"We have a lot of sentimental ties to this, and our community is definitely like, 'What?' They're a little shaken up," says Chris Nesset, CEO at VOC. "It's the city's right. Our lease is up. But I think there's a lot of emotional and community connection to us being here. It's going to take a little time to process and go through. It's not what our choice would be."
The Denver Department of Parks & Recreation “routinely” reevaluates leases that are about to expire, and refuses to renew leases when “there is a park purpose that facility could serve,” says Stephanie Figueroa, a Parks & Rec spokesperson, who notes that “no decisions about any specific future use have been made at this time" regarding the bathhouse.
“A lot has changed in Washington Park over the last few decades since this lease began, and we believe that moving forward, this building can directly serve the park, park experience and park user,” Figueroa says. “We will be engaging with the community to explore the various possible uses for this facility. “
The Dos Chappell Bathhouse is easy to miss, Nesset admits. Part of its thirty-year lease agreement with the city stipulates that VOC can't put up any signage, "so it would be hard to maybe identify that we've been here and that we've contributed to the park in the last thirty years," Nesset says. The Denver Department of Parks & Recreation “routinely” reevaluates leases that are about to expire, and refuses to renew leases when “there is a park purpose that facility could serve,” says Stephanie Figueroa, a Parks & Rec spokesperson, who notes that “no decisions about any specific future use have been made at this time" regarding the bathhouse.
“A lot has changed in Washington Park over the last few decades since this lease began, and we believe that moving forward, this building can directly serve the park, park experience and park user,” Figueroa says. “We will be engaging with the community to explore the various possible uses for this facility. “
VOC mobilizes upwards of 3,000 volunteers across Colorado every year to improve the state's trails and open spaces. The work done by VOC volunteers can be found everywhere from Denver, where they take care of community parks and urban gardens like the flowers in Civic Center Park, to the Western Slope, where they do overnight trail projects and habitat restoration.
"It can stretch the whole gamut. This year, we're even doing butterfly monitoring. It's really about how many ways we can get people engaged and giving back to our outdoor spaces," Nesset says. "We feel like when people get involved, they care for our outdoor spaces, and they'll make decisions to support it."
"It can stretch the whole gamut. This year, we're even doing butterfly monitoring. It's really about how many ways we can get people engaged and giving back to our outdoor spaces," Nesset says. "We feel like when people get involved, they care for our outdoor spaces, and they'll make decisions to support it."
The American Craftsman style bathhouse is a historic piece of Wash Park, originally built in 1911 as a place where people could change before swimming in Smith Lake. The bathhouse is named after the late Dos Chappell, the executive director of VOC during the organization's first fifteen years, from 1984 to 1999. He started out as a VOC trail guide before expanding it into a network of thousands of volunteers; in the '90s, he set his sights on restoring the bathhouse.
Chappell grew up and spent a lot of time around Wash Park, Nesset says. His Denver Post obituary recalls how Chappell got hundreds of residents to build a path around Smith Lake in one day. Nesset was involved in the upkeep of the trail, which has since been replaced by the paved trail that is there today.
Under Chappell's leadership, VOC reached an agreement with the city in 1996 to raise money to renovate the bathhouse in exchange for making it the organization's operational home. The VOC raised $700,000 to renovate the bathhouse that year, and has spent another $300,000 on improvements and maintenance for the facility since then. The City of Denver renamed the bathhouse in honor of Chappell in 2000, the year after he died.
"Dos Chappell put a lot of energy and time into that building," Nesset says. "There's a lot of history there. For VOC, a lot of sentiment."
Under Chappell's leadership, VOC reached an agreement with the city in 1996 to raise money to renovate the bathhouse in exchange for making it the organization's operational home. The VOC raised $700,000 to renovate the bathhouse that year, and has spent another $300,000 on improvements and maintenance for the facility since then. The City of Denver renamed the bathhouse in honor of Chappell in 2000, the year after he died.
"Dos Chappell put a lot of energy and time into that building," Nesset says. "There's a lot of history there. For VOC, a lot of sentiment."
Today, VOC uses the bathhouse as offices for about a dozen paid staffers; members of the public can come inside during VOC business hours Tuesday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Its cozy rooms can be rented for a small fee on weekdays between 8 a.m. and 10 p.m., and the entire building is open during an annual summer social on August 7. But this could be its last social there.
Nesset says that she's gotten the impression that the city wants to use the bathhouse to generate revenue with something like a coffee shop or small retail space, which she's seen done experimentally in other Denver parks. The City of Denver is dealing with a $200 million budget shortfall, which will lead to citywide layoffs and furloughs.
Nesset says that she's gotten the impression that the city wants to use the bathhouse to generate revenue with something like a coffee shop or small retail space, which she's seen done experimentally in other Denver parks. The City of Denver is dealing with a $200 million budget shortfall, which will lead to citywide layoffs and furloughs.
"The city is doing more planning around how they use their facilities," Nesset adds. "They're trying to be more creative in their use to generate funds for parks and rec...that's what it sounds like for their current plan forward."
Denver Councilman Paul Kashmann represents the area. "My understanding from DPR management is the intention is to use park facilities for purposes immediately relevant to the park in which they’re located," he says.
Kashmann believes the city has a responsibility to find a new place for VOC. "While I understand DPR’s thinking, VOC is a valued partner to our city and its goals," he adds. "We need to find them a home that works for them as well as for us."
Kashmann believes the city has a responsibility to find a new place for VOC. "While I understand DPR’s thinking, VOC is a valued partner to our city and its goals," he adds. "We need to find them a home that works for them as well as for us."
Where Will VOC Go Next?
"We're in the part of the park that does not get as much use. We don't get as much foot traffic as the rec center or the other lakes in that area. It is tucked away," she says. "But for us, it's very meaningful and, probably, for the residents in the area."
The VOC's lease expires at the end of 2026; according to Kashmann, the city will give VOC a one-year extension, which would give VOC more than two years to relocate or for the city to change its mind. (Figueroa says that the extension is still in the works.)
While VOC would like to stay in the bathhouse, Nesset says the organization is grateful for the time it's had there.
"We wouldn't be here without a thirty-year lease," she says, noting that "it was kind of a groundbreaking thing" when the original was signed.
The city has offered a couple of "similar spaces" near City Park and the Denver Mountain Parks area, according to Nesset, but VOC would have to raise money to renovate them. "I'm not sure VOC would want to take on that kind of project," she notes.
That said, VOC still welcomes any help and donations to support the move.
"Feel free to let people know we're looking for a home," Nesset says. The organization hopes to stay in the Denver area, but "may move to a neighboring community," she adds.
"I'm sad to lose this location. To suddenly find out that your stable home of thirty years is not going to be stable, it adds a certain amount of uncertainty that is nerve-racking for our volunteers and nerve-racking for our staff."
