While this project has been discussed conceptually for many decades, work began in 2015 with a feasibility study for renovating or relocating the City of Fairfax’s Green Acres Community Center. In 2017, a similar study was conducted for the County’s Joseph Willard Health Center. In 2017 the City and the County evaluated the opportunity to combine efforts into one integrated development at the Willard site. They signed a Letter of Agreement for Initial Feasibility Study of Potential Joint Redevelopment later that year, and in 2019, a second Letter of Agreement for Additional Concept Study of Potential Joint Redevelopment was signed between the City and the County to further refine the preferred concept of a joint facility. In May of 2021, the City Council and the County Board of Supervisors approved the Willard-Sherwood Phase 1 Agreement to move forward with conceptual design services for a joint facility. Phase II full Design and Construction Agreement was approved in December, 2022.

The project is being funded through the County’s and City’s Capital Improvement Programs.

Yes, the new center is estimated to include approximately 100,000 square feet of new construction and serve residents in both the City and the County.

The community was invited to provide input on a variety of aspects of the project in 2022 and 2023. These aspects include campus landscape features, architectural features, accessibility, recreational amenities and programs, and common area design and features.

Concept design began in the fall 2021 and a final conceptual design option was selected by the County and City Leadership in April, 2023. It is anticipated that a more final design will be completed by the end of 2023, and applications would be filed for land use approvals at that time. Should those approvals be obtained in 2024, permitting would be complete in the first half of 2025 and finalization of Guaranteed Maximum Price for construction would occur in mid 2025. Construction is anticipated to begin in the second half of 2025 and be completed by the end of calendar year 2027.

It is likely that the services provided by the Willard Health Center and some or all of the programming space at Sherwood will be temporarily relocated during construction (2025-2027) for the safety of all visitors. The impacts to the Sherwood Center will be evaluated as part of the design and any need to temporarily relocate programs during construction will be evaluated at that time. All visitors impacted by this will receive advanced notice of any changes and public transportation will be provided as needed.

The working title for the site, through construction, is the Willard Sherwood Health and Community Center. A new name for the site has not yet been developed. Should any permanent renaming of the property be considered, the City and County will employ an open process for the naming of the campus, that enables them to also retain the Joseph Willard and Stacey Sherwood names for the respective buildings on the site.

This project is envisioned as a unique community amenity for residents of both the City and County. It is envisioned as a safe place for all ages to gather, to enhance and cultivate individual and community health, wellness and artistic expression.

The Joseph Willard Health Center is owned by the Fairfax County.

As part of the early design phase, the project design team will be undergoing a traffic analysis to assess the impact of the development on the surrounding roadways. The project design team is exploring a vehicular connection between the current Sherwood Center property and the Willard Health Center property to distribute traffic and provide options for drivers entering and exiting the site. Vehicle trips are currently forced to one street or the other, as there is no connection between the two properties.

A traffic study will be conducted as part of the Willard-Sherwood Health and Community Center project that would project future traffic flows to and from the new facility, taking into consideration nearby uses that are existing and under construction, and making recommendations for improvements where needed to manage any additional traffic. With recommended improvements in place, the surrounding roadways will operate similarly to existing conditions.

A front desk(s) to control access to the facility will be included. Standard and Best practice security measures like noted below will be evaluated as part of the design process in coordination with the City and County’s risk management staff.

• Security video cameras
• Panic buttons
• Access control system
• Duress alarms
• Internal and external security checks.

The construction of the new Health and Community Center will be coordinated with the City’s Van Dyck Park master plan, but the park will not be impacted due to construction of the new facility.

The new facility will include a fitness center, full-size gym and walking/running track and game areas like bocce ball setup.

Green Acres will remain open until the new center is operational. The future of Green Acres will be determined in the upcoming feasibility study, which is included in the City’s FY23 proposed budget.

Programs affected during construction will be offered at temporary locations and will not be paused at any time.

Programs similar to those provided in the current Senior center would be provided in the new Senior center.

A congregate meals program would be considered for the new facility.

The facility would provide space commensurate with what is provided at Green Acres.

Yes, the current arts programs will remain in existing Sherwood Center.

Yes, there will be spaces for exercise and pickleball.

Multiple courts can be accommodated in the gym dependent on the sport and court size guidelines.

Yes, a mirror and bar can be included in the fitness classroom.

Flexible Maker Space is currently not planned for the facility.

There will not be an Adult Day Health Care at the new Willard- Sherwood Health and Community Center. The Health Department, however, does operate 4 Adult Day Health Care Centers located throughout the county and they do provide transportation. Information about those centers can be found at:

Adult Day Health Care | Health (fairfaxcounty.gov)

There will be a Senior Center operated by the City of Fairfax located at the new facility.

The Health Center will be completely demolished and a new Health and Community Center incorporating the County and City of Fairfax’s health, wellness, fitness, recreation, arts and children’s programs will be constructed in its place.

All current programs and services at Willard Health Center are anticipated to continue being provided at the new facility. New programs such as a Tuberculosis Clinic and Early Childhood Education will also be included in the new facility.

For managing a communicable disease investigation, Health Department will be in contact with individuals who are diagnosed or individuals who are a contact to someone who is diagnosed with a communicable disease. They will be provided with instructions i.e., need to wear a mask, and wait to be called into the facility for evaluation. If the client with communicable disease symptoms is coming to the clinic for testing, they are to wear a mask, contact front desk from their car when they arrive, and then wait until the nurse is ready for them. The nurse would meet them at the door and escort them to the clinic room.

The Health Department is working with the architectural and engineering design teams to address some of the physical limitations of the existing building to efficiently provide services in the new facility and enhance client safety and experience.