At a joint meeting last Thursday, leaders from Rockbridge County, Lexington and Buena Vista discussed the latest plans for the proposed Rockbridge County Recreation Center, including a cost-sharing framework and the formation of a new regional recreation committee.
Rockbridge County Administrator Spencer Suter presented the update, explaining that under the current proposal, the county would fund all capital costs for the community side of the building, while the portion serving Rockbridge County High School would be paid for under the existing county–Lexington cost-sharing agreement. That formula allocates roughly 85 percent of high school capital expenses to the county and just over 15 percent to the city, though it depends on the year. Lexington’s percentage share in the regional capital formula is expected to rise to around 17 percent by fiscal 2027.
“The county proposes to fund all capital costs for the community side of the building, with the high school side being funded by the Rockbridge-Lexington cost model,” Suter said. The division of the building is roughly 60–40 between community and school spaces.
The project, estimated at just under $13 million, would include three full-size basketball/volleyball courts, office space for the Rockbridge Area Recreation Organization, a community meeting room, and an indoor walking track. Suter briefly mentioned that another $1.5 million is projected for replacement tennis courts, since the new facility would occupy the site of the current ones.
He said the new recreation center would operate as a joint use facility, with RARO managing the community side while maintaining flexibility for shared use. “One of the beauties of this is that on weekends, the high school is not using the facility a lot of times. So RARO could have tournaments for volleyball or basketball,” he said. “Similarly, if the high school needed extra space during the week, RARO could say, okay, they’re gonna share theirs.”
The meeting introduced efforts to create a regional recreation committee representing all three jurisdictions to guide both this project and broader discussions about RARO’s long-term direction. Suter said the committee model had proven successful on other regional projects, such as the new Department of Social Services building.
Lexington Mayor Frank Friedman and several other officials expressed support for the idea, emphasizing that the committee’s role should extend beyond the recreation center to include future planning for all regional recreation needs.
Officials also discussed anticipated operational costs and staffing. Suter said the county and RARO are working with Superintendent Phillip Thompson to refine maintenance and personnel estimates. RARO Executive Director Chad Coffey said most of RARO’s full-time staff would work on site during the day, supplemented by part-time employees, mirroring the model used at existing school facilities.
Officials from all three localities reiterated ongoing concerns about traffic and pedestrian safety on Greenhouse Road, where the center would sit across from Rockbridge County High School. They discussed the possibility of new crosswalks, flashing pedestrian lights, or other traffic-control measures to protect students and younger RARO participants who will cross the road between the high school and the facility.
The next step in the process will be the formation of the new regional recreation committee. The committee will include members from all three localities and will take on the task of refining key details about the proposed recreation center and RARO’s broader operations — including questions about operating costs, staffing, funding mechanisms, and how RARO’s existing bylaws and budgeting practices might need to adapt. As Suter noted, many of those specifics “are excellent committee discussions,” best resolved once all partners are at the table.
Lexington City Council and the Rockbridge County Board of Supervisors have already chosen members for this committee. Buena Vista is expected to appoint its representatives at the city’s Nov. 6 council meeting, after which the committee may begin meeting.
The meeting concluded after a comment by county Supervisor David McDaniel, who emphasized that the county views the recreation center as just one piece of a larger regional recreation plan. “The county saw this as a very important piece of the puzzle,” he said, “especially for the high school and for the community as a whole. But it’s just one piece, and there are other pieces that this regional committee will need to start talking about.”
