Conceptual design produced for Nanaimo’s extensive Long Lake project

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Conceptual birds eye illustration of pending enhancements at Loudon Park. (Image Credit: City of Nanaimo)

Loudon Park

Conceptual design produced for Nanaimo's extensive Long Lake project

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Angela Enman, associate with Faulkner Browns, told the committee their project team assembled its look, feel and other key features.

“It’s really perfect timing to seek feedback because it’s still very early days in the design, we have lots of time to incorporate any feedback to make this project as good as we can and make sure that it meets the community needs,” Enman told the committee.

Overhauling Loudon Park is aimed at improving amenities for canoe/kayak and rowing user groups, including the addition of indoor training space, modernized washroom facilities and showers, while also creating a bookable community activity centre with a kitchen.

Park enhancements, as currently proposed, include an expanded beach with landscaping, accessible paved and granular-surfaced pathways, an upgraded playground, improved lake access and the addition of a third dock.

Current design planning and construction timeline for overhauling Loudon Park. (Image Credit: City of Nanaimo)

Maligned for its limited parking during the peak season, an expanded and reconfigured parking lot is also proposed.

Wednesday’s committee meeting heard about 36 parking stalls are planned, almost doubling the existing amount of 19.

A final design is expected by later this year, the committee was told.

Key details surrounding accessibility and inclusive features for a new-look for Loudon Park were outlined at the meeting.

Sabrina Hoeck, associate at Faulkner Browns, said they are actively navigating a notable slope down toward the lake.

“It’s actually a significant grade change, which creates some of the key accessibility challenges we are working to address in our project and also, both along the park pathways within the park and the journey from the parking lot,” Hoeck said.

Facing the beach, a staircase is planned for the left side of the community amenity/storage building, while an accessible sloped path is anticipated for the right side.

Automatic doors at all entry points are envisioned, Hoeck said.

The meeting heard as many trees as possible will be retained during the park development.

The project, which has been discussed for many years, is expected to see construction completed in 2028.

Last October, the City of Nanaimo purchased two residential properties adjacent to Loudon Park at a combined price of nearly $2.2 million.

Acquiring the properties added half an acre to the existing 1.7-acre park to maximize the City’s vision for the area.

Modernizing Loudon Park has been a contentious issue.

An original plan featuring a larger building was endorsed by Council, then reconsidered following considerable backlash, which included concerns about the loss of trees.

The existing plan was approved late last year, with concerns around its small footprint alleviated by the addition of the two purchased properties.

Some critics felt the significant financial investment was a ‘want’ as opposed to a ‘need’.

More information about overhauling Loudon Park is available here from the City of Nanaimo.

Improving access to Long Lake is a key plank in pending investments at Loudon Park.

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