During a June 23 meeting, Fairfax County鈥檚 Board of Supervisors directed County Executive Bryan Hill to review past studies of the concept and work with Visit Fairfax and the county鈥檚 economic development authority on determining 鈥渢he feasibility of pursuing a conference center in Tysons.鈥�
Chairman Jeff McKay gave county staff until the end of the year to present their findings.
鈥淭his is not approving this,鈥� McKay said at the meeting. 鈥淭his is asking that we review the studies that have been done, look at the viability and come back and have a discussion about this.鈥�
Local news site FFX Now first reported details of the discussion.
The step comes about three months after Gov. Abigail Spanberger vetoed a plan that would have allowed voters to weigh in on whether to bring a casino and entertainment district to Tysons. State officials said the proposal would have included a convention center.
A conference center has been envisioned for Fairfax County since 1984, McKay said. The county’s聽comprehensive plan envisions Tysons as a destination to host conferences. Also, a 2011 study for the county found there would be demand for a conference center, and 鈥渢he most appropriate location for one would be in Tysons,鈥� he said.
Tysons Community Alliance conducted a comparable study last year and recommended a full-service hotel and mid-sized regional conference facility, McKay said.
In a statement to WTOP, alliance spokeswoman Monique Blyther, said as the area evolves, 鈥渁 flexible events facility has the potential to strengthen the local economy while enhancing the experience for residents, workers and visitors alike.鈥�
(Blyther also works as a traffic anchor at WTOP, but shared the statement in her official capacity as an employee of TCA.)
鈥淣ow is the time to make sure that we all can reaffirm the findings of this study and begin looking toward models that might produce a conference center in the Tysons area, as it has matured. And again, this has been envisioned for a long time,鈥� McKay said.
鈥淭his is, I think, very much an appropriate time to take a hard look at this and see where there might be an opportunity,鈥� Supervisor Walter Alcorn said.
It鈥檚 unclear where exactly a Tysons conference center could be built.
During the 2026 legislative session, Virginia Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell said two locations could have hosted a planned casino and entertainment district 鈥� one near the Spring Hill Metro station and another in a parking lot where Cirque du Soleil performs.
Any conference center in Tysons would be smaller than the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in D.C. and Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center at National Harbor in Maryland, McKay said.
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