PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY — New building construction for two industrial parks along Balls Ford Groveton roads in Prince William County will offer economic growth opportunities for the County.
The two parks, Premier Business Park and Merritt I-66 Business Park, are both zoned for industrial use and are being marketed to industrial and distribution companies as part of the county’s economic development strategy.
“Their proximity to Interstate 66 and the Prince William Parkway provide excellent transportation infrastructure required by industrial and distribution uses. In addition, their large size and zoning provide the spaces needed for outdoor storage required by some of the businesses. The County’s highly skilled workforce and affordability are attractive to these types of industries,” said Ginny Person, Communications, Marketing and Research Manager for Prince William County’s Department of Economic Development.
Premier Business Park will consist of three, one-story industrial buildings totaling 456,000 square feet.
The developers for the project, Chalmers Property Company, has a long history of working in Prince William County.
Founded in 1991 and based in Fairfax, Chalmers Property has managed, leased, developed and owned properties in the area for almost 25 years. Their current portfolio focuses on the I-66 corridor in Fairfax and Prince William counties and is made up of office, flex and industrial products.
“Development will be completed in two phases. Phase one development began with ground breaking by general contractor E.E. Reed on April 10, 2017. Phase one is comprised of Buildings A and B, which total 290,000 square feet and is already partially pre-leased to two tenants. Phase two will be Building C, and it is designed for 167,000 square feet,” said Vice President Grant Chalmers.
Merritt I-66 Business Park will consist of six buildings totaling 596,900 square feet. Building one will be 30,600 square feet, while buildings two, three and four will be 97,200 square feet, and buildings five and six will be 137,350 square feet.
“This is Merritt Properties’ first project in Prince William County,” Person said. “They are using rock from the site to construct the wall along I-66. The remaining rock is being ground into gravel and resold for projects in the area.”
Merritt’s website states that Building 2 and Building 6 will be available in November 2017.
The Department of Economic Development is working with Merritt and Chalmers to market the parks to industrial and distribution companies, highlighting both sites at logistic industry conferences and trade shows, as well as in a video marketing promotion. “Recently, we conducted a Familiarization Tour of the park to representatives of the Virginia Economic Development Partnership and the Port of Virginia,” Person said. “We will feature both properties in upcoming newsletters to national site selectors.”
