Manassas Park leaders vow to get financial house in order, fill empty storefronts

MANASSAS PARK — Local business owners and elected officials met Thursday at Preston’s Pub to get to know each other and discuss the city’s commercial future.

Members of Prince William Chamber of Commerce were present, along with city officials Mayor Jeanette Rishell and council members Michael Carrera, Miriam Machado, and Donald Shuemaker. Many local businesses came to network and hear about the city’s advancement.

The city’s main objectives are attracting commercial development and getting their financial position in order, Mayor Rishell said in her opening remarks. The city has struggled with completing its audits – a task that was made more difficult by a “perfect storm” of inconveniencing events, including catastrophic software failure, major data loss, and a temporary evacuation of City Hall.

Things are back on track now, and the audits are set to be complete by mid-September.

“That’s huge, because that’s the city’s credit,” said Laszlo Palko, city manager.

He added that they are making “great progress” towards becoming fiscally sustainable. The city has also contracted an economic development marketing firm.

A highly anticipated project is the updated Manassas Park Virginia Railway Express station and proposed parking garage. Officials are banking on the updates to attract commercial development to the area. The garage would help fill a need of approximately 560 more parking spaces. Project development and final design were funded by the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority, and project construction (which is slated to be completed by 2020-2022) is being funded by the Interstate 66 Outside the Beltway Concessionaire Payment.

The city will also continue networking and doing “everything we can possibly do to fill up empty storefronts,” said the Mayor.

Manassas Park’s small size presents certain challenges, such as a smaller tax base, but it has some perks as well. Mayor Rishell said that the city is able to pivot quickly in response to changing circumstances, and also enables leaders to be hands-on and straightforward when dealing with residents and business owners.

“We’re here to listen and work with you,” she said.

“We are first to admit that there will be speed bumps on the way, but we are very optimistic about the future of our city,” Mayor Rishell concluded.

As a new family business in Manassas Park, Preston’s Pub was an ideal event host. Co-owned by Judy McNamara and her son, Sean McNamara, the restaurant opened in March. They joined the Chamber prior to opening and were given advice and marketing help, said Judy. Business has been booming. “This is a very tight-knit community and people have been wonderful to us,” said Judy.