GISD Watson ES Playground Replacement in Garland, TX

The GISD Watson Technology Center for Math and Science in Garland completed a renovation project involving playground equipment replacement and civil improvements. The work, filed with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation under the name GISD Watson ES Playground Replacement, covered 5,100 square feet of site upgrades. This project is part of the broader development at 2601 Dairy Rd, Garland, TX 75042, within Dallas County.

Garland Independent School District served as the owner of record for this renovation. The scope included replacing playground surfaces and equipment, installing a new shade canopy, and performing civil improvements such as drainage and sidewalk repairs. The estimated cost for these works was $441,513, which calculates to $87 per square foot. This figure is above the county median of $73 per square foot for similar renovation filings in Dallas County.

BRW Architects was the design firm of record for the project. Marcela Abadi Rhoads acted as the registered accessibility specialist. The project involved public funds and public land, requiring specific accessibility reviews. Registration with TDLR was completed in December 2024, and plan review finished the same month. Construction was scheduled to begin in June 2025 with a planned completion date of December 2025.

The scheduled build window for this project was 213 days, which is longer than the county median of 92 days for renovation and alteration projects. The final inspection passed in February 2026. Subsequently, TDLR closed the project file in June 2026, which marks the end of the accessibility review process for this construction.

Project Context

Garland Independent School District has six other TDLR-registered projects totaling $152,982,134. These include major developments like Memorial Pathway Academy and Student Services Center, valued at $53,000,000, and North Garland High School, valued at $19,000,000. BRW Architects, the design firm for this project, has worked on six other registered projects totaling $39,882,150, including facilities in Killeen and McAllen.

The ZIP code 75042, where this project is located, has a population of about 38,040 according to U.S. Census estimates. The median household income in this area is $63,531. Housing in the area is mostly owner-occupied, with a median owner-occupied home value of $221,300. These figures provide context for the community surrounding the Watson Technology Center.