Close to $140 million in parks and facility upgrades are on the books this year for the city of Coquitlam.
The 2020 capital program will include everything from field improvements and park upgrades to new recreation centres and turf field replacements.
Here are a few of the projects that will get underway in the next 12 months:
1. Coquitlam Family YMCA, community police station and park & ride
Construction has already begun on the 55,000-sq. ft. community centre and is slated to be completed in fall 2022. When the project is finished, the city said it will serve as the "civic heart" of Burquitlam, offering a pool, gym and multi-purpose space, and a community police station at a cost to the municipality of $42 million. The facility is part of Concert Properties' massive mixed-use residential development at Burquitlam Station, which will see more than 1,000 rental units go up in the area along with 100 non-market units. The project will also include a new park-and-ride lot for commuters taking SkyTrain.
2. Place Maillardville
City council has earmarked $22 million to replace its aging 22,000-sq. ft. Place Maillardville community centre after four decades in use. The new facility will go up on land next to the existing Cartier Avenue building, which staff said means programs will be able to continue during construction. The new facility is expected to include a gym, multi-purpose spaces, a lounge for seniors and youth, a teaching kitchen and meeting rooms. There will also be child-minding space, offices, underground parking and an outdoor plaza next to Laval Square.
3. City Centre Aquatic Complex expansion
More than 9,000 sq. ft. of fitness space will be added to the City Centre Aquatic Complex after council approved a $4.4- to $4.9-million upgrade to the 27-year-old recreation facility this week. Work is expected to get underway in the fall and includes a renovated lobby, a relocated and expanded weight room in the current physiotherapy space and the building of an additional fitness studio with a sprung floor and higher ceiling. The project is expected to be completed in 2021.
4. New washroom at Town Centre Park festival grounds
Bathroom lineups are expected to decrease for festival-goers attending Canada Day or the BC Highland Games and Scottish Festival at Town Centre Park this summer. That's because the city is spending $3.7 million on a new festival hub and gathering space complete with additional washroom facilities, picnic tables, benches and umbrellas. There will also be a food service building that could be turned into a full concession if a commercial food operator is interested in taking over the space.
5. New change rooms at Poirier Sport and Leisure Complex
New change rooms planned for the Poirier Sport and Leisure Complex are aimed at optimizing ice allocation and make the venue attractive for leagues looking to host tournaments, according Coquitlam parks staff. The city will spend $2.4 million to $2.9 million this year on a 4,150-sq. ft. addition that will see four new change rooms with showers and two new flex change rooms, which could be used by referees. To accommodate the new space, up to 25 parkings stalls will be removed.
6. Cottonwood Park expansion
The expansion of Cottonwood Park, which began in 2018, will continue this year with the addition of a new ball diamond and playing field. The project will be completed this fall and is part of a long-term improvement plan for the Burquitlam green space, which will grow from approximately five acres to 11.5 acres when it is complete.
