A Coquitlam park where thousands of amateur athletes play each year will get a facelift this summer and fall.
Next month, the city will begin $1.35-million worth of upgrades to sports facilities at Mackin Park, across from Ikea in Maillardville.
On Monday, city council unanimously approved the budget for the 17-acre park after consulting with the Coquitlam Field Sport Association (CFSA). Among the construction:
• draining, sand rebuilding and resodding the north play field;
• moving the cricket batting cage and shifting the cricket pitch;
• relocating the east ball diamond and providing new backstop fencing;
• and resurfacing and sodding the west ball diamond's skinned infield for full-field football play on the south side.
The improvements are expected to wrap up by November; however, the north field will be off-limits until May 2018 to allow the grass to grow. Funding will come from the city's Sports Field Strategy Program (the project was initially budgeted at $1.175 million).
Coun. Teri Towner, who frequents Mackin Park for her kids' games, told city council there's buzz in the community about the changes coming for the 57-year-old site.
Meanwhile, CFSA and city staff are also calling for up to $6 million in additional updates that would include expanding the parking lot by 25 cars, replacing the field house and replacing or renovating the Mackin Yard batting cage.
According to a report from Raul Allueva, Coquitlam's general manager of parks, recreation and culture services, future funding would come from the Beedie Development Group, which has committed $500,000 to Mackin Park as part of its Fraser Mills re-development, and $1 million from Kinder Morgan pipeline expansion, should it proceed.
Also on Monday, city council okayed another $250,000 to the Smiling Creek park project.
Andreea Toma, Coquitlam's general manager of strategic initiatives, said the cost overrun is to pay for more rock blasting, excavation and backfill at the Burke Mountain site.
The 3.43-acre park — now with a price tag of $3,050,000 — will be shared with the new Smiling Creek elementary school.
Other city parks currently being worked on are: Princeton Park ($906,500); Victoria Park ($1.95 million); Rochester Park ($4.84 million); Hartley Field ($1.4 million); and Mountain View Park ($1.51 million).
jcleugh@tricitynews.com
