Gearing up for a community extravaganza, Garland prepares to host Build Garland Day on April 25 to showcase noteworthy milestones in the city's expansive bond program. At this event, residents will experience the groundbreaking of two fire stations and the ribbon-cutting of the Holford Recreation & Aquatic Center—a notable addition to the city's park facilities. Previously scheduled for tomorrow, the event was rescheduled due to weather concerns, as reported by the City of Garland.
As the city progresses into the sixth iteration of the event, public safety advances with the inauguration of the new fire stations. According to the City of Garland's announcement, celebrations will ensue at the future sites of Station 7, located at 1910 Pleasant Valley Road, and Station 1, at 427 Allen St. Shifting focus to leisure and recreation, the new Holford Recreation & Aquatic Center will be unveiled, boasting facilities that include an indoor party room and various pools, with its ribbon-cutting happening a week ahead of the official opening on May 1.
The Holford Recreation & Aquatic Center emerges as a crown jewel for Garland's parks, replacing the original center built in 1967 and demolished two years prior. Among its features are a double gymnasium, extra fitness spaces, and an elevated track for walking enthusiasts, alongside exterior additions like pickleball and basketball courts. The aquatic center comes equipped with lap lanes, slides, and tot-focused water attractions. A neighboring elderly park, Speegle Green, benefits from the city's revitalization initiative, transforming the site of a former hospital into a green haven with walking trails and preservation of mature trees, mirroring the preferences voiced by the community.
Answering to the demands of modern emergency services, the new fire stations will accommodate larger apparatus and the projected growth in personnel. Station 7 is designed with advanced features like storm shelters and decontamination rooms, not to mention living quarters that boast individual bedrooms, a stark upgrade from its 40-year-old predecessor. In its third iteration, Station 1 moves on from its home on Austin Street to a spacious two-story facility. The city, as officials say, is on track with its massive $423.7 million bond program, eyeing completion in the subsequent couple of years.
