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Northern Virginia’s only nonprofit community center serving LGBTQ+ people has opened a larger facility in McLean, creating room for programs and services that its former four-person office could not accommodate.

NoVA Prism Center celebrated the opening March 29 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 1340 Old Chain Bridge Road.

“We have a lot of exciting things we want to do with this space,” board president Sydney Mastrangelo said.

The center relocated from a small Oakton office to a site with staff facilities, a community library, an arts-and-crafts room, a gender-affirming clothing closet and space reserved for a future food pantry.

“We are a space for everyone,” Executive Director Leon van der Goetz said. “It’s a space where people can come, hang out [and] access vital services.”

The facility will initially welcome visitors on Saturday afternoons. The organization plans to add weekday hours, and people of all ages may use the center.

NoVA Prism Center began in response to campaigns seeking to ban books featuring LGBTQ+ characters and subjects. Its Oakton location had space for no more than four people, leaving little room for the library and clothing closet.

“We really couldn’t achieve our vision” without expanding, van der Goetz said before the opening ceremony.

The organization selected the McLean property after a search lasting several months. Cost, access to public transportation and compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act were among the deciding factors. Van der Goetz described its location near central McLean as “wonderfully central.”

Fairfax County School Board members Robyn Lady, Kyle McDaniel and board chair Karl Frisch attended the ceremony.

“I look forward to seeing everything this new space can do. Great things are going to happen,” Frisch said. “We’re very grateful for the work that has gone into this.”

Volunteers contributed roughly 1,000 hours to prepare the center. Students created artwork displayed on its walls, while an Eagle Scout project supplied and installed the library’s bookshelves.

Founded in 2022, NoVA Prism Center initially operated through pop-up events. Individual donations provide most of its operating funds.

Van der Goetz said the organization remains financially stable and intends to expand its presence further as opportunities arise.