$119M Indoor Sports Complex, Event Space Focus Of Public Debate

PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY, VA — Members of the public were able to discuss a proposed indoor sports complex at Tuesday's meeting of the Prince William Board of County Supervisors.

Fifteen speakers signed up to address the board after reading a proposal that MEB General Contractors presented to the board.

County supervisors have not yet voted on a final approval for the indoor sports and events center.

A final site for the proposed complex has not yet been selected. Contractors recommended several spots along the Interstate 95 corridor on the eastern end of the county. The submission from MEB included several sites that were redacted from public view to protect the county's bargaining power.

The proposed complex could host pickleball courts, basketball courts, an indoor swimming pools, a track, and a retractable turf field. The site could also host community events like high school graduations.

The total proposed construction cost would be $119.8 million, according to the report. The site could also require a $40 million parking garage, depending on the site selection. The cost of land is not included in the current projection.

Occoquan Supervisor Kenny Boddye supports the proposed complex.

"An indoor sports complex would be an investment in our families and future,” Boddye said. “As the father of a competitive cheerleader, I know firsthand the challenges of having to travel long distances for practices and tournaments. What’s more, each of those trips takes money that would be spent here into other communities. It is a missed opportunity."

One speaker, Karl Greten of Gainesville, told supervisors that it's hard for the public to form an opinion when many pages of the report are redacted for confidentiality.

"Why would the other supervisors outside of the immediate district vote for this facility," Greten asked. He believed that there are too many unknowns for him to support the project in the future

The majority of speakers at the public meeting supported the proposed sports center.

"This is long overdue for the county," Coles district resident Mona Snead said in front of the board. Snead said her three children are student-athletes who have travelled throughout the region for events.

"Building a centralized facility in Prince William County would help our residents and our citizens from travelling to other jurisdictions and counties for these services," Snead said. "We have many youth sports using facilities in other counties as an alternate solution due to the lack of space and cost."

Several residents expressed excitement about the possibility for indoor pickleball courts. Woodbridge has a thriving community of pickleball players who can be found at outdoor courts at Veterans Park and outside the Gar-Field police station.

"The camaraderie is unbelievable and I don't know what [older] people would be doing if they weren't playing pickleball," Michael Whitlock said. "I think [the proposed complex] is good. I think it's good for all ages, I think it's good for all kids."

Benita Fitzgerald Mosley is a long-time Prince William County resident and Olympic gold medalist. At the 1984 Olympics, she became the first Black woman to win the 100-meter hurdles event.

"I fully support the building of this indoor facility," Fitzgerald said at the meeting. Fitzgerald noted that many athletes require financial support to travel throughout the country for track and field events.

"This is going to be a facility that people come to from across the country," Fitzgerald said.

Ann Wheeler is the at-large Chair of the Prince William Board of County Supervisors. After losing her primary in June, she will not be on the board after the upcoming election.

"This is a vision," Wheeler said. "This is a visionary project. It may not even ever pay for itself, it may require support every year. But it's something the community really wants."

County officials said the next step would be an interim agreement for MEB to engage the public and conduct preliminary engineering.