Proposed Project Would Serve Both School And Community
Basketball tournaments, community exercise classes and high school PE could soon share the same roof.
Rockbridge County leaders unveiled full plans last Wednesday night for a new $12.8 million recreation center that would serve both Rockbridge County High School students and the wider community.
The 42,000-square-foot facility is planned for county-owned property across Greenhouse Road from the high school, on the site of the existing tennis courts. Spectrum Design presented conceptual drawings to the Rockbridge County School Board, Board of Supervisors and Lexington City Council during a joint meeting at Maury River Middle School last Wednesday.
The design calls for three regulation basketball/ volleyball courts side by side, plus a flexible space that could accommodate a fourth court or other recreational uses. The building would be divided down the middle, with one court and the flex space dedicated for school use and two courts reserved for community use. Other features include a rubberized floor, split-face block exterior, upper-level offices for the Rockbridge Area Recreation Organization, a community room and an indoor walking track that circles above the courts.
The project has been under study for much of this year. Rockbridge County Public Schools first asked Spectrum Design to explore the idea in early 2025, and the firm has since conducted land and utility surveys and met several times with a committee of county and school representatives. That group helped shape the program, site plan and cost estimates presented Wednesday. The final study packet includes site plans, floor plans, a design narrative, meeting minutes, and three conceptual design options.
Granville Grant, principal with Spectrum Design, told The News-Gazette Friday that the planning process has gone smoothly so far.
“There have been no concerns and no hiccups,” he said, praising the county’s collaboration. “The biggest goal with this project was creating more recreational space for Rockbridge County Public Schools; they need this greatly for their physical education program.”
He added that RARO’s needs were also carefully considered and that the organizations “have worked well together on the project.”
Once the decision was made to move forward with a proposal within the last year, Grant said, “everyone was eager to get started.” He emphasized that finances are still unresolved, but Spectrum hopes the county and school boards will determine the project’s fate soon.
RARO Executive Director Chad Coffey attended Wednesday’s meeting. Superintendent Phillip Thompson said in an email that RARO is expected to oversee operations, scheduling and community access if the project moves forward.
Thompson explained that the joint-use facility “will directly support RCPS priorities by enhancing physical education, athletics, and extracurricular opportunities for students while fostering strong community partnerships.” He added that locating the center on the high school campus would “expand access to modern, high-quality spaces that promote student wellness, provide access to long-needed additional gym space and create opportunities for after-school and enrichment programs.”
Thompson said he appreciates the strong partnership between RCPS and RARO, noting that “school-day use by RCPS students will remain a priority, particularly for PE, athletics and extracurricular activities, while community access will be coordinated around those needs. This approach ensures the center functions as a truly shared resource, balancing the priorities of both our schools and the wider community.”
Spectrum’s cost estimate, developed with a contractor, put the project at $12,769,488. Officials have not yet determined how the county would finance the center. Questions also remain about where replacement tennis courts would be located.
Thompson said the initial study “marks an important step, but the next step rests with the School Board and Board of Supervisors to determine whether the study’s findings meet the needs of both our schools and the broader community.” If funding is secured and the boards authorize the design phase, he explained, an architectural and engineering firm would be engaged to prepare construction documents and advertise the project for bid.
“Throughout this process, opportunities for public input and ongoing collaboration between RCPS and county leadership will be essential,” he said. “If each of these steps progresses efficiently, it is possible that groundbreaking could occur as early as this coming summer.”
Local officials offered early support. Lexington Mayor Frank Friedman called the recreation center a “great concept” at the meeting, and gave credit to the committee that developed the plans with Spectrum.
RARO leaders have long said additional gym space is their most pressing need. About 1,700 children and 300 adults currently participate in RARO sports, but the group has no access to school gyms on weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. “It makes it difficult for us to meet our mission statement,” Coffey told local officials earlier this year.
Created in 1988 by Rockbridge County and Lexington and joined by Buena Vista in 2016, RARO provides youth and adult sports across the region. Coffey has said expanded facilities would also position the county to host sports tournaments and draw visitors to local businesses.
If approved, the new recreation center would mark the largest joint investment in school and community recreation facilities in decades. Thompson described it as “a truly shared resource, balancing the priorities of both our schools and the wider community” and a chance to “strengthen the school division’s connection to the broader community, ensuring that both students and residents benefit from the investment.”
