Developers are aiming for 20 locations across the United States and Canada.

McLean-based developer Alpine X is launching a line of indoor ski facilities, and it appears their flagship site will be sticking close to home in Virginia. Fairfax Peak will be the headquarters for the resort chain created by CEO John Emery and CFO Jim Calder, with plans of expanding to 20 locations across the U.S. and Canada. The snow sports facility will offer deluxe amenities for skiers and snowboarders looking to hit the slopes without the time or cost of booking a trip to Aspen. Features include a hotel, mountain coaster, zip line, and food and drink vendors across the 450,000-square-foot venue.

According to Emery, the project's goal is to make the thrill of snow sports accessible to the general public. While over 9 million people in the US already participate in skiing and snowboarding, the hobby is less common compared to parts of Europe and abroad. This may be due to its seemingly exclusive nature.

"We're on a mission to address this market gap by bringing snowsports closer to home and providing access year-round, thereby eliminating the traditional challenges of cost, geography and seasonality, and introducing the opportunity and family-centric experience to a much wider audience," he said in a press release. 

The resort, which garnered an initial agreement from the county's Board of Supervisors in 2018, will be constructed on a capped landfill in Lorton. Due to their naturally mountainous geography and proximity to metro areas, landfills are the ideal location for entertainment centers of this stature. Many landfills need repurposing, particularly in an environmentally sound manner, and officials are more than happy to accommodate the need. The facility is expected to reel in over $1 million in tax revenue and over 1,000 new jobs to the region.

So what's the next step for Alpine X? Patch reports the company will submit a rezoning application and the county will pursue a study of the plan into 2021. Between the multi-year process of zoning the building and construction, developers eye an official opening by 2024 or 2025. This may seem far off, but considering the venue will be open year-round, it makes waiting all the more worth it!

Let's hear from you, fellow snow sport fanatics! Would you go skiing or snowboarding often if you were near this resort? Sound off in the comments.