Coquitlam gets more bounce to the ounce; developer gets verbally trounced

Coquitlam is looking to generate a different kind of inflation in City Centre this summer.

After vociferous debate about a developer’s broken promises, council approved a temporary inflatable theme park on Monday.

From June 22 through Labour Day, Funbox is set to operate 25,000 square feet of jumping space from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

The bouncy kingdom is set to be located at 1150 The High Street – a gravel lot that is still technically set to become home to an 18-storey retail/commercial building.

Council approved the project in 2005, however Morguard development company will not build it, explained city planning manager Andrew Merrill.

“The applicant has indicated they have no intention of following through with that development permit,” he told council Monday.

The park is expected to generate 24-28 summer jobs for young people. The tower would’ve brought around 1,140 jobs to the city, said Coun. Robert Mazzarolo, who noted the: “incalculable loss of economic spinoffs over those 20 years.”

Coun. Brent Asmundson agreed, noting the city was “enabling” Morguard to profit off the land while failing to live up to their deal with the city.

“We’ve had a problem fulfilling the need for office space,” Asmundson said. “I think if they built the office it would be filled and they would be successful with it.”

The city’s issue is with the landlord, not the temporary tenant, asserted Mayor Richard Stewart.

“I’m going to yell at them,” he said of Morguard. “Because I think they’re being lousy corporate citizens.”

Rejecting the FunBox application wouldn’t send any shockwaves through Morguard, Stewart reasoned.

“If we say “no” here, I don’t think anybody in Toronto notices,” he said. “I can’t imagine what the rent on a piece of gravel is for four months but I don’t think it balances any of the books over at Morguard.”

Coun. Dennis Marsden also took a dim view of Morguard, “looking for some form of return on their money while it sits there fallow and they continue to squat on their application.” However, Marsden ultimately concurred with the mayor.

“I don’t want to hold a small business hostage because the landlord’s causing us grief,” Marsden said.

The theme park would improve what council referred to as an underutilized eyesore.

“For years, the city of Vancouver was called the No Fun City,” Marsden said. “Let’s not take that title away from them. Let’s let the kids play.”

Not approving the inflatable park won’t produce the office space, Coun. Teri Towner said.

“Especially in a post-pandemic world, we need more fun,” she said.

The location was a dealbreaker for Coun. Trish Mandewo, who noted the screaming and laughter amid the bouncy castle and the nearby highrises.

The industrial-sized diesel generator that pumps up the bouncy castles produces around 66 decibels. The generator is set to be kept within an enclosure with venting to reduce noise.

The material is industrialized rubber which tends to contain the sound, according to Funbox franchisee Mike Druce. The park inflates every morning and deflates every evening so there’s no noise at night, he added.

Coun. Craig Hodge noted the park would only be operating for a little more than two months.

“If it’s in the wrong spot, well, then we won’t do it again,” he said.

While the park is permitted to operate until Oct. 4, it would likely shut down about Labour Day, according to Druce. The park doesn’t operate in the rain or high winds.

The park would consist of tents, a toddler park, a main bounce park, two spider tents, an obstacle course and a concession stand. Eight portable washrooms will also be on site.

The bouncy kingdom was approved with Couns. Mazzarolo, Mandewo, and Asmundson opposed.

The city allowed a temporary garden retail store to operate on the site for three years. However, the owner opted not to set up the shop for the final year of that deal.