More than two dozen major recreation and cultural facility projects are planned in Coquitlam in the next 10 to 15 years, and by 2021 the City will have a road map to guide the way.
COQUITLAM, B.C., July 27, 2020 – More than two dozen major recreation and cultural facility projects are planned in Coquitlam in the next 10 to 15 years, and by 2021 the City will have a road map to guide the way.
This week, Council-in-Committee gave staff the go-ahead to develop a new Major Recreation and Cultural Facilities Road Map – a user-friendly document that will distil and map out the complex process of funding, designing, constructing and operating more than 25 planned facility projects contained in various City plans and strategies.
In addition to providing a guiding plan for Council and City staff, the high-level document will provide more transparency for taxpayers by outlining the anticipated scheduling and costs to build, staff and run the facilities.
A Coordinated Approach to New Facilities
The road map will draw from – but not revisit – more than 20 existing planning, policy and strategy documents such as facility assessments, master plans, partner facility agreements, service strategies, land-use studies and the corporate business plan. It will also roll in new work coming over the next year, such as childcare and heritage strategies, the City Centre Area Plan, the Four Corners study and Southwest Arts and Heritage Centre planning.
The various documents reference more than 25 major facility projects for Coquitlam in the next 10-15 years, each with its own planning and approval process, design, construction and operational needs and costs, including:
- Upgrades or replacements to existing facilities such as the City Centre Aquatic Complex, Innovation Centre, Evergreen Cultural Centre, Pinetree Community Centre, Glen Pine Seniors Centre, Poirier Sport and Leisure Complex, Poirier Precinct facilities (including Dogwood, Centennial and admin buildings), Poirier Forum, two libraries, Poirier Community Centre, Place Maillairdville, Place des Arts, Mackin House and Planet Ice;
- New facilities proposed or in progress such as Coquitlam Family YMCA, the Northeast Community Centre, Fraser Mills Community Centre, City Centre Community Centre, a Heritage Centre and Museum and outdoor pools; and
- Aspirational or potential future projects such as an expanded civic theatre, the Four Corners Civic Precinct, several SD43 partner facilities, the Gilley’s Trail sports field complex and various public-private partnership proposals.
As the various projects are slotted into the road map’s timeline, factors considered will include changing needs and demographics, population projections, equitable service levels, sustainable building practices, cost implications, trends and innovation, and even the impact of the pandemic.
Most of the work will be completed in-house and will involve staff from across the City.
The draft plan will be presented to Council in early 2021, and both the road map and project information will be shared with the community along the way.
The Importance of Planning Ahead
Development of the Major Recreation and Culture Facilities Road Map reflects Coquitlam’s typical thoughtful and fiscally-responsible approach to planning and funding future services and facilities.
Parks, recreation and culture are important to local residents, who consistently report more than 90 per cent satisfaction in the City’s annual citizen surveys.
With continuing growth anticipated throughout the City and a continuing need to replace or refurbish aging facilities, it is important to establish the timing for how and when new services will be delivered in order to smooth out the budget demands – not only for construction but for ongoing staffing and operations.
A coordinated approach will help ensure equitable service levels across the community, while also reducing the risk of significant financial impact as new facilities are added to the City’s inventory and existing facilities age and require more care.
While the road map will encompass projects planned as far head as 2035, it will be a living document that is reviewed annually and considered as part of the five-year capital planning cycle.
For more information and details, visit www.coquitlam.ca/facilityprojects.
Stay Up to Date on City Projects and Initiatives
For updates on parks projects, recreation programming and facilities, and City events, sign up for Coquitlam’s bi-monthly PRC E-news at www.coquitlam.ca/enews.
Coquitlam residents and businesses are also encouraged to follow the City of Coquitlam on social media (Facebook, Instagram and Twitter) and download the CoquitlamConnect mobile app for up-to-date City information.