The Denver Zoological Foundation (DZF), the nonprofit organization that operates the Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance, filed a lawsuit against the lead design firm and contractor for the zoo’s recently completed $19 million renovation of its California sea lion habitat.

The new habitat, Schlessman Shores, opened in June 2025 and replaced Northern Shores, which started housing sea lions in 1987. 

The lawsuit claims that, according to contracts, design firm BRS Architecture “failed to perform its services with the requisite professional skill and care and otherwise breached its obligations.”

The lawsuit alleges those failures include the following points:

• Failing to design the pool water level to original specifications (which resulted in construction delays and additional costs to raise the pool, curbs, skimmers and to revise the beach area).
• Failing to specify appropriate caging, resulting in rust.
• Failing to specify appropriate metal hardware resulting in rust.
• Failing to meet original specifications resulting in a reduced pool size.
• Failing to provide appropriate ozonation design and operation.
• Failing to provide appropriate sump pump design.
• Failure to design appropriate barriers at pools.

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