Opponents of a potential casino in Tysons have begun lobbying local officials to oppose the proposal in 2026.
Using the monthly public-comment period of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, Linda Walsh of the No Fairfax Casino Coalition asked the local elected leaders to stand firm against the proposal.
“We urge you again to emphatically say ‘no,'” Walsh said at the meeting on Tuesday (Aug. 26). “Key decisions regarding land use should remain with Fairfax County.”
In each of the past three sessions, the Virginia General Assembly has considered a bill to allow a casino in Fairfax County — first in Reston and then in Tysons. The legislation has advanced closer to authorization each time, but a final approval remains elusive.
“We fully expect another casino bill will be offered in January,” Walsh said, referring to when the 2026 legislative session will convene.
This year, a measure patroned State Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell (D-34) passed the Senate but died in a subcommittee of the House Committee on Appropriations.
The measure is backed by the developers Comstock Cos. and Clemente Development Co., which have proposed making a casino one of the signature elements of an entertainment district near the Spring Hill Metro station.
Under state law, the General Assembly must first pass legislation to make a locality eligible for a casino, but the facility still needs to be approved by voters in the jurisdiction through a referendum requested by the local government.
Virginia currently has five localities eligible for a casino. Last November, Petersburg joined the list after voters approved a referendum authorizing a $1.4 billion casino project on a 100-acre tract adjacent to I-95.
Petersburg essentially took the place of Richmond, which removed from the list of possible host sites by state lawmakers after voters in the capital city twice rejected casino referendums.
Though they haven’t taken a formal vote on the issue, Fairfax County’s supervisors have expressed general skepticism of a possible casino, with some board members vocally opposing the idea. In letters to the General Assembly, Chairman Jeff McKay has questioned legislators for considering a bill that wasn’t requested by the local governing body.
In remarks to Fairfax supervisors, Walsh asked the board to support a moratorium on any additional casino development until a state gaming commission to regulate all gambling is up and running.
Legislation to create a commission died this year, but is expected to reemerge during the 2026 General Assembly session.
‘Seoul Blvd’ naming sought for Annandale road
Also at Tuesday’s meeting, the Board of Supervisors formally asked the Commonwealth Transportation Board (CTB) to rename, on an honorary basis, a stretch of John Marr Drive in Annandale as “Seoul Blvd” in honor of the contributions of the county’s residents of Korean ancestry.
“Fairfax continues to be shaped and enriched by the contributions of the Korean-American community, whose civic, cultural and economic presence is deeply rooted in the fabric of our region,” Mason District Supervisor Andres Jimenez said.
The request, which was supported unanimously, is expected to be taken up by the CTB at its Sept. 17 meeting. If adopted, the section of John Marr Drive between Little River Turnpike and Columbia Pike will informally be designated as Seoul Blvd.
Street addresses will not change. Under the plan, the county government will be required to pay the costs related to installation and maintenance of additional signage.
Jimenez initially proposed bestowing an honorary name on the Annandale section of Little River Turnpike to recognize the area’s history as a hub for Korean American businesses, but the idea received passionate pushback from many residents, who questioned the community input process and why “Koreans should be elevated above everyone else,” Annandale Today reported.
In response, the supervisor backed away from that plan and instead proposed an honorary name for John Marr Drive, a smaller roadway, at the board’s June 10 meeting.
More archival materials digitized
At Tuesday’s board meeting, McKay praised the work of a local chapter of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) for its efforts to digitize Board of Supervisors records from the years 1870 to 1923.
He lauded the “dedicated volunteers” for working with Board Clerk Jill Cooper to transcribe and index “nearly 2,000 pages of handwritten minutes covering the earliest years of our Board.”
“Their work ensures that these historic records remain available through the Virginia Room and the DAR Library, preserving our county’s rich heritage for generations to come,” the chair noted.
McKay noted that local DAR members “always do amazing work, but this particular project is quite phenomenal.”
