McCowan Aquatic and Recreation Center Project (MARC Project)

As part of executing the master plan, DeSoto commissioned the construction of an aquatic and recreation center. The project features a full-scale indoor competition pool, equipped with observation decks on the second level. Suspended above the first level is a roughly 400-foot fitness track for cardio workouts. The facility further boasts a fully equipped fitness area, as well as training studios for group activities. Nestled among soccer, baseball, and football fields, the McCowan Aquatic & Recreation Center offers city residents a fully functional gym and fitness experience. This new facility will offer health and fitness support to young families and provide a physical and social venue for active seniors through year-round senior activities.

MARC Renderings

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Project Updates

Weekly Updates
Dates To Know
  • 3/22/2024 - Manhattan/Post L will be issuing the 100% Construction Documents via Building Connected
  • 3/28/2024 - A non-mandatory, pre-bid conference will be held virtually
  • 4/16/2024 - Bids due no later than 2 pm
  • Virtual post-bid interviews will be scheduled in the days following bid submissions
  • The project is slated to break ground in May of 2024 and has a current construction schedule of 19 months
Project Details

The McCowan Aquatic & Recreation Center (MARC) is an approximately 75,000 SF, two-story, structural steel and tilt wall building.

The Recreation and Aquatics Center will be a multigenerational facility for the community of DeSoto, TX serving both the public needs for recreation as well as a competitive sports venue for basketball, volleyball, swimming, diving, and more. Located in Curtistene S. McCowan Park, the facility is being realized as part of a larger masterplan which includes other public and sports-related amenities including additional sports fields, an amphitheater, a sculpture garden, water features, and surrounding trails. The new center will be a focal point of the park tying into the existing context to foster and develop the connection with the surrounding neighborhoods and natural landscape. Community engagement efforts and transparency of the design process are critical to creating an asset and place that is uniquely Desoto, celebrating the history and diversity of the city.

The facility will consist of an 8-lane competitive pool, leisure pool, gyms, indoor track, fitness and strength training area, meeting rooms, and a social gathering space. The facility was designed to help the citizens of the DeSoto area connect and interact with each other and serve as a destination for competitive athletics.