The Audrey Moore REC Center and Clemyjontri Park are among the amenities set to benefit from bond funding approved by Fairfax County voters in the general election on Tuesday (Nov. 3).
According to unofficial results from the Virginia Department of Elections, a $180 million park bond and a $75 million community health and human services bond respectively were supported by 69.8% and 70% of voters, authorizing the county government to borrow money by selling bonds to fund capital improvement projects.
The park bond funding will provide the Fairfax County Park Authority (FCPA) with:
- $51 million for deferred maintenance and renovation projects
- $89 million for recreation center improvements
- $19 million for the construction of a new park or a full renovation of an existing one
- $9 million to construct new park amenities such as playgrounds and trails
- $12 million for land acquisitions and natural, historic and cultural preservation work.
About $60 million of the rec center funding will be devoted to upgrading the Audrey Moore facility in Annandale.
Originally constructed in 1977, the 76,000-square-foot recreation center is the county’s oldest but remains a popular destination, drawing over 333,000 visitors last year, the park authority has said. After undergoing routine maintenance over the years, it’s due for a more extensive overhaul to address infrastructure, accessibility, capacity and design challenges.
Expected to begin construction in spring 2028, FCPA’s proposed renovations include an expanded fitness area and programming space, an Olympic-size competition pool and a warm water pool for kids, seniors and people with disabilities, a childcare center, and an expanded senior center that would be run by the Fairfax County Department of Neighborhood and Community Services (NCS).
Most of the remaining rec center funding has been earmarked for the development of concept plans for future renovations at the Franconia and Providence facilities.
Outside of the recreation centers, the only project that the FCPA has identified as guaranteed to receive funding from the 2026 bond is a planned renovation of the playground at Clemyjontri Park in McLean, according to park authority spokesperson Andy Grabel.
“The Park Authority expects to allocate up to $5 million for a new Clemyjontri playground,” Grabel told FFXnow by email.
With the playground’s existing equipment exceeding or nearing the end of its life cycle, the park authority has said it wants to “reimagine” the amenity, rather than simply replacing existing elements. Goals include updating accessibility standards, improving pedestrian circulation and providing more opportunities for visitors of different ages and abilities to interact.
A public meeting to discuss and start collecting community feedback on a new vision for the park was held last night (Thursday) at Langley High School. An online survey on the project is now open with a deadline of 5 p.m. on Dec. 7.
Renovations for public health and treatment services funded
Meanwhile, the human services bond will raise $35 million for a renovation or replacement of the Joanne Jorgenson Public Health Laboratory (10777 Main Street) located in Fairfax City’s former Belle Willard School building.
The county has said that the existing facility is constrained, despite the addition of a 1,500-square-foot modular lab in 2020, and insufficient to accommodate the advanced testing equipment needed to prepare for future public health challenges.
According to the county’s explanation of the bond:
“The laboratory is the only local public health laboratory in Virginia and performs more than 200,000 tests each year for Fairfax County and surrounding communities. Renovation or replacement of the laboratory will expand the existing facility to integrate the modular lab’s space and expand future testing capacity. The integrated design will focus on improving operational efficiency, flexibility, and readiness to address future public health, environmental, and clinical testing needs and support emergency response activities.”
Another $40 million will go toward renovations at the Fairfax-Falls Church Community Services Board’s Tim Harmon Campus (4213 Walney Road) in Chantilly, which hosts the residential treatment program A New Beginning for adults with substance use disorders, a 32-bed Fairfax Detox Center, and the 16-bed Northern Virginia Adolescent Treatment Center.
The county said its renovation plans for the campus include:
“modernizing outdated building systems, food service equipment, plumbing, and mechanical systems. Plans also include enlarged common use spaces, flexible program spaces accommodating changing program and service needs, durability features to withstand heavy facility use, technology integration, updated building security, reconfiguration and expansion of the medication suite with updated secure access capabilities, and adding onsite studio style supportive housing units.”
