Denver officials have rolled out a rough blueprint for the near future of an iconic, historic destination undergoing major changes.

While a decades-long family operation is set to end, Denver Parks and Recreation recently pledged limited services at Echo Lake Lodge while working toward a multi-year mission “to maintain and protect its rustic mountain character and setting well into the next century.”

The department laid this out in a web page that also provides some background on the lodge beside the Mount Evans Scenic Byway. It was built along the 14,000-foot mountain in 1926 and has since been owned by the city of Denver.

For nearly 60 of those 96 years, Bill Carle’s family has contracted with the city to run a restaurant and retail shop in the lodge. In a previous interview with The Colorado Sun, Carle expressed remorse over the end of the contract with the city — following similar, abrupt ends to businesses atop Pikes Peak and Lookout Mountain.

In its next steps recently outlined, Denver Parks and Recreation cited a “significant” need to address priorities listed in a 2008 master plan. That includes rehabilitation and upgrades as well as research into “the feasibility of a new recreation role for the lodge, including winterization for expanded seasons, overnight accommodations, etc.”

While the city looks to partner with a food truck and offer “limited services” inside the building, the expectation is a much different scene for the next three years.

“There is a narrow construction window at such high elevation which will result in significant impacts to operations within the building,” officials explained in the announcement.

Between 2023-2025, the plan is “to undertake a planning process to determine the best and most sustainable combination of long-term uses for Echo Lake Lodge.”

More on the plan here: https://bit.ly/3S8XJAA