Burke Mountain rec centre now set to be complete in 2027, city could borrow as much as $90 million

Coquitlam’s newest rec centre may be drawing near, but how it will be paid for remains a cause for concern.

Coquitlam recently issued a request for proposals in the hopes of finding an architect to sketch out the Northeast Community Centre, which currently has a construction budget of $116.6 million.

Coun. Craig Hodge said he was “very concerned” about the timeframe, noting the city was previously targeting 2026.

“I want to keep this moving along as quickly as we can recognizing that we may hit a wall when it comes to the financing,” Hodge said at a recent council meeting.

Funding at risk

Most of the rec centre was set to be funded through density bonuses and community amenity contributions – money developers typically pay the city in exchange for more building height or density than the municipality previously contemplated.

However, new provincial housing legislation involves phasing out community amenity contributions in favour of Amenity Cost Charges. The precise rules around ACCs are set to be released this fall.

That change could put the city’s funding sources at risk, according to a city staff report.

The city has approved plans to borrow as much as $90 million from the Municipal Finance Authority if needed, the report stated.

The Municipal Finance Authority provides a pool of cash to help municipalities borrow money or finance projects.

The MFA’s 40 members are elected officials representing 28 regional districts across the province.

Despite the “financial uncertainty,” the rec centre remains a top priority for the city.

“It is critical to move into the design phase of this project to ensure that this much needed community amenity will be available for Coquitlam residents as soon as possible,” the report concluded.

Rec it

The facility is set to include a six-lane lap pool, leisure pool, sauna, an approximately 10,000 square foot library, two gyms, a fitness centre and a park/plaza.

As the first building in the planned village, the rec centre is: “expected to demonstrate leadership in design and placemaking,” while also complementing future residential and commercial development.

The population of Burke Mountain is eventually expected to swell to 50,000.

Architects have until April 17 to apply for the job.

A schematic design is scheduled to be finished later this year. Excavation is set to start next year with a tentative completion date of 2027.

The City contracted Turnbull Construction Services Ltd. to manage the project.

Archaeology

In an effort to gain a better understanding of the history around of the Hyde and Partington watersheds, Coquitlam also issued a request for proposals to help with a Burke Mountain archaeological project earlier this year.

The results of the work will only be shared with archaeologists, landowners and Indigenous groups, in a bid to: “safeguard access to archaeological information and site locations,” according to Coquitlam’s park planning and design manager Doron Fishman.

The project’s metrics for success including environmental protection and cultural recognition, as well as “advancing relations between the city and Kwikwetlem First Nation,” according to the RFP.

Kwikwetlem is slated to engage with the city on the project, including the evaluation of submissions from potential consultants.

Given that Coquitlam is built on the ancestral lands of the Kwikwetlem First Nation and that parts of the city were shared with the Katzie and other Coast Salish Peoples, reconciliation is a “key priority” for the city, explained Fishman.