Indoor ski resort promises year-round opportunities for DMV winter enthusiasts
Editor’s Note: The story has been updated to reflect better the nature of the proposed project, which would be funded privately.
LORTON, Va. (DC News Now) — Winter ski enthusiasts around the DMV may not have to travel as far in order to hit the trails.
“A fantastic opportunity to build a resource for the entire community,” said John Emery, CEO of Lorton-based Alpine-X.
His company wants to build the regions first indoor ski resort.
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Fairfax Peak is the planned 400,000 square foot complex that would be placed on a closed section of the Fairfax County Recycling and Disposal Center. The resort would offer a 1,700-foot long ski slope and other winter activities, so there’s something for everyone.
“You can come by after school, after work Saturday afternoon, Sunday morning and get in a couple 2 or 3 hours, have a lot of fun,” Emery said.
Alpine-X will spend up to $500 million to build the indoor resort that will include a 300-room hotel.
“Our business model is different than traditional resorts in that we’re not doing something exclusive,” Emery said. “We’re building something where people live easy to get to, but most importantly, super affordable for the entire community.”
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Fairfax Peak is expected to draw around 900,000 visitors a year, and have an estimated annual economic impact of at least $100 million.
“The idea is that you don’t need to buy an entire weekend, an entire day and spend hundreds of dollars or thousands of dollars like you would that the traditional outdoor resort,” Emery said.
Now, local ski enthusiasts can’t wait to hit the trails.
“Grew up skiing in Colorado and living here. There’s not that many chances to go skiing,” Craig Newcombe, of Alexandria, said. “So having this so close is a phenomenal way to take a few runs 12 months out of the year. So it’s awesome.”
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A spokesperson for Fairfax County said the Fairfax Peak development is privately funded, which means it would attract visitors to the region and give the local economy a boost.
The process was still going through the rezoning process.
Emery believes construction could start sometime in 2025, and would take about two years to complete.
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