DSOP aims for 2029 completion of citizens’ sports park construction

The former Yat Yuen Canidrome site is set to be converted into a citizens’ sports park, with the first phase of the project tendered yesterday and construction expected to start in the first quarter of next year, lasting around 1,014 working days.

According to the Public Works Bureau (DSOP), the site spans 40,425 square meters and is divided into three functional zones, namely Pavilions 1 through 3, along with a Children’s Pavilion, an outdoor athletics field, and an underground parking lot.

Facilities include a swimming pool, a skateboarding area, a rock-climbing wall, and various sports facilities for ball games. The outdoor athletics field will feature a standard-sized soccer field, an athletics track, and high jump and long jump facilities.

Pavilion 1 is a four-story structure that will house a swimming pool, a wading pool, a basketball court, a jogging path, and a children’s bicycle path. Pavilion 2, a six-story structure, will include a skateboard park, a table tennis court, a rock-climbing wall, a volleyball court, and two floors dedicated to badminton courts.

Pavilion 3 will be five stories tall, with a five-a-side soccer field, two multi-purpose halls, multi-purpose activity rooms, and outdoor activity spaces.

The Children’s Pavilion, also four stories, will include an outdoor activity area, an indoor playground, creative classrooms, and a reading area. Additionally, a basement-level public parking lot with approximately 490 spaces for cars and motorcycles will be constructed beneath the outdoor athletics field.

The whole project is divided into two stages. The first stage involves demolishing existing buildings in the area and constructing Pavilions 1, 2, and 3, along with an underground parking garage beneath them.

This stage also includes the construction of a new pedestrian bridge connecting to Jardim Iat Lai and nearby residential areas.

The total construction period for the first stage is estimated at approximately 1,014 working days, with DSOP aiming to complete the project by 2029 and open it to the public the same year.

According to the DSOP website, the second stage of the project includes the construction of a Children’s Pavilion, an outdoor athletics field, and an additional basement-level facility that will provide 415 car and 425 motorcycle parking spaces.

Construction is expected to commence after the completion and opening of all facilities in the first phase.

The DSOP held a public tender opening ceremony yesterday morning for the first phase of the citizens’ sports park project, during which a total of 17 bids were received.

Speaking to the media on the sidelines of the ceremony, a DSOP official revealed that the authorities have already reserved part of the building space for a light rapid transit (LRT) station connection for the extension of the East Line project to the Qingmao checkpoint, although the specific design is still in the planning stages.

“According to the feasibility study for the LRT extension to the citizens’ sports park, the station is expected to be located within the public road area of Avenida do General Castelo Branco. However, the relevant LRT planning and design work is ongoing, and no final decision has been made,” the official said.

The DSOP emphasized that during the construction period, the adjacent sports field and Lin Fong Sports Center will continue to operate normally to ensure that residents have access to these facilities.