The St. James, a highly anticipated 450,000-square-foot mega sports complex, will open its doors in September 2018. The indoor complex, located near the intersection of I-395 and I-495 in Fairfax County, will offer a combination of sports and wellness venues and programming, lifestyle amenities, and family-centered activities the likes of which have not been seen under one roof in this area before. It was founded by native Washingtonians Kendrick Ashton and Craig Dixon in partnership with Cain International, a global private equity firm specializing in real estate, retail, media, and entertainment investments whose board includes CEO Jonathan Goldstein and Todd Boehly, an owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Our very own Lynne Strobel and Inda Stagg led the zoning approval process for The St. James by engaging the Fairfax County Zoning Administrator in early and thorough discussions regarding the classification of all uses within this unique facility. This initial detailed process resulted in a determination that the mega sports complex could be considered by the Board of Zoning Appeals as a Special Permit in lieu of consideration as a Special Exception by the Board of Supervisors, which streamlined the zoning process and resulted in a successful outcome. Lynne and Inda continue to be involved in every step of this exciting project.
The St. James will include:
- FIFA regulation-sized turf field with 65-foot-tall roof clearance
- Two National Hockey League regulation-sized ice rinks, plus a hockey skills training center with skating treadmill
- Four full-length basketball courts convertible to nine volleyball courts
- 50-meter Olympic regulation-length competition pool
- Six batting cages with pitching machines, convertible into multipurpose training venue
- Eight squash courts
- Seven golf simulators
- Gymnastics training center with competition spring floor, deep foam training pits, Tumbl Trak, rod floors, and in-ground trampolines
- Spa with nine treatment rooms and a cryotherapy chamber
- Health and sports medicine center
- 50,000-square-foot health club with cardio and strength training equipment, spinning, group fitness and yoga rooms, and a “high-performance training center”
- 20,000 square feet of obstacle courses, zip lines, climbing structures and walls, trampoline zones, virtual reality, a “gaming theatre,” and party rooms
- Indoor water park with 6,000 square feet of slides, dumping buckets, and sprayers
- Clothing and apparel boutique
- 900 parking spaces