The City of Arlington Parks and Recreation department officially broke ground Friday on a new recreation center to be located at Webb Community Park in Southeast Arlington.

Ceremony speakers included Arlington Mayor Jeff Williams, District 3 Councilmember Roxanne Thalman and Parks Board Chair Peggy James. The groundbreaking ceremony also included City of Arlington leadership, and executives from Sundt Construction and Barker Rinker Seacat Architecture, whose firms will oversee the project.

"With miles of sprawling neighborhoods, and nearly 100,000 Arlington residents calling this area home, we have needed a community gathering place for quite some time," said Councilmember Thalman. "I'm excited to watch this recreation center as it brings neighbors together and fosters the sense of community that makes us strong as individuals and families."

"Growing up, my little brother and I went to Hugh Smith Recreation Center for all of our actives," added Thalman. "I was in gymnastics and we did taekwondo together. Although we never became world class athletes or gymnasts, those were some of our favorite childhood memories that we still talk about to this day."

The 36,000 square foot facility is set to open in Summer 2020 and will include dynamic indoor and outdoor spaces including a gymnasium, fitness and weights area, aerobics and dance studio, classrooms, childcare, skatepark, adventure playground, outdoor aquatics feature and walking trail on the 12-acre site.

"This facility is going to set a great standard here in southeast Arlington," said Mayor Jeff Williams. "This is not only going to look great, but is going to be an incredibly well-functioning facility that provides all kinds of opportunities here. I think that all of us know too that it's amazing the friends that are made in facilities like this. Many of my lifelong friendships here in Arlington were made in either the recreation centers or on the ballfields."

Funding for the project came from the 2014 bond program, which included a total of $60,000,000 towards parks and recreation projects.

"The much-anticipated Southeast Arlington Recreation Center will reflect the ideals of a community striving to live the American dream," said Park Board Chair Peggy James. "Equal opportunity and greater access to excellencet recreation programs and events will reinforce a genuine sense of community in Southeast Arlington."

Arlington Parks and Recreation is the reigning National Gold Medal winner in Class II (population 150,001 - 400,000). Presented by the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA), the award honors communities throughout the United States that demonstrate excellence in long-range planning, resource management and innovative approaches to delivering superb park and recreation services with fiscally sound business practices.

Residents are encouraged to visit the City's bond tracker website for construction timelines and capital project updates: http://www.arlington-tx.gov/2014bond/

PROJECT NOTE: Construction on the project will begin within the next two weeks, with mobilization and fencing scheduled for next week. Workers will use the existing parking lot at Webb Community Park during work hours (scheduled for 7:30 AM until 5:00 PM). Fencing will surround the entire construction zone, and spot lights will be installed for the duration of construction. The existing playground will remain open during the construction phase.