Prince William Times 06/02/2022

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COLGAN BASEBALL AMONG MANY LOCAL TEAMS MAKING STATES, Sports, Page 12-13

June 2, 2022 | Vol. 21, No. 22 | www.princewilliamtimes.com | $1.00 Covering Prince William County and surrounding communities, including Gainesville, Haymarket, Dumfries, Occoquan, Quantico and the cities of Manassas and Manassas Park.

Coming soon to Manassas Park: ‘Park Central’ New city hall, library, splash pad to open this summer

Opening soon in Manassas Park: Park Central

Manassas Park’s new city hall and town center development project will begin opening this summer.

By Cher Muzyk

Times Staff Writer

Manassas Park’s new “Park Central” town center is on track to be partially complete this summer with the new city hall, public library and splash pad set to open by mid-August. Also, a deal to bring Cinema Café into the development was recently finalized, an addition city officials say is key to the project’s success. The Manassas Park City Council settled on the name “Park Central” for the new development after gathering public input and working with a consultant for about a year. The name is hoped to distinguish the downtown concept and help the public readily identify the new town center. The first phase of construction -representing about a quarter of the project – will be formally opened to the public in a July 16 ribbon-cutting ceremony. The event will celebrate the completion of the new city hall building, which will include a new public library and an outdoor plaza with a splash pad for young families,

Opening July 16:

• City Hall • Outdoor plaza with tables • Splash pad

Opening mid-August: • Public library

Opening in spring 2023:

• Jirani Coffeehouse with outdoor dining

Opening in 2024:

• Cinema Café theater and restaurant • VRE parking garage with pedestrian bridge

PHOTO BY DOUG STROUD PHOTOGRAPHY

The new Manassas Park City Hall, set to partially open this month, will feature a public library, coffee shop and splash pad for young families. according to Manassas Park City Manager Laszlo Palko. The new 10,000-sqare-foot library is expected to open in mid-August. The library will be almost five times larger than the city’s existing library, Palko said. Most administrative offices in the city hall, including the city treasurer and commissioner of revenue offices,

will be open by mid-June, Palko said. The popular Jirani Coffeehouse, located in old town Manassas, will open a second location on the first floor of the new Manassas Park City Hall adjacent to the public plaza. Jirani may also offer outdoor dining as well as live entertainment. Palko said there is space for another restaurant to come into the city hall, as well.

Ken Moorman, Jirani Coffeehouse’s owner and a resident of Manassas Park, said he is thrilled to open a new Park Central location. He said that opening in Manassas Park was his “vision seven years ago and to now have the opportunity to make it a reality is very exciting.” See PARK, page 2

Area lawmakers mixed on Commanders’ move to Woodbridge Vote on stadium bill delayed

Opposed

On the fence

Supports (with concerns)

By Jill Palermo

Times Staff Writer

Virginia lawmakers called a time out this week on a bill that would offer the Washington Commanders a $300 million incentive to build a new stadium in Virginia – possibly in Woodbridge. State Sen. Richard Saslaw, the Democratic majority leader, said Tuesday the bill would not come to the floor when the General Assembly returned to special session Wednesday, June 1, to vote on the state budget. The news comes as some local state legislators are expressing cold feet about the 200-acre site in Prince William County that the team is eyeing for its new home. News about the team securing an option to buy land near Potomac Mills – bordered by Interstate 95, Summit School, Caton Hill and Telegraph roads – is raising concerns about traffic and the lack of better mass transportation options, such as Metro, among other things. In votes taken on the stadium bill in February and March, only three of the 13 state lawmakers representing parts of Prince William County dissented on the idea of creating a state “stadium authority” to allow state-backed bonds to finance

Del. Danica Roem

Del. Elizabeth Guzman

Sen. Jeremy McPike

the stadium. Those casting no votes, or choosing not to vote at all, included Delegates Elizabeth Guzman, Dan Helmer and Danica Roem. But, by late last week, both state Sens. George Barker, D-39th, and Jeremy McPike, D-29th, who previously voted in favor of the Senate’s stadium bill, said they were leaning toward voting no on the final vote. McPike, whose district includes the Telegraph Road site, said he is concerned about the stadium complex gobbling up the Horner Road commuter lot and impacting an adjacent 96-acre site the county purchased last year for the yet-to-bebuilt 14th high school. It’s still not clear how the stadium site would impact the school site, as the school division has yet to be contacted by the team, according to Diana Gulotta, spokeswoman

Memorial Day banners honor fallen servicemembers, page 9

Sen. George Barker

Sen. Scott Surovell

Del. Luke Torian

for Prince William County schools. “I have no information as it relates to traffic or transportation,” McPike said Tuesday, adding that he was “leaning no” on an eventual vote. Meanwhile, Barker mustered only lukewarm support for the idea of the Commanders moving to Woodbridge. “It’s not a terrible site,” Barker offered Friday, noting the proposed site is close to Interstate 95. Still, given the frequent backups on that particular stretch of the highway, Barker said the team’s focus on Woodbridge would affect his vote. Reportedly, the team has not ruled out possible sites in Loudoun County or Washington, D.C., or even rebuilding the stadium in Landover, Maryland. See STADIUM, page 4

Occoquan Riverfest and Craft Show, page 10

88 DULLES, VA


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