Recreation Facility Feasibility Study
Project Update:
The recreation feasibility study has been assessing the feasibility of combining aquatics, arena and other community recreation services at Hammond Community Park. As the service demand analysis (which measures current and future needs) and site analysis progressed, it became apparent that the park site was not sufficiently large enough to accommodate the desired services as well as the necessary parking.
On February 6, 2025 the City announced, planning is underway to develop two new ice sheets at the Albion Fairgrounds arena complex. Two additional sheets will create a hub for arena sports and events, featuring four rinks and one-curling rink in east Maple Ridge.
With this decision to plan for arena expansion at the fairgrounds, the feasibility study has refocused on developing a community recreation and aquatics facility, including a U13-sized baseball diamond, park amenities and green space for use at Hammond Community Park.
Building on the Phase 1 Engagement Summary, which included Engagement Quick Facts and What We Heard summary graphics, work continues on the following activities related to this project.
- Completing the site assessments such as archaeological, geotechnical and traffic assessments
- Developing a design concept that incorporates feedback received and meet the needs of our growing community
- Planning for the re-location of the baseball fields
Engagement Phase 2 - Spring 2025
In order to provide as comprehensive and current information as possible for the public to give feedback on, phase two of community engagement will occur in Spring 2025.
Engagement will include a survey, public open houses, and focus group workshops with various user and community groups, and key partners.
Register to receive project updates, including the launch of engagement phase 2!
Engagement Phase 1: Jan. - Feb. 2024
In January 2024 we began phase 1 of our public engagement to explore resident and user group needs and input for a new multi-use recreational facility at Hammond Community Park. We had an incredible number of survey responses and attendance at our Hammond area Focus Session and Open Houses at Maple Ridge Public Library, Maple Ridge Leisure Centre and Planet Ice. This was truly one of our largest engagements to date.
Thanks to all who participated to help shape our future recreation facility!
The data we received from all of the nearly 2,360 survey responses and 650 open house comments was analyzed and summarized into our Recreation Feasibility Study - Phase 1 Engagement Summary. The feedback gave valuable insight about what the community is wanting for our future place to move, meet, and play.
Refer to the "Documents" section on this page for the "Engagement Quick Facts" and "What We Heard" infographics.
Background
Our City is rapidly growing and there is a huge demand for more recreation. In the 2023 Parks, Recreation, and Culture Master Plan, the City of Maple Ridge identified a pressing need for new aquatic and arena facilities, ranking these among the top five recreation capital investment priorities.
Hammond Community Park has been identified as the preferred site for the City’s future aquatics facility, a priority identified in the Parks, Recreation and Culture (PRC) Master Plan adopted in February 2023. As a City-owned property and home to the aging Hammond Community Centre and outdoor pool, the site is ideal to minimize land purchase costs for the new facility. Hammond Community Park also met the preferred criteria: sufficient space, fully serviced site, in a developed area with a growing population, accessible by transit and near a major transportation route,
We see this as an opportunity to create a large, state-of-the-art centre where people can be active & come together. To learn how residents and our user groups think the new facility will meet their needs, we conducted a series of open houses and a public survey until February 23, 2024.
Past Open Houses & Focus Session
- Wednesday, Jan.31: 5 - 8 p.m. at Maple Ridge Public Library
- Saturday, Feb. 3: 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. at Hammond Community Centre (focused neighbourhood session)
- Sunday, Feb. 11: 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. at Maple Ridge Leisure Centre
- Thursday, Feb. 15: 4 - 7 p.m. at Planet Ice Arena
Project History
The City has hired hcma architecture and design to undertake the Recreation Facility Feasibility Study. This effort will involve both public engagement and site analysis, both of which will determine the scale and type of facility and services needed to best serve the community now and into the future. The analysis will also consider leading trends and best practices research along with the extensive feedback collected during the public engagement for the 2023 Parks, Recreation and Culture Master Plan.
Work on the Recreation Feasibility Study began in December 2023 and is being completed in phases. There will be two phases of public engagement, with the first occurring Jan. 22 - Feb. 23, 2024 and the second phase initiated when site assessments and a design concept is developed. The outcomes of public engagement will help inform the development of a concept plan for future recreational services at Hammond Community Park. Phase 2 of public engagement will invite community members to provide feedback on a future facility concept design.
Level of Engagement - Consult
The engagement for this project is at the "consult" level of the International Association for Public Participation's (IAP2) Spectrum of Public Participation. This means that we will keep the public informed, listen to and acknowledge concerns and aspirations, and provide feedback on how public input influenced the decision.
Learn more about how we use the Spectrum as a foundation for our public engagement here!
Translations
There is an automatic translation tool available at the top-right of this page. Languages include: Traditional Chinese [繁體中文] Simplified Chinese [简体中文] Punjabi [ਪੰਜਾਬੀ], Filipino [Tagalog], Vietnamese [Tiếng Việt], French [Français], Korean [한국어], Japanese [日本語] Spanish [Español] and more.
Please Note: Google Translate is a third-party service and we cannot guarantee the quality or accuracy of the translated content. If you require additional support, email engage@mapleridge.ca.
