City unveils preferred concept for Richmond Green redevelopment
Under plan, several amenities will be repurposed during winter months
Pickleball courts. Cricket batting cages. An outdoor classroom. A running loop. Even a bicycle pump track.
Those are just some of the proposed amenities the City of Calgary is planning to add to Richmond Green, alongside many of the features now available.
The project aims to make the space more of a regional park serving the nearby communities of Currie, Richmond and Killarney.
On Thursday, the city released its preferred concept for the southwest park, outlining the development of the 48-acre (19.5 hectare) space. Most of the new amenities will be in an open green space that currently offers disc golf.
The disc golf will remain, but it'll be surrounded by a multi-use path and many of the proposed items listed above. The plan also calls for picnic areas, a new playground, a fitness node and basketball courts.
The release of the city's preferred concept comes following rounds of public feedback.
According to Walcott, one of the public's top concerns was protecting aspects of the park that are already in place, specifically the tobogganing hill.
That hill is staying put. Same with the full-sized baseball diamond and tennis courts.
Pickleball courts, on the other hand, were something the public specifically wanted. The sport continues to surge in popularity, and Calgary is wanting for court space compared with other cities in Alberta.
Winter transformation
Mary Quinlan, a landscape architect and project manager for the park's redevelopment, says winter activities were a key consideration.
"[We're] trying to make sure that it's offering opportunities for the broadest range of Calgarians for all seasons," she said.
Under the proposed concept, the baseball diamond would become a skating rink during the cold months. Likewise, the multi-use path would transform into a cross-country ski loop, and there'd be a separate area for snowshoeing.
But are there too many ideas for a single park? Quinlan doesn't think so.
"Everyone recreates in their own way, and we're looking to provide those services as much as possible," she said.
Next steps
The city is accepting feedback on the preferred plan until the end of the month.
The next phase of the redevelopment process is the detailed design, where the city's technical experts go over the plan and make sure it's technically sound. When that's complete, a final budget will be presented.
Construction on the project is expected to start in either 2024 or 2025.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
With files from Scott Dippel