Sky's the Limit at Claude Moore

New Rec Center Boasts Rock Wall, Pools, Elevated Track
By Arianne Aryanpur - Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, March 25, 2007; LZ01

The python-shaped, 150-foot covered slide looks more like a ride at a water adventure theme park than a product from the local parks and recreation department. And who would expect a rock-climbing wall?

Designers of the Claude Moore Recreation Center wanted to offer much more than the standard amenities, and Loudoun County residents soon will be able to cast a critical eye on all its features. The $24 million facility in Sterling will have its grand opening next weekend, more than five years after voters authorized the project.

The center's indoor water park, which has been dubbed the "leisure pool," also has a hot tub for adults. County officials are hoping that the center brings in lots of local families, and enough revenue that the parks and recreation department can operate it without a subsidy.
The 28-foot climbing wall, hand-built in Colorado, is expected to be very popular.
"There is no other recreation center that I know of in Northern Virginia that has a rock-climbing wall," said Sky Dantinne, the manager at Claude Moore.

For the serious swimmer, there is an Olympic-size lap pool. The center also has a fitness area with flat-screen TVs and the latest exercise equipment, an elevated indoor track, a gym for basketball and volleyball, rental rooms for parties and special events, drop-in child care and a teen center.

Parks and recreation officials received funding for the 84,000-square-foot building in 2001 through voter-approved bonds and developer proffers. They hired a team of architects that year and later had input sessions to gauge public interest.

They found there was an overwhelming desire for swimming facilities, said Diane Ryburn, the county's director of parks and recreation. So in 2004, the Board of Supervisors appropriated an additional $1.8 million to expand the pool from 37 meters to 50 meters.

The lap pool will host the swim teams from all of Loudoun's public high schools and four Loudoun swim clubs. Starting on April 9, it will offer water aerobics and scuba lessons. In the fitness area, there will be personal training, classes in yoga and tai-chi, and dance workouts.
For those who prefer outdoor exercise, the center has a 3.2-mile jogging trail on the surrounding 357-acre property.

The recreation center is part of Claude Moore Park, an expanse of wetlands, meadows and forests donated by Claude Moore, a physician and landowner, to the National Wildlife Federation in 1975. Loudoun County purchased the park in 1990 and divided it into a nature area -- with hiking trails, an education center and the Loudoun Heritage Farm Museum -- and a recreation area, with baseball and football fields and a concession stand.

To maintain the park's rustic feel, the architects of the recreation center incorporated a silo and red paneling into its design. In addition to the main entrance off Cascades Parkway, parents and children can get to the center from a trail network that connects to Sterling Elementary School and Park View High School.

Parks officials said they expect large crowds at the grand opening, scheduled for 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday.

"I think the community has been waiting for a long time, and this fills a certain niche for families," said Steve Sawyer, division manager in the parks department.

The last phase of the project will be completed in December: a 9,000-square-foot building next to the recreation center that will take over the services now offered at the Sterling Community Center Annex, including aerobics classes and licensed child care.

"It's really going to make us one-stop shopping," Dantinne said.

The center is at 46105 Loudoun Park Lane, Sterling. Tours are available from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. today. Normal hours will be 5:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. weekdays, and 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Daily admission is $5.50 for Loudoun residents and $3.75 for children and seniors. For nonresidents, admission is $8.25 for adults and $5.75 for children and seniors. For more information on classes and membership fees, call 571-258-3600. The center is also hiring lifeguards, child-care professionals, personal trainers and fitness instructors. To apply, visithttp://www.loudoun.gov/hr/applic.htm.