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Indoor Sports & Events Center
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The Prince William County Sports and Event Center is a proposed large indoor multi-sport and special event facility, that if ultimately approved, will be developed in North Woodbridge. The facility would fill a need for indoor space for Prince William County residents as well as increase sports tourism opportunities and catalyze ancillary commercial development. MEB Contractors submitted an unsolicited proposal to design, build, and operate the facility in response to the Board of County Supervisors' directive to staff to seek a partnership with the private sector. As proposed, the facility would accommodate sports such as track and field, volleyball, basketball, pickleball, cheer, wrestling, football, and soccer as well as special events such as graduations, trade shows, expos, and corporate and community events.
The proposed facility includes:
- 8 basketball courts (convertible to 16 volleyball courts and 24 pickleball courts)
- 200-meter hydraulic banked indoor track and event space (convertible to 6 basketball courts,12 volleyball courts, and 18 pickleball courts)
- Spectator seating for up to 6,800
- Multi-purpose rooms, lounge, kitchen, dining area, bathrooms, locker rooms, administration space, and storage space
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Related Project Documents
Frequently Asked Questions
Expand all- Is this project considered finalized?
No, the project is not considered finalized. It is currently in a study period. Funds have been earmarked by the County in the six-year Capital Improvement Program (CIP). There are various phases that will take place before anything is approved, such as additional studies in relation to management of the facility, revenue generation, traffic, and other community impacts.
- Where did this project come from?
In July 2018, the Board of County Supervisors (BOCS) issued a directive authorizing the County Executive to issue a Request for Information to look for partners to develop indoor sports facilities on both ends of the county. There were no viable responses received from the private market.
In June 2019, the BOCS renewed the directive to continue to “pursue public private partnerships to finance the western indoor fieldhouse and the eastern indoor sports complex” after removing the projects from the 2019 Bond Referendum list.
In February 2022, MEB Contractors submitted a Public Private Education Act (PPEA) Conceptual Proposal for the development of a 245,000 square foot indoor sports and events facility in eastern Prince William County. A PPEA selection committee comprised of county staff reviewed the PPEA and recommended acceptance to advance to the next stage in the process.
In April 2022, after BOCS concurrence, staff advertised the PPEA for competing proposals and none were received. After BOCS concurrence, staff requested a Detailed Proposal from MEB Contractors.
On February 22, 2023, MEB submitted a Detailed Proposal that included 13505 Telegraph Road, Woodbridge, Virginia 22192 consisting of approximately 21.85 acres, identified as GPIN No. 8392-06-6432.
On October 10, 2023, the BOCS held a public hearing on an Interim Agreement with MEB Contractors to conduct preliminary engineering and other due diligence to determine the cost of developing and operating the facility and economic development projections.
On November 28, 2023, the BOCS approved an Interim Agreement with MEB Contractors. By approving the Interim Agreement with MEB, the Board only committed to further due diligence for the project. It did not commit the County to develop the project.
On November 28, 2023, the Board of County Supervisors (BOCS) approved a purchase agreement for a 21.85-acre parcel at 13505 Telegraph Road, Woodbridge, Virginia. A $550,000 refundable security will be returned if the BOCS determines not to proceed with the project within a 150-day study period (ending May 18, 2024).
- Where will the project be located?
13505 Telegraph Road, Woodbridge, Virginia, near the intersection of Caton Hill Road and Prince William Parkway.
- Why is this this facility needed?
Other than a handful of indoor gymnasiums spread across the park system, the county lacks a large, multi-purpose, public indoor space for our 468,000 residents to practice and compete in sports. Furthermore, there are no facilities large enough to attract large sports tourism events, requiring our residents to travel out of the County to compete, which creates a cost burden and transfers economic benefits to other jurisdictions. Lastly, there are no public spaces to hold large non-sports events like expos and high school graduations causing families to travel out-of-county and event holders bringing their business to other jurisdictions.
Indoor fitness facilities ranked #4 for community need based on the 2019 Needs Assessment survey and a large facility along the I-95 corridor is included in the 2019 Parks, Recreation, and Open Space Master Plan.
The proposed project responds to numerous strategic planning documents adopted by the Board of County Supervisors': Objective 3 of the Resilient Economy Goal in the 2021-24 Strategic Plan: Invest in economic development, parks, recreation and tourism programs, projects and infrastructure that drive business and creates a sought-after quality of life attractive to residents, visitors, and business investors; and TOUR 2.4 Policy in the 2020 Comprehensive Plan: consider public/private partnerships to develop and operate new tourism related facilities.
- How much will this project cost?
The proposal is estimated to cost $140.5M, this figure includes $16M for the land, $120M for construction and $5M for furnishings, fixtures and equipment.
- Who is paying to construct and operate this facility?
The proposal is for the County to pay for the development of the facility (construction costs) and either (1) enter into an agreement with a third-party to operate the facility; or (2) operate the facility itself.
- How is the County proposing to pay for the facility?
Debt financing capacity for the land purchase and development has been programmed in the Five-Year Plan for potential capital costs without additional taxes, i.e. the current rate of revenue growth in the county is expected to be sufficient to cover future debt service payments. The land purchase is budgeted in FY25.
- Why doesn’t the private market build and operate this facility?
Facilities of this size are commonly funded by the public sector due to the magnitude of cost and slow cash return on investment. The private sector cannot account for incremental tax revenue generated by the facility to recoup their costs. The private market has not filled the gap for our existing need to date, necessitating public support.
- Where are we in the process?
