Maple Ridge outlines $393-million recreation proposal ahead of Oct. 17 vote

Maple Ridge voters will be asked on Oct. 17 whether to authorize long-term borrowing for three proposed Recreation Ready projects with a combined preliminary price tag of $393 million.

Each project will appear as a separate assent-vote question. The proposals are a $227-million Hammond Aquatics and Recreation Centre, a $23-million first phase of a multi-use community park at the current Maple Ridge Golf Course site, and a $143-million expansion of the Albion Twin-Rink Arena and Event Facility.

The proposed aquatics centre at Hammond Community Park would include aquatic, fitness, recreation, arts and community space. The park plan calls for sports fields, trails, green space and amenities. The arena expansion would add ice and dry-floor space, seating, fitness space and event capacity.

The city says about 60 per cent of long-term borrowing would be repaid through property taxes and about 40 per cent through Amenity Cost Charges on new development. Based on current estimates, the three projects together would add about three per cent annually to property taxes from 2027 through 2030, beyond the tax base. A home assessed at $1 million would pay an estimated additional $90 in 2027 and about $385 by 2030.

If approved, projects would proceed to detailed design, with costs subject to refinement. Current estimates place construction starts in 2027 for the park’s first phase, 2028 for the arena expansion and 2029 for the aquatics centre. Information is available at MapleRidge.ca/RecreationReady and MapleRidge.ca/GoVote; inquiries can be sent to RecreationReady@MapleRidge.ca.