GISD Ethridge Elementary School Playground Replacement in Garland, TX

The playground replacement at GISD Ethridge Elementary School in Garland is complete. The project, filed as a Renovation/Alteration, involved replacing outdoor equipment and surfaces at 2301 Sam Houston Dr. The work included new shade canopies and civil improvements such as drainage and sidewalk repairs across 5,980 sq ft of area.

Garland Independent School District served as the owner of record for this initiative. BRW Architects was the design firm of record, and Marcela Abadi Rhoads served as the registered accessibility specialist. The estimated cost for the project was $418,629, which calculates to $70 per square foot. This figure is close to the county median of $73 per square foot for similar renovation filings in Dallas County.

Project Scope and Timeline

The scope of work focused on modernizing the school's outdoor play area. The filing specified the replacement of playground equipment and surface materials. It also included the installation of a new shade canopy to provide coverage for students. Civil improvements were part of the contract, specifically addressing drainage issues and repairing sidewalks around the site.

The project registered with TDLR in December 2024. Plan review was completed in the same month. Construction was scheduled to begin in June 2025 with a completion date listed for December 2025. The scheduled build window of 213 days is longer than the county median of 92 days for comparable renovation projects. The final TDLR accessibility inspection passed in February 2026, confirming the completion of the work.

This project is one of several recent renovations for Garland Independent School District. The district has six other TDLR-registered projects totaling $152,982,134. These include major developments at Memorial Pathway Academy and Student Services Center, as well as renovations at North Garland High School and South Garland High School. BRW Architects, the design firm for Ethridge Elementary, has also completed projects in Killeen and McAllen, including a Police Headquarters and a Fleet Maintenance Building.

The location is in the 75044 ZIP code area. Census estimates for this zone indicate a population of about 46,847 people. The median household income is $89,631, and the median owner-occupied home value is $305,700. Housing in this area is mostly owner-occupied. Dallas County unemployment was 3 percent in August 2026, lower than a year earlier.