By Hannah Shiblaq | hshiblaq@alextimes.com
A 210,000 square-foot indoor complex, to be called the Alexandria Sports & Events Complex, is planned for Cameron Run Park, Alexandria Economic Development Partnership President and CEO Stephanie Landrum said at a Tuesday press briefing.
“Right now … as proposed this would be the largest event venue in the city of Alexandria,” she said. Landrum is sharing the plans with City Council during Tuesday’s legislative meeting.
The complex will replace the existing Great Waves Waterpark and related facilities and consist of a series of flexible courts and turf for volleyball, basketball, pickleball, futsal, soccer, baseball, field hockey, lacrosse and track, as well as space for other sports and events.
Landrum announced plans to ask Council to name the Industrial Development Authority as the leaseholder for the complex. IDA, which is the body responsible for the redevelopment of the former Landmark Mall into the new site of Inova Alexandria Hospital, would then issue a 30-year lease to ALX Sports, a nonprofit organization founded by the Alexandria Soccer Association.
“The operator would be providing a capital contribution, would be paying annual rent to the IDA for use of the facility and will be making a commitment to a certain number of events and the related economic activity that comes from those events,” she said.
Tuesday’s briefing included a powerpoint presentation which detailed the complex’s financial plan, listing the project’s total cost as $117 million – $107 million from the city and $10 million from ALX Sports.
Debt would be paid back through taxes on admissions and on- and off-site food and beverage taxes, as well as requirements for third-party entities participating in tournaments to stay in certain hotel blocks or use certain food and beverage services.
City Manager Jim Parajon said the complex has the potential to be an “Alexandria success story.”
“We know that the youth sports industry is booming and can be a significant economic engine for our economy and the economic health of our entire community for not just a few years, but for decades,” he said.
The complex’s projected 30-year cash flow totals $159.9 million. Great Waves Waterpark, by comparison, is projected to generate $11 million of local tax revenue over the same period.
The city has debated Cameron Run Park’s future for years. A regional entity called NOVA Parks has leased the land for the water park from the city. Many city officials have long desired to end the lease and reclaim the land for another use.
Landrum said she anticipated delivery of the complex could begin in 2031. Prior to the end of NOVA Parks’ lease on Dec. 31, 2028, she said the next two years will be spent going “through the capital and financial components of the project,” followed by the entitlement process to design and consult the community, before building the facility.
There will be two virtual community sessions on Nov. 12 and Dec. 10, as well as a City Council Public Hearing on Dec. 12, before the proposal is addressed and voted on at the City Council Legislative Meeting on Jan. 12, 2027.
“It’s about a vision that is more than just a new sports facility,” Mayor Alyia Gaskins said. “But really about an opportunity to create a vibrant, accessible year-round destination for indoor recreation and events, both for visitors and tourists, but more importantly for Alexandrians.”
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