A parking lot next to Coquitlam's Centennial Pavilion is being eyed for a new indoor sports court.
This week, about two dozen representatives from Coquitlam athletic organizations met with a city-hired consultant to consider four locations for a year-round, 25,000 sq. ft. facility that is expected to cost between $2 million and $4 million.
The other three sites are:
the parking lot west of Dogwood Pavilion;
Eagle Ridge field;
and Town Centre Park, off Pipeline Road.
Chris Wilson, who was at Tuesday's meeting on behalf of the Sports Centre Users Group, said the Centennial parking lot - at the corner of Poirier Street and Winslow Avenue, across the road from Centennial secondary - is an ideal location given its proximity to the Poirier Sports and Leisure Complex, Chimo Pool, Poirier community centre and Dogwood Pavilion, a seniors' centre.
Dogwood West was ruled out because of security concerns while sports groups turned down Eagle Ridge due to the electrical and flooding issues with the field. And Town Centre Park - designated by the city as a festival site - is already jammed, he said.
The Centennial property was a near unanimous vote by sporting officials because "it would create really positive synergies in the area," Wilson said, adding, "You couldn't wipe the smile off my face at the meeting. This has been a long-time coming."
Wilson said pressure is mounting for available dry floor space that would accommodate not just sports such as lacrosse, ball hockey and soccer but also community activities like the farmers' market.
Coun. Craig Hodge, chair of the city's sports council, said the city hasn't added any dry-floor space in 38 years despite the population doubling.
Parking will be lost for Centennial Pavilion, he acknowledged; however, users could also park their vehicles in surrounding city-owned lots. As well, Centennial is along a transit route, making it more accessible than the other three locations.
Hodge is also lobbying for a bigger multi-use sports court to be built at a later date. Should that concept be approved by council, a capital campaign would get underway.
City staff are now preparing a cost analysis of the Centennial site; a report is expected to be before city council next month. The project would be included as part of council's 2014 budget deliberations in the fall.
jwarren@tricitynews.com
