The St. James Sports and Wellness Complex has generated significant and enthusiastic interest.
Opening in September 2018, the 450,000-square-foot complex will be built in Springfield, Virginia, on an industrial property that’s owned by Washington Gas. The utility’s building and parking lot will be torn down to make way for the new 24/7 center. The facility will address two high-demand problems that currently exist: the lack of quality sports competition and training facilities, programming, and instruction for sports enthusiasts of all ages; and the severe logistics burden faced by families who must currently shuttle their children to multiple sports facilities and program locations. Some of the features of the center include:- A multi-purpose turf field for full-length competitive soccer, lacrosse, football, field hockey, and softball.
- Two NHL regulation-sized ice rinks for hockey, figure skating, open skating, and curling.
- Aquatics center.
- Basketball and volleyball center.
- Baseball and softball center.
- Golf and racquet center.
- Gymnastics and dance center.
- Laser tag, rock climbing walls, and party rooms in a family entertainment center.
- Health and wellness center that will include orthopedic medicine, pre- and post-operative rehabilitation and pediatric care.
- Health club with cardio and strength training equipment and yoga, spinning and Pilates studios.
An Olympic-sized swimming pool will also be inside the sporting complex[/caption]
There are also plans for a 6,000-square-foot indoor water park; an “active entertainment center” with obstacle courses, zip lines, trampolines, virtual reality, and a gaming theater; a restaurant; and a sports shop.
While the trend for the past few years has moved away from big-box gyms and more towards smaller, boutique gyms, The St. James’ founders, Kendrick Ashton and Craig Dixon, in partnership with Cain International, saw a hole in the market for an everything-under-one-roof concept.
When you’ve got a family with three, four, five people that have very busy lives outside of their sports and wellness and fitness passion, they end up going in 85 different directions because the market is incredibly fragmented,” says Ashton.As part of the zoning approval, the St. James will pay to build and install a bus shelter. The location is already served by Fairfax Connector, but the stop currently lacks a shelter. The complex also will provide 22 bike parking spaces, bike lanes on Industrial Drive, and other road improvements. Though construction has just begun, sign-ups for membership for the complex are already available on The St. James’ website. When completed, the center will be located at 6805 Industrial Rd., in Springfield, Virginia. In the meantime, take a look through the renderings of the building plans, and -- since the complex will be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week -- go ahead and start dreaming about how you’re never going to leave.
