Reston Master Planners Consider Indoor Tennis, Swimming, Concert Hall, and a Bunch of Other Stuff That May Never Get Built

So what's been doing with the fabulous Reston Master Plan Task Force With an Unpronounceable Acronym (§)? They've just been stone cold considering a bunch of new parks and indoor facilities, is all.

Members of the Fairfax County Parks Authority, the RA and RCC made a joint presentation on parks, recreation, and culture needs in Reston. (Their fancy Powerpoint is here). It calls for an added 54 acres of open space, parks, another 60 acres of play fields, as well as an indoor aquatics facility, an indoor tennis facility, the memorial garden, and an indoor performance center. Of course, there was no discussion of who would actually foot the bill for these fancy projects, the RA's recent push to receive development proffers instead of the county to build such facilities notwithstanding.

Our BFFs at Reston2020 shared a little of what that conversation sounded like:

One TF member called for a major recreation facility that might incorporate some of the above, perhaps at a Village Center. John Carter also raised the issue of a how a major university center might fit into the picture.

Peter Otteni of Boston Properties (BP) said that the 20 acre BP site adjacent to TC station might be considered for a major performance center, but pointedly commented that BP could not be expected to carry this load by itself. John Carter noted the Strathmore facility in MD cost $90 million. Leila Gordon said she was thinking of $50 million.

$50 million or $90 million -- it's just a rounding error, right?

What was funnier was what R2020 called "cryptic comments" by the presenters:

Anna noted that Reston Town Center North offers a “particular opportunity” because so much of it is county land.

Larry Butler commented that future developments might depend on “where they draw the stable neighborhood lines” in Phase II.

(Cue the eerie X-Files theme whistle.)

We have no doubt that all of these facilities are needed and would help Reston make the transition to a larger, denser community with its most attractive features intact. What's missing, at least as of now, is a plan to actually pay for these facilities and consider them as part of discrete development proposals, which is where the rubber meets the road. Otherwise, we might only get some surplus tetherball poles to go along with our surplus art.