Edgewater Is Transforming 25th Avenue, but Construction Has Been Challenging for Some

Somehow Edgewater manages to pull off small-town charm even while bordering downtown Denver. “Everybody is on a first-name basis here in Edgewater. You wouldn’t even think most of these people had cars,” says Cody Ford, owner of Providence at 5280, a tavern located on West 25th Avenue. “They’re out on their feet all day long walking around.”

To better cater to the town’s walking culture, the City of Edgewater undertook and approved a Traffic Calming and Mobility Plan in 2019, which identified much-needed changes to the 25th Avenue corridor to better support pedestrians and bicycle users.

“They call it historic 25th Avenue, and prior to this update, that couldn’t have been more true, because it was just old-town Edgewater, where it was older [with] older infrastructure, and it was kind of beat down,” says Ford. “Now we’re putting that new look on it. ... It’ll look like the 16th Street Mall, Tennyson Street, Olde Town Arvada.”

This Edgewater main street runs from Sheridan to Benton Street along the northwestern corner of Sloan’s Lake. The plan is to turn it into a one-way street with wider sidewalks and bicycle lanes. The pandemic also convinced the city to increase the patio area for the various restaurants that line the street, which include Joyride Brewing Company, US Thai Cafe and Edgewater Inn.
But to get there, businesses along this corridor have had to endure extensive construction that started in early February and is expected to be complete by the end of May. The city notified all businesses via a letter mailed on December 13; it also held pre-construction meetings in January. “I went out with the city manager, and we actually went out and personally met with each business so that we could ask questions before construction started and see what concerns they had,” explains Kit Lammers, community services director for the City of Edgewater. “I do a weekly email to all the businesses to let them know where we are with construction, and then I’m also out on site [almost] daily.”

Despite the city's efforts, some business owners were still caught off-guard. “It was like two weeks [of notice], and it was like, ‘You have to move all your patio furniture,’” recalls Lexi Healy, co-owner of the Electric Cure, our 2024 Best of Denver pick for Best Satanic Gay Tiki Bar. “It’s just like, ‘Oh, okay, like, where do we put it? We don’t even have a closet in our building.”

Healy hypothesizes that because the business is more alternative and only open in the evenings, it slipped through the communication cracks leading to anxiety and frustration when the street was shut down and construction crews started digging up the street. “We could have saved money — could have put off larger purchases knowing that all of a sudden, our business was going to be severely impacted for an unknown and significant amount of time,” she says, estimating that sales are down 25 percent year over year as it becomes more and more difficult for customers to navigate to the bar. “And for the staff, [to be able to warn them] to save a little money, because as bartenders, their money is made on tips.
Other business owners think the city should step up to help while street access is cut off. "It's been hard. ... It's pretty difficult to get into our cafe from the street right now," says Brandon Harrier, co-owner of Sati Coffee Co. "We're excited for what it's supposed to be, but we've had to shut down [to accommodate construction], and we haven't gotten grants from the city or any help from the city."

Along with decreases in traffic and revenue, regulars at the cafe have had to contend with construction noise and dust. "It's not the best vibe to come to a coffee shop and have a jackhammer outside when you're trying to do work," Harrier adds.

Ford says that Providence has not seen a significant dip in traffic. “I’m a huge advocate of the City of Edgewater and the way they look out for small businesses and the things they try to mitigate the damages,” he notes. “There’s actually a guy that’s out here all day long; his job is basically to move road closure signs for trucks making our deliveries. ... There’s a gentleman out here just directing traffic all day long trying to make sure that customers can get in here if they want to, and he has a little sign on an orange cone that shows his phone number [so] he can be contacted at any point in time to help direct people in.”

The city also leased the parking lot next to Edgewater Inn to increase parking and delivery access.

Other businesses along 25th Avenue are just ready to put construction in the rearview mirror and enjoy the renovation, which they hope will increase foot traffic and the prestige of their location.

Once construction wraps up, the City of Edgewater has plans to install concrete planters along the pedestrian walkways to create a vibrant, pedestrian-first main street and to offer grants for patio furniture.

To keep up with the project's progress and get more information, visit envisionedgewaterco.com.