Rezoning
History of Pearl C. Anderson Middle School
3400 Garden Lane is home to the historic Pearl C. Anderson Middle School Learning Center. The school opened in 1963 and was named for Pearl C. Anderson as a tribute to her life of service to the citizens of Dallas. Pearl C. Anderson was an influential civic leader and philanthropist, known for many charitable endeavors, including her 1955 donation of a significant Downtown Dallas property to the Community Chest Trust Fund (now the Communities Foundation of Texas) which was the organization’s first major gift. DISD named the school for Pearl C. Anderson while she was still living – a rare honor.
The school closed in 2014 and remained abandoned until its purchase by Watermark South Dallas in 2019.
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Timeline
- In 2019, DISD placed the 190,000+ square foot property and the surrounding 9.8 acres up for sale via public auction, along with two other shuttered schools.
- On August 21, 2019, DISD held a public hearing and formally approved the sale of the property to Watermark in its “as is” condition.
- From 2019 to 2020, over 70 cubic tons of debris were removed from the building followed by significant environmental abatement (asbestos removal), roof and window replacement, installation of new mechanical systems (plumbing, electrical and HVAC), and substantial structural renovations to enable the building to be used.
- Phase 1 was completed in the summer of 2021, with approximately 24,000 square feet finished out (the original cafeteria, some classrooms, courtyard, and adjacent seating area), and Watermark South Dallas received its certificate of occupancy in June of 2021.
- Simultaneous with the purchase and initial renovations, a small group began to regularly meet together for the purposes of praying, worshipping, and asking what the Lord might have for His church around this location. Learn more about our local church services.
- Watermark South Dallas held our first gathering as a local church body on June 20, 2021. Shortly thereafter, The Watermark Community Development Corporation and Watermark Health Mobile Clinic began operations out of the South Dallas Campus. Learn more about our ministry partners and the services they provide.
Future Use of the Campus
Watermark South Dallas is a local church as well as a collaborative ministry hub. Our vision is to thoughtfully and prayerfully join with existing churches, non-profits, and local leaders to meet the emotional, physical, and spiritual needs of the community. Besides amplifying the services that are already available, we desire to work together to develop creative solutions and empower the residents of South Dallas to improve their community.
The strategy is to bring many of these services under one roof, making them more accessible to the South Dallas community, while also providing space for community gatherings, youth organizations, and other services for community use.
Since purchasing the property, we have had the opportunity to host weddings, funerals, trainings, and networking events on our campus and met with dozens of community and church leaders and local non-profits to continue to find additional ways to collaborate.
We currently provide a host of community services weekly:
- Access to ball fields for youth football and rugby.
- Access to interior seating areas and outdoor courtyard as well as use of Wi-Fi.
- Financial literacy, job connection, incentivized savings, and coaching for South Dallas entrepreneurs through Watermark Community Development Corporation.
- Urgent health care services through Watermark Health.
During community meetings over the last few years, South Dallas residents consistently identified four major community needs: healthcare, jobs, food, and youth development. Our goal is to continue to adapt our campus to meet the needs of the community identified in the following ways:
- Continuing to host weekly church services and community events and operate Watermark Health’s mobile clinic.
- Expanding the Watermark Community Development Corporation’s involvement through job training, financial services, and economic empowerment initiatives.
- Renovating an additional 10,000 square feet of the property to accommodate more space for current and future ministry activities.
For more information, please read this editorial written by our elders. If you have direct questions for the South Dallas pastor, please fill out the form below.
Questions?
We’d be happy to answer any questions you might have