Long-awaited multi-functional sports park on Canidrome site set to open for tender

The Legislative Assembly (AL) Follow-up Committee for Land and Public Concession Affairs held its regular meeting with government officials yesterday, during which it was announced that the field at the Macau Yat Yuen Canidrome will soon be available for tender.

The Macau government announced in 2023 plans to renovate the idle land of the former greyhound race track, aiming to create a multi-functional sports park that will include public sports facilities, family and community sports centers, and recreational and cultural amenities for the northern district.

According to the initial plan, the redevelopment will include public sports facilities, family and community centers, and recreational amenities across about 40,000 square meters, encompassing the Canidrome site and Lin Fong Sports Center. Key features will include a standard athletics field, a pedestrian and recreational system, urban plazas, a skatepark, a rock-climbing wall, and a swimming pool.

A children’s activity center will also be built on the southern side, offering indoor and outdoor play and reading spaces.

The Macau Yat Yuen Canidrome Co. Ltd ceased operations in 2018, and the site has remained unused since being returned to government control that same year. The government’s plan, announced in 2023, has not been updated since its initial release.

Until yesterday morning, committee chairman José Chui Sai Peng stated during a post-meeting press briefing that the public tender for the project will be announced shortly.

Additionally, according to Chui, the government revealed at the closed-door meeting nine temporary land use plans for idle plots, including three designated as temporary parking lots.

These will be located at the former Flying Eagle Training Camp on Estrada da Barragem de Ka Ho in Coloane, and the second block of the Julieta Nobre de Carvalho residential estate in Toi San district, with estimated capacities of about 70 cars, over 40 cars, and around 40 motorcycles, respectively.

Plans are also underway to optimize the management system of the parking lot adjacent to the Maritime Training School to improve efficiency and accommodate more vehicles.

“The new government has introduced a fresh perspective on land management, particularly regarding temporary land use, by adopting a more open and proactive approach,” Chui stated.

He added that the recent announcement of several plots for temporary use is a positive development for society.

This includes the construction of three temporary sports facilities: an 11-person soccer field and a track-and-field area on Plot B13 in Zone A of Macau’s new landfills covering 15,785 square meters; a sports ground on Plot BT7 in Taipa, about 3,745 square meters; and another facility on Plot C8 in Nam Van Lake, covering 4,422 square meters. These projects are expected to be completed by the second half of next year, with priority given to utilizing those finished first.