COQUITLAM, B.C. – Developer Wesbild has donated $5 million towards the construction of a lit artificial turf field, running track and other amenities at the future Burke Mountain Middle/Secondary School in Coquitlam.
“Wesbild is pleased to work in partnership with the City of Coquitlam and School District 43 to help bring schools to Burke Mountain,” said Kevin Layden, Wesbild president and CEO, in a press release. “Our gift of $5 million towards a track and field for Burke Mountain will provide a new park space for residents and a place for students to play and grow.”
Wesbild, known in Coquitlam for its communities on Burke Mountain and Westwood Plateau, has also committed to donating and servicing the land for the six-acre Marigold Elementary School site in the Partington Creek neighbourhood.
The 23-acre joint middle/secondary school and park site comprises two properties, one owned by the school district and the other owned by the City.
The school is currently in the planning stages. Capital funding has been requested from the provincial government for a 2023 opening. The long-term plan is to construct a separate middle school on the same site when it is required by the local student population.
The park component, including the artificial turf sports field and sports track, will be funded through the $5-million Wesbild contribution and $3.8 million from development revenues through the City’s Development Cost Charges paid by developers. Additional cooperative funding of $405,000 from the City and School District may also be accessed for the project. Wesbild presented the $5 million cheque at the Jan. 13 Council meeting.
The city and school district plan to develop a joint-use agreement similar to other joint sites to provide for shared use of the site amenities. The field and track will be used by students during school hours and by the Burke Mountain community at other times. It will be Coquitlam’s seventh artificial turf field. An eighth field is planned in the future, also as a joint use amenity between the district and city, on the Centennial Secondary School site.
“This project is a wonderful example of what can be achieved through partnerships,” said Coquitlam Mayor Richard Stewart in a release. “The new field and track are sure to be well-used amenities for the growing neighbourhoods on Burke Mountain. With the City and Wesbild jointly committing $9.2 million in funding for the park amenities, we are lending our strong support to SD43’s request for capital funding for the Burke Mountain Middle/Secondary School Site.”
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