B.C. Soccer launches construction of new facility in Port Coquitlam

A new soccer and community hub is coming to Port Coquitlam that will be B.C. Soccer’s new headquarters ahead of the FIFA World Cup.

A ceremony was held at Gates Park Wednesday morning to launch the start of construction for the new fieldhouse.

In a social media post to Instagram, the City of Port Coquitlam says the fieldhouse is a “modern public recreation amenity that will include a state-of-the-art soccer and community hub.”

“The vision for the facility is to be an intergenerational community recreation and activity centre that supports the city’s vision of becoming a leading city in B.C. for sports, recreation, parks and trails,” the city said.

The city says the facility will feature a synthetic turf built to international competition (FIFA) standards, replacing a grass field, a new fieldhouse for storage, meeting spaces, public washrooms and more.

A multi-use public plaza for events, a road along the south side of the park from Reeve Street heading towards a parking lot, field lighting, bleachers, a warmup area, an enhanced pedestrian boulevard and more parking behind the field house are also planned to be built for the facility, according to the city.

A new atrium is also expected to accommodate 1,200 spectators.

According to the city, this new project will bring several benefits to the community, including employment opportunities, improved facilities, and field time for local sports groups.

“There will also be significant economic spinoffs related to the B.C. Soccer headquarters and FIFA-calibre field, which will enable the city to host matches and events related to high-level tournaments, such as Vancouver 2026 World Cup,” the city said.

Mayor of Port Coquitlam Brad West, who was at the launch, says this investment is not only for “right now” but “an investment in our community’s future.”

“With FIFA coming in 2026 this is a real opportunity for Port Coquitlam not only to showcase the amazing facilities but also to show kids what soccer is,” he said.

“We’re going to have opportunities to have provincial championships here, develop the game with coaching seminars and referees”

The city says that the project is worth $15 million and will be funded with approximately $9 million from the province. The remaining funding will be from a partnership between B.C. Soccer, PoCo Soccer and the city’s accumulated surplus funds.

West says that the facility is set to open in 2025.

“For everyone in our community, it means increased opportunity for recreational activity through every stage of life.”