County board takes key step to fund future Tysons Community Center

Fairfax County will sell bonds to finance the Tysons Community Center planned as part of the Dominion Square West housing project.

The Fairfax County Economic Development Authority was authorized by the Board of Supervisors last Tuesday (Oct. 10) to sell up to $43 million in facilities bonds to fund the community center, which has an estimated cost of $41 million.

The bond financing will also partially cover the county’s share of infrastructure costs, including the 75 parking garage spaces that will be designated for community center workers and visitors.

“This is a big step in this project,” Hunter Mill District Supervisor Walter Alcorn said Tuesday. “This community center was really important to attracting the funding from Amazon for this project. It’s going to be a really useful asset to the broader community, to that area. It’s certainly going to help make it a great place to live for future residents.”

Designed and built by the Arlington Partnership for Affordable Housing (APAH), the 30,000-square-foot, two-level community center will be located in one of two residential high-rises that the nonprofit developer is building at 1592 Spring Hill Road.

Planned amenities include a full-size gym, sensory and recreational spaces, meeting rooms, fitness rooms, a kitchen and a 1,900-square-foot outdoor courtyard. The center will be open to the general public as well as future Dominion Square West residents.

Replacing a parking lot next to the Jaguar and Land Rover dealership near the Spring Hill Metro station, APAH’s development will provide 516 residential units for households earning 30% to 70% of the area median income, which is currently $152,100 for a family of four in Fairfax County.

Funds for the project’s housing components and construction are coming from a range of sources, including a $55 million grant from Amazon, American Rescue Plan Act funds, developer contributions, and $10 million from the Fairfax County Redevelopment and Housing Authority (FCRHA).

According to a staff memo, the Department of Housing and Community Development expects to close on all project requirements, including housing bond financing, by mid-December.

As of this summer, APAH anticipated starting construction this December and completing the project in November 2027.

County staff said the community center will “provide social, recreational, health and wellness activities for older adults and youth” that are currently lacking in Tysons. Since July, the county has been offering some programs for teens and families through its Community Services Room at Tysons Corner Center.