Work on the new Port Coquitlam Recreation Complex reached a new milestone with the installation of 18 timber beams over the last couple of weeks.
The engineered wood — also known as glulam beams — are a key design feature for the rec centre and when completed will be visible from the pool, the fitness area and down the corridor linking the ice rink and the gymnasium.
"It's pretty exciting," said Lori Bowie, director of recreation with the city of Port Coquitlam. "It is definitely more of a design feature than the concrete. It is a pretty significant milestone."
Six bays of glulam beams each consisting of three connected beams were installed over the pool between the end of November and the beginning of January. The beams can be as large as seven-feet deep at various lengths.
Bowie said the facility has started to take shape over the last few months, with many residents asking where the various amenities will be located within the facility.
"There has been a lot of public interest in trying to figure out what space is what," she added. "A lot of people want to know what is going where."
The first phase of the $132 million project focuses on the north side of the property facing Wilson Avenue. It includes two ice sheets and a library, while a leisure pool, fitness centre and multi-purpose rooms will be located on the northwest side along Mary Hill Road.
Work on the initial phase is expected to wrap up in time for the 2019-'20 skating season.
The builder is "forecasting that they will have the two sheets of ice ready for the fall," Bowie said, adding the pool may open up later in the fall.
More precise dates would likely be available in the spring, she added.
Phase 2 construction, which will be completed in the summer of 2021, will include a gymnasium, an ice sheet with spectator stands, underground parking, a child-minding area, an outdoor plaza and more multi-purpose rooms.
While work is underway, the existing rec complex is still open. Temporary entrances are located on the west and east sides of the building and can be approached from Kingsway Ave and Kelly Ave.
Residents can check for project updates on the city's website.
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