Industrial Sector of Innovation Park May Be Redesignated Mixed-Use Development

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Aerial image of Innovation Park via the Prince William County website. Aerial image of Innovation Park as shown on the Prince William County website.

The Prince William Board of County Supervisors voted to initiate an amendment to the county’s comprehensive plan to replace a heavy industrial sector of Innovation Park with mixed-use development to include retail, restaurants, possibly hotels and apartment buildings, among office space.

Innovation Park, a commercial park, is located on the north end of the Brentsville District near the City of Manassas with access via Nokesville Road (Route 28) and University Boulevard. It is a public-private cooperative venture. The 1600-acre Innovation campus connects to George Mason University’s Manassas campus. Innovation Park is also home to many technology companies and data centers.

Proposed by county supervisors approximately 20 years ago, today's county supervisors remain interested in seeing Innovation fulfill the board's vision for a vibrant commercial park. Meanwhile, that vision has continued to evolve to address the needs of the modern economy.

Jan. 19, Prince William’s Supervisor of Planning, Chris Price, presented to the board an amendment to a sector of Innovation located towards the back end of Innovation Drive near Route 28 and the Prince William Parkway.

That area was originally designate heavy industrial on the county's comprehensive plan, but Price made a case that it would better serve the county to amend it to “mixed use.” As “mixed use” it could offer, along with office space, dining and retail, and multi-family dwellings.

Price explained that he does not yet have a specific proposal for what the mix of uses would look like

Generally, a mixed-use development would consist of office, retail, and residential uses. We don’t have a development proposal yet, so we don’t know how many dwelling units would be requested. [However,] there is already an area of Innovation that contains residential uses and another that has future planned residential areas (Innovation Town Center)…We expect that a development proposal for this area would include a mix of residential types that would likely include apartments.

Although the new designation reduces the number employment centers in that particular sector, Price told the supervisors he expects the change overall would help to attract new businesses to the park by creating a “vibrant” environment where people would want to work, shop and dine. Price notes the areas could serve people from  George Mason University and Hylton Performing Arts Center as well.

Coles Supervisor Marty Nohe (R) said he used to be critical of Innovation Park because he felt it would compete with the private sector, but now, he believes it helps bolster the private sector in Prince William County. He said he would not want to add retail uses that would compete with nearby shopping centers such as Sowder Village south of Innovation on Nokesville Road, which is anchored by the west Manassas Target, sometimes referred to as the Bristow Target. Price said that he does not want to compete with existing businesses, either.

Supervisors mentioned that another component of Innovation Park is its "Town Center," which will be directly adjacent to George Mason University and the Hylton Performing Art Center. Price said his team is considering the future Town Center, which would offer its own retail, restaurants and dwellings, and no one wants to “cannibalize” from that future development.

Brentsville Supervisor Jeanine Lawson (R) said they are not adding any residential development that is not already in the comprehensive plan. She said she is excited about the development, and reminded residents that located across the road on Route 28 will be 2 Silos Brewery at the old Thomasson Farm.

The supervisors approved initiating the amendment by a unanimous vote. The amendment will be referred to the Planning Commission for a public hearing and the commission's recommendation.

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