Tech and Research Park Vote Deferred

NORTH STAFFORD, Va. — Stafford officials Tuesday night deferred a vote that would move forward on a plan to bring a technology and research center to the area.

The Stafford Board of Supervisors said they needed more time to meet with stakeholders and review plans for the research facility. The center would come as part of a public-private partnership that would develop a new research park in the Quantico Corporate Center off U.S. 1 in North Stafford.

According to plans outlined in county documents, Fredericksburg real estate developer Silver Companies, which owns the developing corporate center near just outside Quantico Marine Corps Base, will contribute $315,000 toward the initial lease of 1,400 square feet of academic and/or business incubator space on the third floor at 800 Corporate Center Drive.

The floorspace will serve as the initial academic research and tech center. Then, as part of the outlined agreement, Silver Companies will then donate up to two acres of land for the construction of a 30 to 40,000 square-foot building that will house a new tech and research center.

An initial agreement for the research center was signed in October 2010 by the interested parties — Stafford County, officials from the University of Mary Washington, George Mason University, ManTech International, and Germanna Community College.

The partnership comes after county officials approved a redevelopment plan for the area around the Quantico Corporate Center, known as Boswell’s Corner.

Stafford County has contributed $600,000 for transportation improvements to the area, to allow for better traffic flow from U.S. 1 and nearby Telegraph Road.

As part of the agreement, the corporate center will get a new name as early as this summer. Stafford County will contribute $237,000 to a rebranding effort for the overall center, changing its name to “Stafford Technology and Research Park at Quantico,” or something similar.