The Dominion Triangle has been growing in leaps and bounds, adding shopping, services, industrial warehousing and Mosaic Homes' Fremont Blue residential community.
Now the community on Port Coquitlam's northern boundaries can add one more thing - a nature preserve, Dominion Park playground and a grass commons.
Conwest, the original developer of the 90-acre parcel, has opened an adventure playground for older children and a tot lot for the younger set plus two acres of lawn for Frisbie and picnicking, as well as benches and picnic tables.
In addition, a nature preserve including an intertidal area for fish habitat off the Pitt River that cost nearly $10 million to create and was jointly developed over two years with the city is now filled in with marsh plants and a highlight for walkers on the Port Coquitlam-Len Traboulay Trail.
There is even a special preserve for the protection of an eagle that has made its home there, with a circular fence marking the eagle's home and keeping the public and construction away from the aerie.
The playground and grass commons, located behind the Fremont Blue development off the Fremont Connector between Nicola and Dominion avenues, meanwhile cost $4.5 million, and the entire parcel of land for the park and intertidal area was worth $30 million. But Conwest principal Tony Marinelli believes it is a legacy for the company, albeit a requirement from the city for habitat compensation.
"It compensates for all the water courses in the Dominion Triangle, not just ours. What impresses us more is where it (the park) is located and how it connects to residential, industrial and retail," Marinelli said.
Conwest's original 90-acre parcel has since been partially sold off, with Mosaic Homes entering the second phase of its residential development and Walmart and other stores and services already open, but the company is in the midst of developing job-creating, light-industrial buildings there.
Marinelli said his company, which is involved in civil contracting and industrial and commercial land development, will be operating in Port Coquitlam for years to come.
The playground can be accessed from Nicola Place (an extension of Nicola Avenue) where there are 28 parking stalls.
