‘Manassas Station’ Would Replace old ABC Photo Building

The footprint of Old Town Manassas could soon expand east.

A proposal calls for 140 new condos to be built at Manassas Station, a new four-story housing development that would replace the old ABC Photo Processing Center on Prince William Street, originally built in 1953 and modified in 1985.

If approved, the new homes would have the same look and feel of the buildings in Old Town and would come on the heels of Manassas City leaders approving 94 new condos at the site of the old Manassas Journal Messenger building on Church Street.

The same developer who built Historic Courts of Manassas on Center Street would also be developing Manassas Station. A new Baldwin Intermediate School will be built across the street where ballfields outside Osbourn High School are in what is an already changing neighborhood. In order for the project to move forward, the land needs to be rezoned from industrial to residential use.

The city’s planning commission twice denied approval of the condo building because it would be built too close to existing historic homes on Fairview Avenue. But those who work in the city’s planning office said Manassas Station should go forward because it fits the city’s downtown development plan.

“There’s been very little interest in the property until our people came in and proposed something,” said John Foote, a lawyer representing the developer.

The amount of increased traffic that would come from the development is a concern. A new traffic signal at the nearby intersection of Fairview Avenue and Tudor Lane would need to be installed, and the developer has proffered $117,000 for the needed signal.

The developer has also offered $671,860 in proffers to the city’s school system to help offset the cost of educating new students who would move into the condo building. Foote said he used the city’s own data to determine that condo buildings in the city generate fewer school children than a nearby townhouse community and a trailer park.

Opponents of the project said the character of Old Town is changing too fast, fear its population will become denser, and that they don’t want the city to someday look like Arlington.

“I feel that the look and feel of this massive building will further erode the look and feel of our historic district, a district that so many people care about and what makes Manassas unique. Soon it will be hard to find historic buildings if we continue to allow development of this scale in the historic district,” said Mary Ann Jenkins, who lives on Windsor Street in the city.

Supporters of the new project called the condos a sign of “progress” being made in the city. They, along with Foote, also said many young Millenials are choosing to rent rather than buy a home due to the down economy.

“I’m 30 years old and I’m not in a position to purchase a home. It’s a tough world, economically, and I don’t know what can be done to support home ownership because it’s a difficult thing,” one woman told city leaders.

Manassas Station would be built on nearly four acres of land, feature 85 one-bedroom units and 55 two-bedroom units. Among other proffers, the developer has offered $50,000 to improve parking in Old Town, $121,800 for public safety improvements, $6,300 for parks, and would not allow owners to sublease any condo unit in the building.