Original | Future of old Moncure school discussed; Attention turns to new ‘downtown’

Anne E. Moncure Elementary School has been sitting empty since last summer.

A new Moncure Elementary School opened about a mile from the original site, at the corner of Garrisonville Road and Doc Stone roads.

The Stafford County School Board is now looking to make good on a promise made in 2012 to turn over the property and the building to the Stafford County Board of Supervisors, which will then decide what to do with it.

Supervisors continued the conversation about what to do with the building this week.

Griffis-Widewater District Supervisor Tinesha Allen asked if the building could be used as a community center.

“Girls volleyball could potentially go on that site,” Board Chair Meg Bohmke added.

The building sits in the North Stafford’s Garrisonville District, represented by Supervisor Mark Dudenhefer. He said a potential buyer for the property was interested in developing the property into a new apartment complex.

Apartments are also planned for The Garrison, which sits about a half-mile west of the old Moncure school. If it ever gets off the ground, The Garrison is also slated to include a new Regal Cinemas movie theater. That project has been delayed for more than three years.

There’s also the option for the county to put a new field house on the old Moncure school site, which could house travel-team sports. That’s something the county has had the previous discussion about, including what seems like a long shot of putting such a facility at the long-dormant Aquia Town Center.

County officials have also explored the option of moving the Voter Registrar’s office into the old Moncure school. That office, now housed at the county government center next to the courthouse, is running out of space.

There are concerns, however, it would be a hardship for residents who live in southern Stafford to drive to North Stafford to register to vote, and to cast absentee ballots during election season.

When the original 2012 agreement was signed, the county government had dollar signs in its eyes with the idea of selling the highly-visible property, surrounded by retail stores and restaurants, to a commercial developer.

Things have changed since then, and more retail stores — including Macy’s department stores this week — announcing closures.

The county’s focus has shifted, too, as all eyes are now on the intersection of Courthouse Road and Route 1, in front of the county’s courthouse.

Officials are reviewing the possibility of adding a new mixed-use development of about 70,000 square-feet that includes 309 apartments and office space. Some of the new development would take place on county-owned land.

Overall, officials say they want to create a “downtown” for the county to serve as a gathering point and cultural center. As envisioned, the area would resemble a similar urban neighborhood in Rockville, Md.

The county could select a developer for the project, to build on the county-owned land, as early as next year.