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A larger-than-expected crowd gathered Saturday for the opening of the new Franconia District Governmental Center, a roughly 90,000-square-foot facility bringing numerous Fairfax County services under one roof.
Attendance surprised event planners, who held the ribbon-cutting in a cordoned-off section of the spacious lobby. Many visitors had to wait outside until the ceremony ended before entering to tour the two-story building.
Supervisor Rodney Lusk, Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay and county department leaders delivered remarks. The celebration also featured music, artwork, a contest, a raffle and activities throughout the multipurpose center.
Built on a county-owned vacant site between Beulah Street and Silver Lake Boulevard, the center houses the Franconia District supervisor’s office, Kingstowne Library, Active Adult Center, Franconia District Police Station and Franconia Museum. The fire station remains at its existing location.
Fairfax County has consolidated services in other districts to save money and reduce environmental impacts. Franconia’s center expands that approach by incorporating the local museum.
More room for police, families and library patrons
The facility includes a 28,000-square-foot police station, a 4,200-square-foot supervisor’s office and 7,200 square feet for the Active Adult Center.
A new 10,000-square-foot childcare center will serve children from infancy through pre-kindergarten.
Kingstowne Library occupies 30,000 square feet on the second floor and has been elevated from community to regional library status. County library director Eric Carzon said the change will bring seven-day service, while the larger space has allowed the collection to grow to 55,000 books.
Joy Ascher, who attended with partner Ira Wright and received assistance from librarian Tim Lee, called the library “my favorite place to be.”
The Franconia Museum sits just off the lobby. Its footprint is about the same as before, but its exhibits have been modernized and upgraded.
Museum board vice president Donald Hakenson expressed his enthusiasm before the ribbon-cutting, acknowledging that “some people think I get fired up.”
“As a local boy, I am extremely proud to be here today,” Hakenson said. “I love this building!”
Glass walls and windows give the library and community meeting rooms an open, bright appearance. Lusk said the center’s substantial meeting space will be available for reservations.
Outside, the grounds include walking and sitting areas, bicycle storage, a playground and new landscaping with tall cedars and other plants. Many visitors walked to the opening from nearby neighborhoods.
Separate public and law-enforcement entrances help keep police operations distinct from the other services sharing the building.
Development plans presented to residents
The opening also gave residents a chance to review long-term development proposals for the district. Plans were displayed in a separate meeting room, where staff answered questions and collected suggestions.
Lusk discussed shorter-term efforts to redevelop blighted properties while creating additional jobs and housing. He also praised the Workforce Innovation Skills Hub, or WISH Center, for preparing community members for future employment, including jobs connected to redevelopment projects.
Lusk became emotional while describing how his grandmother’s emphasis on education shaped his life. He credited her with inspiring the importance he places on WISH and other educational initiatives.
Final cost reaches $73.5 million
The center was authorized through the 2015 Public Safety Bond and 2020 Library Bond referendums and included in Fairfax County’s adopted fiscal 2024-2028 Capital Improvement Program. Funding was listed at $63.7 million, while the project’s final cost was $73,486,513.
The building replaces leased space used by the small, outdated Kingstowne Library and Active Adult Center. Those facilities suffered from limited parking and maintenance problems, including grease leaking from an overhead barbecue restaurant.
The former Franconia District office and police station were also considered too small, with inadequate parking and aging mechanical and structural systems. The new center provides substantially more parking for the services it replaces.