For Immediate Release: February 12, 2009

Alexandria Hosts Special Citywide Event: State of the City Address
And Dedication of the New Charles Houston Recreation Center

Saturday, February 21, 8:30 a.m.

Mayor William D. Euille and the Alexandria City Council invite the public to participate in a special Citywide event on Saturday, February 21, as the Mayor delivers the State of the City Address before the dedication of the newly built Charles Houston Recreation Center (901 Wythe St.). The event will open with the Mayor’s address at 8:30 a.m., followed by the dedication ceremony, an Open House and tours of the facility.

During the Open House, the public will have an opportunity to meet class instructors, staff of the recreation center, and staff from City organizations and other agencies. Light refreshments will be served, and children in the community can participate in a crafts activity or a cooperative group game with staff.

“We look forward to seeing our residents, the business community and friends of the City at this event,” said Mayor Euille. “The State of the City Address, coupled with the dedication of this fantastic new facility, gives us the opportunity to all come together to celebrate this new community resource, and to discuss and contemplate the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead.”

Charles Houston, for whom the recreation center is named, was an attorney of national reputation and a seminal figure in the civil rights movement. He used his expertise and influence to bring educational opportunity to Alexandria’s African American community. Houston authored a legal brief used by his protégé, Thurgood Marshall, to win Brown vs. the Topeka Board of Education,  the landmark U.S. Supreme Court case that helped to end racial segregation in American schools. 

The Center was a $15 million City-funded capital project that replaced the previous, 30-year-old community center. The new 35,000 square foot state-of-the-art center incorporates green building features, such as a vegetated green roof, and energy efficient HVAC systems and lighting. The center will provide the community with a new gymnasium, dance studio, fitness room, boxing room, a Cyber and Sports Café themed game room, computer lab, commercial kitchen, outdoor swimming pool, seniors’ room, preschool activity room, arts and crafts room, activity rooms and a meeting room. 

The City of Alexandria is committed to compliance with the City’s Human Rights Code and the Americans with Disabilities Act. To request a reasonable accommodation or to request materials in an alternative format, contact Jack Browand, Special Projects Coordinator, at 703.838.5095, ext. 273 (TTY Virginia Relay 703.838.4902) or e-mail at jack.browand@alexandriava.gov. Requests for reasonable accommodations should be placed at least 48 hours in advance.