As plans for a new recreation center in Rockbridge County move forward, community members are expressing mixed reactions about what the project could mean for the area.
On Feb. 23, the Rockbridge County Board of Supervisors voted to approve a resolution of their intent to reimburse Rockbridge County Public Schools for costs associated with the construction of the center.
The proposed recreation center is intended to expand community accessibility to fitness, offering local residents a new space for recreation and wellness. However, concerns about the project’s cost and long-term financial impact have sparked debate among local officials and residents.
The board of supervisors is scheduled to vote on issuing bonds to fund the recreation center on March 23.
Steve Hart, the Kerrs Creek representative on the Rockbridge County Board of Supervisors, explained that the county may not have the financial capacity to take on this project alongside other expenses.
“We simply cannot do all of these projects without a substantial increase in our debt load,” Hart said. The News-Gazette reported that the recreation center and accompanying tennis courts are estimated to cost $14.5 million.
Hart said that the town is already considering a series of costly projects over the next several years, including $25 million for a high school renovation, $7 million for a Central Elementary auxiliary gym, $7 million for upgrades to the Maury River Middle School air conditioning system, $10 million for courthouse repairs and up to $50 million for improvements to the jail and sheriff’s office.
Combined with the new rec center, these projects could total about $115 million in new borrowing, in addition to the county’s existing $85 million in debt. Hart said that the county currently pays about $6.8 million annually toward its debt, which he said would not be enough to support the added financial burden of the recreation center.
Hart also noted that new facilities, including the proposed recreation center, would bring additional costs such as utilities, maintenance and staffing, adding further strain to the county’s budget.
Hart said he is also concerned that the new expenditures will max out the county’s debt capacity, which is the total amount of debt the county could incur and repay, until 2050.
Hart explained that if the town spends 60% of the money required for these projects, the debt capacity will be maxed out to 2050. This means that the county would be unable to take on any additional projects for the next 24 years.
According to the Constitution of Virginia, no city or town may incur debt over 10% of the total value of assessed real estate in that city or town.
While cost is a concern, residents said they see the recreation center as a valuable investment. Supporters said that the new facility would expand fitness accessibility within the community and foster local connections.
“The recreation center sounds like it will be a good thing,” said John Little, ’26.
The project would also provide additional space for athletic groups like the Rockbridge Area Recreation Organization (RARO) to meet. RARO has provided leisure and recreational activities to the community for nearly 40 years.
Chad Coffey, the executive director of RARO, said that the new center will benefit RARO and private athletic programs by opening up more practice spaces. Coffey said that this would allow RARO to create new programs and classes, a goal that has not been obtainable in recent years due to a lack of space.
“The recreation center proposal not only allows for our quality and growth to happen, but also meets the long-standing needs of Rockbridge County Public Schools and the community at large,” Coffey said.
Coffey said that a new gym has been in the Rockbridge County Capital Improvement Plan for years and that the cost is not a surprise.
“The costs are something that has been expected and, in some ways, planned for,” he said. “This new recreation center stands to bring so many positives for the community that it is hard to even think of the cons.”
