oct. 24 | Trunk-or-Treat Express | 1 to 6 p.m. at Belleview Park; $5 per person, free for kids under 2 |
| Oct. 26 to Nov. 10 | Leaf Recycling Program | Listed on the city's recreation calendar |
| Fri., Dec. 4, and Sat., Dec. 5 | Englewood Holiday Express | 3 to 8:30 p.m. at Belleview Park; $15 per person, free for kids under 2 |
| Sat., Dec. 5 | Holiday Market | 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Englewood Civic Center, 1000 Englewood Parkway |
| Sat., Dec. 5 | Holiday Tree Lighting | 3 to 6 p.m. at 1000 Englewood Parkway; tree lit at 5:15 p.m. |
| Fri., Dec. 11, and Sat., Dec. 12 | Englewood Holiday Express | Same hours and pricing |
On December 5 you can fit in the market, the tree lighting and a train ride in one day.
2027 brings the next wave
Next year, the work moves from fixing a few parks at a time to many projects running at once. Here's the order on the city's project pages:
- Rotolo Park: Phase 1, a permanent restroom, runs from April 2026 into fall or winter 2026. Phase 2 adds a concrete path from Jason Street plus landscaping and irrigation, running from fall or winter 2026 into spring 2027.
- Northwest Greenbelt: a restroom, picnic shelter, landscaping and paths, with construction scheduled to start in fall 2026.
- Belleview Park: construction starts in spring 2027, while the Farm & Train keeps running.
- Miller Field: a splash pad, large playground, accessible paths, pavilion, restroom, parking and pedestrian lighting, with construction planned from spring 2027 through winter 2027-28.
- Barde Park: a nature play area, ADA paths and an accessible bridge, with construction starting in spring 2027 and finishing in winter 2027-28.
- ERC pool and Pirates Cove: both are scheduled to reopen in 2027, and the ERC's pool and locker rooms are expected back in summer 2027.
Clarkson Park is still in design. In its August update, the city described a smaller plan with an ADA route to a picnic table, a second picnic table, benches, landscaping and trees.
If those schedules hold, spring 2027 will be the busiest stretch of the bond. Belleview, Miller Field and Barde are all set to start work around the same time, and the ERC pool and Pirates Cove are due back a few months later. Until then, Englewood's open park options are mostly Emerson's new play area, the Cushing dog park, the ERC weight room and the Farm & Train holiday events.
If you're wondering how a newly renovated park nearby factors into a move you're weighing, or you just want to talk through what's being built near your street, Laura Ruch is glad to go over it with you. Let's Connect.
