Coquitlam has its first public parkour course.
And the concrete playground isn’t just for kids.
Last week, the City of Coquitlam opened Phase 1B of the Cottonwood Park redevelopment that’s aimed to serve the growing number of Burquitlam residents.
Designed by parkour practitioner Travis Martin, the course includes the usual obstacles for jumping, climbing and rolling used to get from one point to another.
But it's also meant to suit all ages, said Jody Addah, the city’s project manager of strategic projects, who used VDZ+A to design the next phase of the park’s growth.
"We wanted to have this park be attractive to all demographics in Coquitlam," Addah told the Tri-City News during a tour.
"And we especially wanted to have a challenge for teens with the balancing bars, climbing wall and space to jump."
Besides the parkour course in the activity area, the park at 672 Aspen St. now has:
- a Super 8 field for soccer and softball
- a multi-use court for basketball and street hockey
- ping pong and picnic tables
Addah said the grass field could be skinned, if needed, for other sports such as baseball as it has two dugouts and a scorekeepers' table behind home plate.
As well, a paved walking/running loop now circles the park, and it will be expanded to 400 m in Phase 1C once Emerson Street is fully built on the western side.
Phase 1C of the park expansion is set to be done by 2026 and will add three tennis courts to the north once Concert Properties constructs its high-rises.
There are no plans to include pickleball lines or nets on those courts; "however, the city has recently completed its first dedicated pickleball facility at Bramble Park and we continue to review opportunities to accommodate this fast-growing sport," he said.
Addah said Phase 1B, which doubles the park size, came in on budget at $3.6 million — paid for in part by developers fees, cost savings from Phase 1A and a Concert Properties contribution to tie in with the new Burquitlam YMCA — but it was nine months late to open because of bad weather and supply chain challenges.
The annual operating and maintenance costs for Phase 1B is $80,000, with another $70,000 to be set aside each year for asset replacement, city documents state.
The City of Coquitlam started expansion of Cottonwood Park four years ago. Phase 1A, which cost $4.6 million, saw new play equipment, a water play area, a youth activity and social area, washrooms, picnic tables and a parking lot.
Once finished, Cottonwood Park will grow to 11.5 aces, according to the city.
Although the budget for Phase 1C has yet to be approved, it’s expected that the full cost of the park expansion will be around $13.5 million, city reports read.
