The city is aiming to open its first new park in downtown Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»in nearly a decade this spring.
on the 0.8-acre site at Smithe and Richards streets; the hope is to open it in April or May says Alexandre Man-Bourdon, a senior project manager with the Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»Parks Board.
"Things have been going quite well so far, but we don’t know what challenges are ahead," he says.
The city has already faced some challenges and the $13.8 million project is overbudget Man-Bourdon notes. That's due to unforeseen site conditions below the surface; while the site was most recently a gravel parking lot buildings stood there before. An exact number isn't available he says, since the project isn't finished yet.
While not a big park, Man-Bourdon explains it's a much more complex park than what people might have in mind. The city is trying to fit a lot into a small area since land for parks in the city's core is scarce and there's a lot of different interests looking to use park space.
"It needs to be robust, so it can handle that day-in-day-out traffic," he notes, explaining that 10,000 people could move through the yet-unnamed park in a day.
Passers-by to the site should keep an eye out in the next little while as large-scale pieces begin to show up.
"We’ve got a few months left in the construction," Man-Bourdon says. "The site is going to be changing really quickly."
The much-discussed bridge structures, which will cross above the park and give it more square-footage are being built in Surrey; soon spans ranging from 60 to 100 feet will be lifted into place. They'll have lights and a pair of hammocks installed, as well.
Sky frames are also coming, structures 20 m to 30 m high; they'll create a sort of ceiling to the park. Man-Bourdon notes a pair of bike lanes will flank the park as well, to separate it from vehicle traffic.
Other features will include a large playground (with a three-story play-structure) and a water feature that will recycle water (water used in the feature will then go to the toilets in the cafe). While there won't be a field, some trees are planned, to attract birds and pollinators.
Currently, the site is being referred to as the Smithe and Richards Park, but Man-Bourdon says a process is underway to name the new park.
Funding for the park came from development cost levies.