The Board of County Supervisors (BOCS) approved an Interim Agreement with MEB Contractors and their sub-consultants to conduct site analysis, preliminary engineering, community engagement, operating cost estimates and economic impact projections. The cost of the Interim Agreement is $248,849 plus an additional $50,000 for financial analysis by the county’s financial advisor, PFM and $11,151 for contingency and expenses associated with public engagement. ARPA funds (non-local tax dollars) are being used for fund the Interim Agreement. Upon conclusion of the Interim Agreement scope of work, estimated to be complete this spring, the BOCS will determine whether to proceed further with the proposed project to include buying the land and designing and building the facility via a Comprehensive Agreement.
- How can I provide feedback?
Residents of Prince William County are invited to attend the Board of County Supervisors meeting on May 14, 2024, to learn more about the project.
You can also provide comments by submitting the form on the bottom of this website or provide comment directly to the Board of County Supervisors SpeakUp! Prince William.
- Will the facility make money or lose money?
According to the Board’s financial advisor, the facility will generate net operating income at the end of year three (estimated $418,000). In addition, the facility is expected to generate incremental tax revenue (sales, transient occupancy, meals tax) from visitors, which will factor into the county’s overall return-on-investment estimates.
- Will there be any traffic impact studies done around the proposed center?
The Small Area Plan (SAP) for “The Landing”, approved by the Board in 2019, included high density, transit-oriented redevelopment, and accounts for the increased traffic anticipated for this facility. During the SAP process, Telegraph Road was deemed to have adequate capacity to handle increased traffic generated by the entire SAP limits. If this project advances, additional traffic impact analysis will be required as part of the permitting process and any necessary improvements will be incorporated into the final design.
- How will the facility be operated?
The model and financial projections are based on facility rentals managed by a third-party operator. There is no contract in place at this time. The right third party operator would already have connections with rightsholders and tournament operators to fill the annual calendar.
- Can the community use this facility?
Yes. The facility is intended to serve residents all week—almost exclusively during the weekdays and intermixed out-of-county visitors during the weekends. The operating model is geared primarily for group use by schools, leagues, and clubs rather than individual drop-in use, as found in traditional recreation centers, but being a member of a league would not be required. We do contemplate capacity for some open gym time and we will define those opportunities once the schedule is dialed in during the next phase of the project, should it advance. Individuals will also be able to band together and rent space as a collective.
- Is this a recreation center?
No, this project is not a recreation center. This proposed facility is designed for group sport use (practice and competition) as well as large special events. This facility is not intended to provide school-age programs, sports lessons, fitness classes, and other personalized services commonly found in traditional recreation centers. This facility will be sized to host large regional and national sports competitions and events like graduations, trade shows, sorority reunions, conferences, and conventions, etc.
- Will there be a pool?
There are no plans to include a pool.
- I live on the western end of the County, this is too far to travel to. Why isn’t the western side of the County being considered?
To reiterate, this is not a recreation center that will be used on a leisurely basis such as a local gym. The Freedom Aquatic & Fitness Center serves as the western recreation center and is open to all county residents. Freedom Aquatic & Fitness Center was built with county tax dollars and operates with a $750K annual county subsidy. The facility is operating under capacity, so additional county members are welcome. There is only room in the market for one of these facilities in the entire DC Metro area, let alone two like facilities within one jurisdiction.
Many parents of children who participate in sports must drive several hours to the nearest sports and event center for regional competitions.
The proposed facility location will provide a much more convenient option. Currently, Prince William County families travel to the following facilities for competition:
• Virginia Beach Sports Center, VA - 3 hours
• Henrico Sports and Event Center, VA - 1 hour
• Spooky Nook, PA - 3.5 hours
• Liberty University, VA - 3 hours
• Prince George’s Sports and Learning Center, MD- 1.5 hours
• Virginia Military Academy - 3 hours
The parcel on the east was selected for ease of access to the I-95 corridor, and access to services such as hotels and restaurants, and existing parking at the DOT commuter lots.
- What are the larger economic impacts of this project?
The facility itself is estimated to generate $50 million annually in economic output, create 912 jobs, and $42 million in wages.
The facility is estimated to generate $1.5 million in taxes annually from direct visitor spending, which will be paid directly to the county to help offset the debt payments on the construction of the facility. The facility is also expected to catalyze commercial growth in the immediate small area plan vicinity (known as “the Landing”) such as hotels, restaurants, retail shops, etc., which will generate tax revenue for the county to further offset debt payments. - How is this facility different from the Virginia Beach facility that was losing money?
The primary goal of the Virginia Beach Sports Center (VBSC) was to increase hotel occupancy during the off-season winter months. In this measure, the city was successful, exceeding hotel room night and event booking projections. However, the city’s Convention & Visitors Bureau over discounted rental rates, resulting in lost revenue. Other factors contributing to VBSC’s operating losses include opening during the COVID-19 pandemic and management fees, which were significantly above the industry norm. Virginia Beach has terminated the contract with the management company and hired an interim operator.
- What is the benefit to PWCS, won’t they lose revenue from not hosting the high school athletes at their own sites?
The proposed facility would save students and their families time and money traveling outside of the county to compete in sports and non-sports events. It would also reduce the amount of time students are out of the classroom due to long travel trips out of the county to compete. Graduations can also be held at the facility to reduce travel time for families who currently travel to Fairfax County for ceremonies.
The proposed facility would supplement current PWCS facilities, not replace them. PWCS will continue to host events at their sites. The proposed facility will accommodate large, multi-school indoor events that currently cannot be accommodated at a single site.
Questions/Comments?
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