Fairfax County has finally determined a reopening date for its Pennino Building following a months-long closure for flooding-related repairs.
The office building at 12011 Government Center Parkway, which houses the county’s Department for Family Services (DFS), Neighborhood and Community Services (NCS) and other human services, will reopen to the public on Monday, July 6, the county announced yesterday (Tuesday).
“Extensive repairs have been completed throughout the facility, including work on building systems and elevators,” the county said in a post on its emergency blog. “Air quality testing conducted throughout the process found no elevated levels of airborne contaminants.”
Final testing and inspections are now underway to prepare the building for its reopening.
The Pennino Building has been shuttered since Feb. 6, when a water line break resulted in flooding. The county initially announced that the building would need to close for at least a week before sharing at the end of March that it wouldn’t be safe to reoccupy until this summer.
Repairs were in progress at that time to address “damage to the elevators, carpet, drywall, electrical components, technology and more,” the county said.
During the closure, walk-in services have been unavailable, but the county has attempted to limit disruptions through online options and alternate locations.
Some NCS programs, including child care assistance and registration, remained available next door at the Herrity Building, and DFS encouraged community members to visit its human services centers in the Gerry Hyland Government Center, Annandale and Reston instead.
The Fairfax-Falls Church Community Services Board, which provides mental health, substance use and disability services and has administrative offices in the Pennino Building, provided phone numbers to call for assistance.
“All services normally available at Pennino, which is home to several county human services programs and offices, will be available when the building reopens,” Fairfax County said. “… The community’s patience and understanding throughout the closure is appreciated.”
Coupled with a closure of the county’s Historic Courthouse in December due to a heating system failure, the flooding at the Pennino Building prompted Fairfax leaders to call for preventative maintenance of aging facilities to be prioritized over new construction.
Set to take effect with the new budget on July 1, the county’s capital improvement program for fiscal years 2027-2031 will be supported by increased funding for infrastructure upgrades and a revised bond schedule focused “on facilities with the most urgent needs,” per budget documents.
