Local officials have given the go ahead to a plan to build a large indoor snow centre on a former landfill site in Lorton, Virginia, and 20 miles from US Capital Washington D.C.

The facility, named Fairfax Peak, in the state’s Fairfax County was first announced last year, and has been going through the initial assessment process.  The centre would cover nearly half a million square feet (42,000 square metres) and have a 1700 foot (520 metre) main slope – one of the world’s longest, with an 85 metre vertical.

The facility is proposed by a company called Alpine-X which is working with the Dutch SnowWorld Group on a reported plan to build at least 10 indoor snow centres across the US in coming years. They submitted a formal proposal to build the centre on Wednesday, May 29^th.

The development, which would take 3-4 years to build, could also include a gondola lift, beginner slope and an indoor terrain park as well as a restaurant and a hotel.

“(Fairfax Peak could create…) new jobs, exciting new snow sports opportunities, the potential for high school ski teams, new hotel and restaurant amenities for the South County area, premier national competitions and financial benefits to our taxpayers from the lease, sales tax, and hotel tax revenue streams,” said the local government’s District Supervisor Pat Herrity.

Alpine-X notes that the facility could also be used by military or law enforcement for cold-weather and snow training.

The building would be environmentally sustainable and operate as a public-private partnership with Alpine-X leasing the land to build, own, and operate the facility.

There are currently two indoor snow centres in North America, one in Tennessee offering snow tubing only opened last year, the other in New Jersey was built in 2008 but is yet to open.