Published on: May 5, 2026, at 10:25 AM.
Latest update: May 5, 2026, at 10:25 AM.
- A real estate developer in Northern Virginia eyes Herndon for a potential casino project.
- Herndon is conveniently located just a few miles from Washington Dulles International Airport.
- Fairfax County officials and local government are currently against the introduction of casinos.
Local authorities in a community near Washington Dulles International Airport are debating the integration of a proposed casino resort into the local landscape.
After recent challenges in Tysons, real estate enterprise Comstock Companies has turned its attention to a site it owns close to the Herndon Metro Station. The Silver Line station is just three stops west of where Comstock had previously aimed to create a multibillion-dollar casino development.
On Monday, the Herndon Planning Commission evaluated a zoning regulation to create land-use guidelines for a casino. The proposed ordinance suggested altering the town’s definition of a Planned Development District to allow for “casino gaming establishments as part of a mixed-use development.”
The Zoning Administrator, David Stromberg, specified that the proposed casino would need to include a hotel with no fewer than 225 guest rooms, at least 34,000 square feet of retail space, a minimum of 11,000 square feet for event facilities, and a grocery store with a size of at least 20,000 square feet.
Dulles Casino Proposal
Comstock possesses a property within Herndon’s central area, located near the Old Town Hall and Sully’s Pour House. This empty lot sits approximately a mile north of the Herndon Metro Station and less than three miles east of Dulles International, the key international airport for the D.C. area.
Following significant community opposition in Tysons, Comstock is searching for a suitable new location to build a casino. Herndon, being part of Fairfax County, is the same county that Virginia Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell (D-Fairfax) identified as a candidate for a casino through Senate Bill 756.
Recently, Governor Abigail Spanberger (D) vetoed SB756, stating that the Fairfax County Board of Commissioners had not requested a casino opportunity. She criticized the bill for specifying a particular site for the casino—an old auto dealership associated with Comstock companies.
It is notable that Comstock has contributed over $200,000 to Surovell’s reelection campaign for 2027.
Planning Commission Rejects Ordinance
During their recent session, the planning commission of Herndon decided not only to dismiss the casino ordinance but also to advise the Herndon City Council to pass a resolution prohibiting slot machines and table games in the town.
Surovell’s SB756, which gained traction through a special session of the General Assembly, faced criticism for limiting local input and decision-making, according to Spanberger’s veto statement.
In response, Surovell asserted that a casino resort in the area would create thousands of unionized construction jobs and many more stable jobs in hospitality and entertainment. The influential lawmaker assured, “We will return.”
The Virginia General Assembly is currently in a special session, concentrating on the state budget and its funding allocations.