$127M Willard-Sherwood Center Unanimously Approved By Fairfax City Council

FAIRFAX CITY, VA — The Fairfax City Council voted unanimously Tuesday night to advance the Willard-Sherwood Health and Community Center, ending months of fiscal deadlock over the $127.1 million joint project with Fairfax County.

The 6-0 vote authorizes a construction contract with The Christman Company for a 100,000-square-foot facility at 3750 Blenheim Blvd. The center will consolidate health and human services from the county’s Joseph Willard Health Center with city-run recreation programs from the aging Green Acres Center.

The approval marks a reversal for Councilmembers Tom Peterson, Stacy Hall, and Rachel McQuillen, who previously opposed land-use requests for the project in October 2025 due to cost concerns. The project’s future had been in doubt because the city charter prevents the mayor from breaking tie votes involving funding.

Councilmember Tom Peterson said his support followed a "redesign of the financial approach" rather than the building itself. He noted that refined operating assumptions and cost recovery plans reduced the projected tax impact from 9.7 cents to 4.33 cents.

"Today, the tax impact, again, has dropped," he said. "It's a 55 percent drop. "The project before you today is not the same project that was originally presented. It is more affordable, more efficient and less burdensome on taxpayers".

Councilmember Stacy Hall, who previously called the numbers "difficult to support," credited a new cost-recovery model for her "yes" vote.

"We now have a cost recovery approach that significantly reduces the projected shortfall and even has the potential for positive revenue," Hall said. "I am now able to support moving forward."

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Councilmember Rachel McQuillen emphasized that her past opposition was intended to "signal concern" about long-term sustainability.

"I can support it now, because those concerns have been addressed, and the outcome is more responsible," McQuillen said. "Asking questions early is not an obstacle, it's how we identify risk [and] improve outcomes".

The project cost is shared, with the city responsible for $53.7 million and the county covering 58 percent of the building costs. The council also approved a $22 million revenue bond issuance to finance the city’s portion.

The council opted not to proceed with a $4 million optional renovation of the performing arts space at the existing Sherwood Community Center at this time.

Construction is expected to begin this summer and continue through 2029.

Following Tuesday night's vote, Councilmembers Stacy Hall and Tom Peterson released the following statements:

Over the past year, I’ve spent a great deal of time evaluating this project, asking questions, and pushing for a more responsible financial plan. When this first came before this council in 2025, the numbers were difficult to support. We were looking at nearly $4.8 million in annual operating and staffing costs, plus an additional $3.3 million in debt service, with only about $600,000 in projected revenue. That translated to a significant potential tax impact, and at that time, I could not support moving forward without a clearer path to sustainability. My concerns were never about the value of a community health center—they were about ensuring we could deliver it in a way that was financially responsible for our residents.

ince then, CMs McQuillen, Peterson and I have worked closely with our great staff to bring those costs down and create a more sustainable model, and I’m encouraged by the progress that’s been made. We now have a cost-recovery approach that significantly reduces the projected shortfall and even has the potential for positive revenue under a market-rate scenario. Just as importantly, we received confirmation this week that the County is willing to share in key operating costs like front desk staffing and security when programs overlap. That partnership, combined with the cost reductions and ongoing focus on efficiency, gives me confidence that this project is now on a much stronger financial footing.

Because of that work, I am now able to support moving forward and I am excited that this long-awaited community health center can become a reality for our residents. As a resident said to me today, we’re still getting our project and now it’s more affordable. What a great outcome!

— Councilmember Stacy Hall

I fully support the modernization of the Willard Health Center by Fairfax County and believe this is an essential facility that must be updated and maintained at high standards. Every city should have reasonable access to a public health center if possible, and we are fortunate to look forward a new first-class facility in our city. I also support the attached Community Center for the City of Fairfax and the services it will provide, but believe it needs to be financially affordable and sustainable.

When the Community Center was first presented to the current Fairfax City Council in early 2025, the estimated tax impact of 9.7 cents and roughly $710 per year for the average homeowner appeared too high for public acceptance and did not appear justified, and I said so publicly. Last October, I joined fellow Council members Stacy Hall and Rachel McQuillen in opposing the project at that stage, making clear that the financial burden needed to come down.

Over the past few months, City staff responded with a disciplined reassessment of the project’s financial structure—tightening cost controls, refining operating assumptions, and improving cost recovery. The result was a stronger and more financially responsible project, with the tax impact reduced to 4.33 cents and the annual cost to the average homeowner lowered to about $316—a 55 percent reduction.

That level of improvement is decisive, and it is the reason I voted in favor of the project. It makes the benefits of the project attainable, and its cost structure affordable and sustainable. I am pleased that the project can now move ahead. As Fairfax looks ahead to more than $1 billion in capital investments over the next decade, this experience underscores the importance of reviewing future infrastructure projects proactively, responsibly, and objectively determining which should move forward, which require improvement, and which may no longer make sense. Ultimately, we do not simply inherit these decisions; we shape them to reflect the needs, priorities, and financial realities of our community.

Councilmember Tom Peterson