Visitor kiosk could replace Occoquan visitor center

Prince William County and the Town of Occoquan has agreed to are in talks to move the current Visitor’s Center, located at 200 Mill Street in Occoquan, into a nearby kiosk.

Why it matters: The Occoquan Visitors Center serves as the key tourist welcome center in eastern Prince William County.

• It serves 17,000 people a year, according to county tourism spokesman Dan Cook.
• In 2015, officials talked about closing the center.

The new kiosk would be located next to the Mill House Museum, located at 413 Mill Street, according to town documents.

While the new kiosk is being constructed, the county could enter into a month-to-month lease agreement with the town to maintain operations of the Mill Street location until construction of the new kiosk is complete.

The draft lease agreement provides that the county will pay the town $1 per month during its term.

• The lease states that the building will continue in its use as a Visitor Center only during the construction of the new kiosk.

The county would bear the responsibility of all maintenance and repairs of the building as the leaseholder.

• The lease also provides that the county will absorb any responsibilities for damages incurred to the building during the term of the lease.
• The lease would automatically renew each month until the new kiosk opens.

The installation of the new kiosk will require approval by the Town’s Old and Historic District.

• It would also require approval from the Prince William Board of County Supervisors, which could hear the matter next month.

The Virginia Department of Transportation will also need to review as the kiosk is located in its right-of-way on Mill Street.

The kiosk has met the minimum requirements of the Virginia Tourism Corporation, and a motion was made by the Town Council to authorize the signing of the lease agreement to move this project forward.

This story has been corrected.