MCC Downtown Committee Wrestles With Development Options

The Downtown Committee of the McLean Community Center (MCC), headed by Susan Bourgeois, met at the end of June as they continue to try and develop plans for a new multi-million dollar building in downtown McLean.

Here are the five highlights of that meeting:

1. The committee continued to confront two questions: what do they want to build downtown and where can they build it?

"What is the program that we are looking to achieve?" MCC chair Kevin Dent said. "Until we have instructions to give them...until we have that” the committee doesn't need to hire an architect, he said.

The committee has said in general the building could include rehearsal space, a kitchen, gym space and a community hall.

"If you are designing something, you need to know what you want first," said Ann Seaman, who represents the . "I haven’t heard yet a wish list of what you want to end up with."

2. Bourgeois said a black box theater seems to be out in the new facility. Dent said it appears that the teen center located in the Old Firehouse will remain as it is.

In earlier discussions the MCC board discussed replacing the Old Firehouse with a new building. But the property is not large enough for parking. In addition, the board has paid for and installed new windows, a new floor and other updates to the building.

3.The Downtown Committee has added two outside members at the suggestion of Dranesville Supervisor John Foust. They are Seaman. serves as a representative of the Greater McLean Chamber of Commerce to the Planning Committee. The second new member is William Sudow, who represents the McLean Revitalization Corp.

4. During June, the committee visited several community centers in Fairfax County including Reston looking for ideas.

5. As the MCC Downtown Committee tries to define its goals, the MCC Capital Improvements committee, now headed by Chad Quinn, has hired an engineering firm to begin planning an extensive renovation of the 35-year-old community center, which is located opposite the .

The McLean Community Center has accumulated a surplus of between $10-$12 million by charging McLean residents more in property taxes than was needed to operate the center. The MCC board plans to spend part or all of the surplus to help finance its new downtown facility.

Both the Capital Improvements and Downtown Committee holds monthly meetings that are open to the public.