Page County Supervisors discuss potential Community Center, approve Winum Memorial Bridge

LURAY, Va. (WHSV) - The Page County Board of Supervisors met Monday night and approved plans for county staff to move forward with plans for a Community Center in Luray.

The Community Center would be built on a property already owned by the county that is directly across from the Page County Technical Center.

“We don’t have a center where we can hold all of our events and we will like with this addition, if the board approves it, we can expand our offerings for the community,” said Page County Administrator Amity Moler.

Moler said the idea of bringing a community center to Page County has been discussed for years but now the ball is moving on the project.

The proposed center would include two basketball courts, a common area, classrooms, a commercial kitchen, a multi-use sports room, an indoor track, and outdoor soccer fields. The county also hopes to make an addition that would help fill a void in the community.

“With the recent closing of the Valley Health Gym, we’re also hoping to add the addition of a fitness center in here as well. It just would expand greatly what we can offer the community,” said Moler.

Supervisors threw out ideas like indoor soccer and baseball facilities.

“I think it’s a great idea, a huge idea for our citizens but let’s not just pinhole one idea, let’s open it up to revenue-generating ideas,” Supervisor D. Keith Guzy, Jr. said.

Moler said that the center would provide a great meeting place for different organizations in the county and help make planning easier for recreational sports.

“Right now with us not having facilities we are having to schedule with the schools and of course, they have school sports so it makes it difficult sometimes for us to have these programs be successful and have regular schedules,” she said.

The Community Center would be free and open to the public but if a fitness center is added there would likely be a small membership fee for it to help offset the cost of building the center.

“We’re really just hoping to have a great community space that can be used for multiple things. Anything from a fundraiser or meeting space to sports and other activities,” said Moler.

Moler said it would cost around $4 million to build the facility but the county would be eligible for a USDA grant to purchase equipment for the inside.

Also during Monday’s meeting, Supervisors voted on a resolution to rename the newly-renovated ‘White House Bridge’ on Route 340 to honor Stanley Police Officer Nick Winum who was shot and killed in the line of duty last year. This was apparently one of Officer Winum’s favorite places in Page County where he would enjoy the Shenandoah River views while patrolling.

At first, there was disagreement among Supervisors as to if there was a better bridge to be named in his honor, but the board ultimately came to a unanimous decision to rename ‘White House Bridge.’

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