Beacon Recreation Center

Arlington, Texas

BEST PROJECT

OWNER: City of Arlington

LEAD DESIGN FIRM: Barker Rinker Seacat Architecture

GENERAL CONTRACTOR: Sundt Construction

CIVIL ENGINEER: Pacheco Koch

STRUCTURAL ENGINEER: AG&E

MEP ENGINEER: The Ballard Group

SUBCONTRACTORS: AALC; Advanced Connections; AEC Corp.; AIM Paving; Alphapex; Arcadia; Automatic Fire Protection; BEEZZ Cleaning; Benchmark Signs; BKM; Butler and Butler; Chatham Worth; Cherry Coatings; CKW Commercial; Columbia Lockers; Dallas Door; FSG-Facility Solutions Group; H2i; Hudson Site; Jarrell; Lantek; LCR Contractors; Modernfold; Murray Ward; OGD; Ponder; Prestige; RER Construction; SPA Skate Parks; Striping Plus; Sunbelt Pools; Synthetic Grass Pros; Texas Commercial Glass; The Anchor Group; Thyssen Krupp; Tippen Steel; Tri Dal Excavation; Trinity DPS; USA Shades; Vector Concepts; Watson & Cochran; Way Engineering; We Build Fun; Wildstone Construction


Located on 12.8 acres in Webb Community Park, the $22.3-million Beacon Recreation Center features a LED-lighted two-story atrium, a gymnasium, a fitness stair, a cardio and weights area, and an aerobics and yoga studio. Outside, amenities include a splash pad, adventure playground, walking trails and a skate park. 

The 36,000-sq-ft two-story recreation center, completed in August 2020, maximizes incoming light and serves as a “beacon” for citizen participation. 

Beacon Recreation Center

Photo courtesy of Sundt Construction

Contractor Sundt devised a cost-saving measure for the gymnasium walls by combining a steel superstructure and MDF panels rather than using more costly concrete masonry units. And the team delivered the skateboard park eight months early by expediting elements such as irrigation lines, landscaping, paving and exterior lighting.

Because site visits by the owner and design team were limited because of the pandemic, the team used drones more frequently to assist in information-gathering for such tasks as developing as-builts.