A year from now, Cottonwood Park will be double its current size and feature a range of new sport and recreation amenities for the growing Burquitlam neighbourhood.
COQUITLAM, B.C., Dec. 8, 2020 – A year from now, Cottonwood Park will be double its current size and feature a range of new sport and recreation amenities for the growing Burquitlam neighbourhood.
Last night, Coquitlam Council directed staff to proceed with the next stage of a major multi-year expansion of Cottonwood Park that began in 2018. Phase 1B, to be constructed next year, will expand the park at 672 Aspen St. from 1.1 hectares (2.6 acres) to 2.1 hectares (5.15 acres) and add a softball diamond, soccer field, multi-use sport court, parkour elements, gathering spaces and other amenities.
Amenities Informed By Input
Feedback from the neighbourhood, Universal Access-Ability Advisory Committee and Sports Advisory Committee informed the detailed Phase 1B design presented to Council for approval this week.
New park elements coming next year include:
- A natural grass field that can be used for soccer and softball;
- A full-size lit multi-use sport court with six basketball hoops, large enough for a full-court basketball game or multiple pick-up games;
- Parkour elements and static outdoor exercise equipment;
- Table tennis and interactive games, including hopscotch-painted concrete and picnic tables with inlaid chess boards; and
- Seating, social spaces and a water-bottle filling station.
Financing for Phase 1B is partly covered by developer fees, funds transferred from Phase 1A as a result of cost savings, and a contribution from Concert Properties for design and construction through the agreement for the nearby YMCA site development.
More Phases to Come
Cottonwood Park’s expansion began in 2018, when Phase 1A brought new play equipment, a water play area, a youth activity and social area, a washroom, a picnic shelter and a parking lot.
Phase 1C, anticipated in the next few years, will include three lit racket sport courts and a permanent trail connection to Cottonwood Avenue. Ultimately, the park is intended to become a 4.65-hectare (11.5-acre) community-level park, almost double what the City had envisioned for the park in 2002.
The scope was changed during the development of the Burquitlam-Lougheed Neighbourhood Plan, in recognition of the area’s rapid growth, development and demand for outdoor recreation services.
The park expansion project grew out of an agreement-in-principle between the YMCA, Concert Properties and the City to deliver community recreation and park amenities to the Burquitlam neighbourhood. The overall park concept plan was developed in 2017 with community input.
Project updates are posted at www.coquitlam.ca/parkprojects.
Parks Upgrades Support the Community
The Cottonwood Park expansion project is part of the continuing rollout of budgeted parks capital projects that are supporting both the public’s increased use of outdoor spaces and the local construction industry, a key employer and driver of the economy. The projects are primarily funded by development contributions and charges that feed the City’s capital reserve accounts.
Additional information and park project updates are available at www.coquitlam.ca/parkprojects.
To learn more about how the City is supporting the community during these challenging times, read about the COVID-19 Community Support and Recovery Plan at www.coquitlam.ca/csrp.
Media contact:
Lanny Englund
Manager, Park Planning and Forestry
City of Coquitlam
604-927-3549
lenglund@coquitlam.ca