The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors is exploring a conference center in Tysons as an economic development alternative.
The Reston-based coalition that has spent three years fighting a casino proposal for the same area called the study a positive step, but said it remains firmly opposed to any casino.
Board Chairman Jeff McKay directed County Executive Bryan Hill to assess whether a conference center in Tysons is feasible in June. Visit Fairfax and the Economic Development Authority will collaborate on the study. McKay's motion directs the Board Economic Initiatives Committee to receive findings before the end of this year.
The motion comes less than three months after Gov. Abigail Spanberger vetoed SB756, the Fairfax County casino bill. Sen. Scott Surovell, who introduced that legislation, has said he intends to reintroduce it, according to the Fairfax County Times. The Board of Supervisors voted in December 2025 to oppose any casino bill it had not requested, and Hunter Mill District Supervisor Walter Alcorn called the vetoed legislation a "bad bill," adding: "We never wanted it and never asked for it."
Reston's anti-casino coalition responds
Lynne Mulston, chair of the No Fairfax Casino Coalition and president of the Reston Citizens Association, said the coalition welcomes the study but isn't letting its guard down.
"We welcome County Executive Bryan Hill's study of the feasibility of a conference center in Tysons and appreciate the chance for the community to be part of that conversation," Mulston said. "At the same time, our position remains unchanged: we are firmly opposed to any casino proposal in Tysons, and we will keep fighting to make sure it does not come back."
The No Fairfax Casino Coalition is a special project of the RCA, a nonprofit. As of January 2025, the coalition counted more than 50,000 supporters and 40 member organizations opposing a casino anywhere in Fairfax County.
Conference center idea dates back decades
McKay framed the conference center as a long-standing county goal, not a consolation prize. He said the county's 1984 Comprehensive Plan envisioned Tysons as a conference destination, and a 2011 county-commissioned consultant study found demand for such a facility there.
In 2025, the Tysons Community Alliance conducted a second study that reaffirmed those findings and recommended a mid-size regional conference facility with a full-service hotel, smaller than the D.C. Convention Center or the Gaylord, according to McKay.
McKay acknowledged that both studies found conference centers often require significant financial support to operate. But he argued that visitor spending, tax revenues and job creation can offset that cost.
"A conference center is a separate conversation from the casino proposal," McKay said in a statement to the Fairfax County Times. "My position on the casino has not changed, and I'm focused on advancing economic development opportunities that align with the long-term vision for Tysons and have broad community support."
Not everyone agrees on the location
Springfield District Supervisor Pat Herrity, a Republican, supported the conference center concept but criticized the board for relying on a 15-year-old study. Herrity suggested Reston as an alternative location and said he has advocated for a conference center "for many years to diversify our tax base with tax revenue from visitors."
What's next
McKay's motion directs the Board Economic Initiatives Committee to receive the feasibility study findings before the end of 2026. No specific meeting date or public comment deadline has been announced. Residents can monitor updates at fairfaxcounty.gov/boardofsupervisors.
