City’s ongoing investment prioritizes aging infrastructure and coordinated upgrades across five zones

Port Coquitlam is rolling out another season of improvements under its long-standing Neighbourhood Rehabilitation Program, a key infrastructure initiative that targets aging roads and underground utilities across the city. With a carefully structured, zone-based approach, the city aims to modernize critical infrastructure while balancing budgets and responding to community needs.

Targeted Upgrades Guided by Data and Geography

Each year, Port Coquitlam allocates significant capital funding to restore and upgrade infrastructure within one of five defined “neighbourhood” zones. This rotational system ensures that improvements are geographically distributed over time, allowing the city to deliver infrastructure renewal in an efficient and cost-effective manner.

Within each zone, the selection of paving and underground utility projects—such as drainage, sanitary, and water systems—is driven by a combination of technical assessments and budget availability. Roads are prioritized based on pavement condition ratings, while the need for underground work is determined through analyses of system capacity and condition. These overlapping improvements are intentionally bundled to save costs, minimize disruption, and prevent the need to dig into freshly paved roads.

Balancing New Infrastructure with Rehabilitation Needs

While the program’s core mission is to replace aging assets, there’s also growing community interest in adding new infrastructure—such as sidewalks, pedestrian safety features, and streetlights—during the course of these major construction projects.

The City, however, must weigh such additions carefully. New infrastructure may seem like a logical add-on during active rehabilitation, but unplanned expansions can quickly erode the budget meant for essential upgrades. This tradeoff could result in fewer overall improvements in a given neighbourhood.

To manage this balance, the City evaluates new infrastructure requests against specific criteria:

• Priority projects already identified in approved capital programs—such as pedestrian safety enhancements or traffic calming—are given greater consideration.

• Curbs are upgraded from extruded asphalt or older concrete to new concrete curb and gutter systems where appropriate.

• New curbs may also be added if a storm sewer system already exists, since this adds only incremental cost.

• Storm sewer upgrades, due to their high cost and complexity, are assessed independently. If current drainage service is deemed sufficient, these upgrades are generally postponed to preserve budget capacity for broader rehabilitation work.

Long-Term Planning with Community in Mind

The Neighbourhood Rehabilitation Program represents more than just roadwork—it’s a strategic investment in the city’s long-term livability and sustainability. By coordinating upgrades to surface and underground infrastructure, Port Coquitlam is working to extend the life of its systems while addressing today’s public safety and mobility needs.

Residents interested in seeing which projects are currently underway or upcoming can visit the Capital Projects page on the City’s official website. Additional details about sidewalk improvements and traffic calming initiatives are also available online.

Looking Ahead

As infrastructure ages and demands continue to grow, programs like this one will play an increasingly vital role in shaping the future of Port Coquitlam's neighbourhoods. The City’s methodical, data-driven approach ensures residents benefit from smarter planning and minimized disruptions.

Curious how these upgrades might affect your street or neighbourhood? We’re keeping a close eye on local infrastructure developments to help our clients and community stay ahead of the curve. Want to be one of them?

Downtown Port Coquitlam is undergoing a significant transformation. With roots in a vision laid out more than two decades ago, the City is breathing new life into its core through the ambitious Civic Centre redevelopment and associated public realm improvements. From revitalized parks to pedestrian-friendly streetscapes and engaging public spaces, the City’s renewed downtown is emerging as a dynamic, inclusive, and vibrant hub for residents, visitors, and businesses alike.

Reimagining the Heart of the City

The revitalization project zeroes in on Port Coquitlam’s Civic Centre—bounded by McAllister Avenue, Shaughnessy Street, Wilson Avenue, and Donald Street—as the focal point of its transformation. With the goal of creating a walkable, safe, and welcoming downtown, the City’s plans emphasize retaining the area’s historic charm while enhancing its commercial and residential appeal.

Key elements of the Civic Centre redesign include upgraded parks, improved pedestrian connections, modern streetscapes, and flexible event spaces that draw people downtown to live, shop, and socialize. Many of these projects are now complete, with others soon to follow.

McAllister Avenue: A Pedestrian-First Streetscape

Once a simple thoroughfare, McAllister Avenue has been redesigned as a one-way, eastbound street with a focus on foot traffic and street-level vibrancy. The reconstruction, completed in 2022, features wide sidewalks, patio-friendly storefronts, trees, public seating, underground utilities, and event-ready infrastructure like electrical hookups for food trucks and performers. The design’s emphasis on accessibility and celebration aligns with the broader vision for a lively, people-centric downtown.

Veterans Park and Leigh Square: Green Spaces That Welcome and Connect

At the heart of the Civic Centre lies the newly redeveloped Veterans Park, completed in June 2023. This open-concept green space now offers accessible pathways, improved lighting and safety sightlines, modern landscaping, and a repositioned cenotaph thoughtfully designed with input from the Royal Canadian Legion. It’s become a serene yet social space for residents and visitors alike.

Leigh Square, once a more utilitarian plaza, now thrives as an open festival space following its 2024 reopening. New features include accessible paths, additional seating, improved lighting, and a performance stage facing City Hall. A future playground is also in the works, helping to draw families into the fold and making the square a multi-generational gathering space.

The Donald Pathway extension, now completed, links these redeveloped spaces together and enhances walkability through the downtown core.

Community-Driven Design Backed by History

This revitalization journey is not a sudden pivot but the result of more than 25 years of planning. It builds on the Downtown Plan ’98, which first envisioned a dynamic city centre with pedestrian pathways, housing diversity, and vibrant civic spaces. Follow-up efforts like the 2003 Leigh Square study, the 2016 Cultural Plan, and the 2018 Downtown Concept Plan have all contributed to shaping today’s redevelopment priorities.

Public consultation has played a critical role in informing design choices. Feedback collected through surveys, stakeholder meetings, and public workshops directly influenced outcomes like increased event space, better traffic flow, and a greater emphasis on art and culture.

Strategic Spending and Smart Funding

Despite rising construction costs and pandemic-era supply chain challenges, the City of Port Coquitlam has kept its taxpayer burden impressively low. Of the $11.85 million invested in key Civic Centre projects, only about $360,000 came from local taxpayers. The bulk was covered through provincial restart grants, the Growing Communities Fund, and contributions from other external agencies including TransLink and the federal government.

To further future-proof the area, a Downtown Parking Strategy is in development. Slated to begin implementation in summer 2024, the strategy includes improving lighting and signage, adding off-street stalls, and encouraging alternative modes of transportation. It also seeks to shift long-term staff parking away from high-demand street spots, preserving those for shoppers and short-term visitors.

Private Sector Joins the Momentum

The City’s efforts are already attracting private development. The Quarry Rock Development at 2241-2251 McAllister Avenue has transformed a former parking lot into a five-storey mixed-use building with street-level commercial space, public plazas, and 63 new apartments. It’s a prime example of how public investment can stimulate complementary private projects that add to the vibrancy and livability of the downtown area.

A Welcoming Future for Port Coquitlam

Port Coquitlam’s Civic Centre revitalization is more than a facelift—it’s a strategic investment in the city’s social, economic, and cultural fabric. By carefully balancing heritage preservation with forward-thinking design, the City is creating a downtown that’s not only more attractive, but also more accessible, inclusive, and resilient.

Curious how this could shape the future of downtown Port Coquitlam? We’re keeping a close eye on transformative projects like this so our clients always stay informed. Want to be one of them?