Families in Burleson have a new place to spend their hot summer days.
The city just opened a 65,000-square-foot recreation center next to Bartlett Park on Summercrest Boulevard.
"It's much cooler," 13-year-old Caitlin Roberts said. "I got a lot more friends. I get to hang out with them more."
The Burleson Rec Center -- also known as BRiCk -- is even attracting visitors from out of town, such as Fort Worth, which closed six of its seven public swimming pools this summer. Burleson has an indoor water park and lap pool, plus an outdoor pool.
"It has a basketball court, and I just love to play basketball," 13-year-old Lindsay Bryan said.
This year, Burleson was named one of the fastest-growing cities in North Central Texas. So the city built the two-story facility to give people a more modern place to work out.
"The fitness area is also very large -- larger than we need it to be today -- but in 10 years, it'll probably be just about right," said Peter Krause, director of Burleson Parks & Recreation.
The city is paying for the rec center with a dedicated sales tax and gas well royalties. A family membership costs $45 per month.
"You just can't beat that price. It's a really good deal," said Ana Galvan, a wife and mother of four. "It's hard to do anything with a family of six."
"It's cheaper than going to the movies every day," Roberts said.
The recreational complex is not yet complete. The existing ball fields will be replaced by 15 soccer fields. And the plan is to have them open by fall of next year.
The Burleson Rec Center offers a number of fitness classes to members and nonmembers for a fee. Members can also take advantage of free classes and free child care.
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