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Mount Vernon’s long-awaited recreation facility is expected to reopen in spring 2025 after being out of service for several years, bringing expanded amenities and a second ice rink to the community.
“It will be a fantastic addition,” Mount Vernon District Supervisor Dan Storck said, calling the rebuilt center “truly a night and day change.”
The project includes a 75,000-square-foot expansion with a two-story fitness center, swimming pool, indoor track, multipurpose spaces and other building upgrades.
The recreation center is one of several improvements planned across the district in 2025. Other projects include transportation work along Richmond Highway, a new park near Quander Road, upgrades at Kings Crossing and plans for future bicycle lanes on Fort Hunt Road.
Fairfax County has committed substantial funding to infrastructure improvements, Storck said.
Changes are also underway at the Workhouse Arts Center in Lorton, which has a new CEO. Storck said its recent Halloween haunted house may have had its best year yet. Bunnyman Brewing has also opened a location at the Workhouse.
Meanwhile, the Lorton Vision 2040 initiative is advancing, giving residents a chance to review long-term proposals and participate in planning the community’s future. Storck is supporting the effort.
Development has also accelerated near Quander Road in the Alexandria Crossing area. New townhouses have joined high-rise apartments close to the Huntington Metro station, creating a mix of housing near public transportation.
Indoor Ski Project Stalls
One prominent proposal is not advancing: an indoor ski facility planned for the former Lorton landfill area.
In a Dec. 18, 2024, letter to Alpine X, Fairfax County said economic challenges—including projected construction costs and interest rates—had prevented the project from moving forward for additional review during the interim agreement period.
Storck said he remains hopeful that the indoor slopes can eventually be built, but the necessary financing has not materialized.
“They have not raised the amount needed,” he said.