The Beacon Recreation Center in southeast Arlington is officially open!

The Beacon, located at Webb Community Park at 1100 Mansfield Webb Road, offers residents a range of amenities and programming for all ages. City and community leaders celebrated the grand opening of the voter-approved, 36,000-square-foot facility Monday morning with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and staff-guided tours.

Indoor amenities include volleyball, pickleball and basketball courts, along with a weight room, fitness studio, community room, indoor track, and kids club center. Outdoor amenities include a turf workout space, Aire Fitness pod, splash pad and a playground. The facility also features event spaces that can be rented for private parties, sporting events or practices, meetings or banquets.

Click here to check out a photo gallery from Monday's grand opening celebration and to see more details about amenities.

Arlington Mayor Jeff Williams said the newest City amenity is the latest example of Arlington’s commitment to the health and wellbeing of our residents.

“Access to recreation programs and events at this facility will enhance the sense of community in southeast Arlington and is an essential building block to the City Council’s priority to support youth and families,” Williams said.

Funding for The Beacon was approved by residents in the 2014 bond program, which included a total of $60 million towards parks and recreation projects. A second new facility, the East Library and Recreation Center, will open later this fall at Bob Cooke Park near the existing Hugh Smith Recreation Center.

Arlington’s parks and recreation system, which also includes trails, open spaces, recreation facilities and programs, is a reflection of the community’s long held values and support for parkland, green space, and healthy lifestyles, Parks Director Lemuel Randolph said.

“Well-designed parks and recreation centers, with a strong sense of place, can be integral and enduring parts of the city where diverse groups of people congregate and interact. They are a nucleus of social activity where citizens feel ownership and take great pride in their parks system,” Randolph said. “The City’s parks and recreation system is a major community asset that repays those investments every day. They add significantly to the overall wellbeing of the community, improving real estate values, nurturing community identity, improving neighborhoods, and enhancing lives and job performance as individuals exercise, play and relieve stress.”

The state-of-the-art recreation center was thoughtfully designed to meet the recreational and educational needs of the growing populace of Southeast Arlington, said District 3 Councilman Marvin Sutton.

With a nod to the lighted two-story atrium, which was the genesis for The Beacon’s name, Sutton said the recreation center “signals a beacon of light and inspiration to our District 3 community; and will serve as a significant quality of life enhancement to these residents.”

For more information about Gold Medal award-winning parks and recreation amenities available across The American Dream City, please visit www.arlingtontx.gov/parks.

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