LORTON, Va – More than 1,400 community members gathered Saturday for the grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony of the new Lorton Community Center and Library. The facility, which features a newly renovated and expanded Lorton Library, aims to bring many important county resources to the community in one convenient location. “This facility combines services, resources, entertainment and education,” said Mount Vernon District Supervisor Dan Storck “It's all in one place for all ages and all abilities...truly the center of Lorton.”
In addition to Supervisor Storck, other county, state and federal leaders, both past and present, were on hand to mark the occasion. “Every square inch of this building, thought and energy was put into designing it in a way that it can accommodate the community's needs for such a long time,” said Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeffrey C. McKay. “What I really love is when you walk through here, you'll see all the great amenities for seniors, the library, the teens and the young people in our community come together in one place . Not dividing our communities up but bringing people together in one place so that we can learn from each other.”
Former Mount Vernon District Supervisor Gerry Hyland, under whose tenure the early stages of this project began, addressed the crowd, saying that with the center and other developments in the community, “Lorton became a place that people have now recognized as an absolutely wonderful, wonderful place to live … Lorton, which is not a negative anymore. It's a positive. We have in this community almost everything that a vibrant community would want to have.”
One part of the ceremony enjoyed by guests on Saturday was the newly renovated Lorton Library. The rejuvenated branch makes up slightly more than one-third of the new facility, expanding from 10,000 square feet to 16,000 square feet and features multiple meeting rooms/spaces, a teen section with a gaming area, a colorful children’s area and many books and resources available for checkout.
“This library, community center and park space are really the best of what our county has to offer,” said Jessica Hudson, Fairfax County Public Library Director. “When we join our spaces together, we’re able to offer one space that you can come in and get multiple different services … we want it to be perfect for all of you.”
Also in attendance was U.S. Rep. Don Beyer who praised those who developed the facility, saying, “Thank you for creating this center … And for making these opportunities accessible to so many. It's a fundamental step to creating a healthy, active, sociable community; creating the social capital we also need, and this is all the more so after all the years of isolation and confinement with COVID.” Rep. Beyer also lauded the library specifically for providing the community with free Wi-Fi access. “We've learned that internet must be a basic human right in the 21st century,” he said. “And now so many will have a chance to reimagine and navigate their lives once we have universal broadband service.”
Following the program and ribbon cutting, Hudson, library staff and volunteers welcomed guests into the branch, where they were able to experience many different types of services offered at the library. These included arts and crafts, storytimes, 3D printing demonstrations, a musical performance by Groovy Nate and of course, book checkout.
Two community members who spoke as a part of the program best summed up the atmosphere of the day. Alicia Doe, a parent in the community who looks forward to attending the center with her children said, “This center demonstrates the impact that partners working together for the community will have on every life stage from youth, right through adult education and activities for seniors. This will benefit everyone from our community. Thank you for making this a reality for us all.” Ivan Robles, a community youth, added to this sentiment, saying “I'm happy that they have built this new center here in my community where we will have the opportunity to have more programs and a safe space to play and study.”
Lorton Library is open Monday from 1 to 9 p.m. and Tuesday – Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Learn more about the branch and the services they offer.