With new town hall, Dumfries is now a landlord

DUMFRIES — Dumfries leaders welcomed residents into their new town hall.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held at the new building at 17739 Main Street, which is located next to the old town hall building that also contains the Jeff Simpson Community Center. The town owns both buildings and, for the first time, is a landlord renting space to multiple non-profit organizations co-located with it inside the new town hall, to include the Greater Prince William Community Health Center.

The town’s police department is also located at 17739 Main Street. It relocated to the building from the Triangle Shopping Center last year.

“We’ve done a lot of moving and shaking in recent months,” said Dumfries Councilwoman Monae Nickerson.

A total of 12 town government employees and 14 members of the police force now occupy the 16,500 square foot building.

Nickerson joined newly-elected Mayor Derrick Wood, Cydny Neville, and Selonia Miles joined Charles “Cliff” Brewer, Melva Willis, and Brian Fields on the Dumfries Town Council on July 1.

The council had discussed a new town hall building for the past six years before moving into its new building. Instead of building their own, town officials made an offer to a bank for the property and settled on a sale price of about $5.25 million, said Wood.

That decision saved taxpayers millions on the cost of building a new structure, as well as buying land, he added. And, because of the fact, non-profit organizations occupy 65 percent of the new town hall, to include the police department on the first floor and town government offices above it, the town won state grant money to help pay for the new building it now manages.

“Wow, we’re in the property management business,” said Wood. “We’ve never done this before.”

Work is underway to wire the building for broadband connectivity which will allow the town to once again broadcast town council meetings and work sessions on the town’s informational TV channel, as well as Facebook.

Former Prince William County School Board member Betty Covington, Marty Nohe, of the Prince William County Board of Supervisors, and Quantico Mayor Kevin Brown also attended the event. Dumfries council members Willis and Brewer did not attend.