Consultants tell Vienna council new aquatics and fitness center could draw 75,000–90,000 visits a year; funding and subsidy concerns linger

Consultants presented a feasibility study on Jan. 21 for a proposed indoor aquatics and fitness center in downtown Vienna, projecting tens of thousands of annual visits but stopping short of a formal recommendation to build.

Darren, a consultant with Ballard King & Associates, told the Vienna Town Council the firm used national participation benchmarks and a conservative operational-performance model to estimate demand. "We—e suggesting that 17.7% of the population" in the 10-minute primary service area represent potential participants and that capturing a modest share of those visits would yield about 75,000–90,000 annual visits to a new facility, he said.

Leslie Herman, the town—s director of parks and recreation, and the consultants emphasized the difference between town residents and a broader service area that includes nonresidents. The study modeled roughly 1,300 household membership units that would equate to about 2,875 people, with an estimated split of roughly 750 resident memberships and 550 nonresident memberships.

The presentation outlined facility-program revenue streams — memberships, programs (swim lessons, camps, group…