Washrooms, seating and other newly-completed amenities are now open to the public at Town Centre Park.
COQUITLAM, B.C., Dec. 11, 2020 – Washrooms, seating and other newly-completed amenities are now open to the public at Town Centre Park.
The festival hub surrounding the TD Community Stage is now complete and awaits the return of civic events that typically attract tens of thousands to the City’s premier park.
In the meantime, most of the new features are available now to those visiting the park for fitness and recreation, including improved lawns and landscaping, a new plaza with outdoor furniture, and men’s, women’s and universal washrooms.
Enhancements Serve City Now and in the Future
The upgraded festival hub – along with its proximity to transit and stunning views of Lafarge Lake – leaves Town Centre Park well positioned to once again host major local and regional events in the future. In addition to serving the local community, these events bring tens of thousands of people, along with their shopping dollars, to City Centre.
The new improvements now open include:
- A 650-square-metre (7,000-square-foot) plaza with concrete paving, a harvest picnic table, a large curved bench, fixed umbrellas for shade, lighting, and movable tables and chairs;
- A 190-square-metre (2,050 square-foot) washroom and servery building along the edge of the plaza, with men’s and women’s washrooms (three stalls each), two universal washrooms, and space and servicing for a future concession lease;
- An upgraded festival lawn with better sightlines to the stage, which will facilitate large civic events through improved drainage and irrigation systems, enhanced planting beds, and over 55 new shade trees;
- Upgraded pathways to improve circulation, and new lighting along main paths; and
- A localized power supply to support future event growth.
The City is seeking an operator for the concession in the servery building, with the hope it will be operational in 2021. Other project elements include additional pathway lighting and a new fire hydrant on Trevor Wingrove Way.
Parks Upgrades Support the Community
Construction is expected to begin next year for planned improvements centred around the Lafarge Lake loop trail that will encompass about 9.3 hectares (23 acres) of the 42-hectare (103-acre) park.
Public consultation wrapped up in late October on a refined concept intended to bring lighting and trail improvements, new gathering spaces, enhanced plantings, wayfinding and other amenities to the popular route. The $4.55 million budget will be funded by developer fees and the 2021 Capital Plan. More information is available at www.letstalkcoquitlam.ca/towncentrepark .
The festival hub and lake loop projects are part of the continuing rollout of budgeted parks capital projects – including those associated with the Town Centre Park Master Plan – 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:
Andre Isakov
Park Planning & Design Manager
Parks, Recreation & Culture Services
604-927-3541
aisakov@coquitlam.ca