Gates Park soccer plans scaled back; pickleball courts added

Plans have been modified for Port Coquitlam’s Gates Park upgrade after part of the funding fell through.

Originally, the project included a new fieldhouse, FIFA-standard pitch, practice fields, and a grandstand with space for 1,200 spectators.

With an outdoor sound system and enough power for a line of food trucks, councillors discussed the possibility of Gates Park hosting a variety festivals and shows. City staff were also planning to bring an event to Port Coquitlam during the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

“At the time, Port Coquitlam was relying on funding to be provided by BC and PoCo Soccer,” explained Port Coquitlam’s director of engineering and public works Joshua Frederick in an email to the Dispatch.

After that money failed to materialize, the project went through a review, with efforts made to retain as much of the original $15-million plan as possible while also bringing down costs. The project budget is now $11.9 million, including a $6.7-million provincial grant. The province was previously set to contribute $9 million.

The centrepiece of the project is now a multi-purpose synthetic turf field, new field lighting, bleacher, scoreboard, changerooms, and a grandstand with space for 500 spectators.

Port Coquitlam is also set to add four pickleball courts to the park, due to “rapidly growing interest in the community,” Frederick explained.

The courts should be a good fit, “as Gates Park is a hub for numerous other sport fields/courts,” Frederick added.

Initially, the Gates Park upgrade was set to be complete in late-2025. However, as the staff reviewed the design to reduce cost, the project fell behind schedule.

There were getting the right materials and ensuring proper geotechnical conditions were “major contributors to the delay,” Frederick stated.

The new Gates Park upgrade is set to be complete by September.