Manassas School Board members unanimously voted to purchase 8700 Centreville Road, a building in which it rents space for central office employees. The school division wants to buy the 55,000-square-foot building for $10.8 million.
The move throws a plan to move into the city’s police station at 9518 Fairview Avenue. Police will vacate the space for a new public safety center early next year.
Next, it must ask the Manassas City Council, which funds the schools, to amend the annual budget to allow the school division to make the purchase. Andy Hawkins, who oversees finance and operations at the school division, assured taxpayers during an August 9 School Board meeting the funds to buy the office building are already in the coffers, and no tax increase is needed.
The School Board is petitioning the City Council to hold a special meeting before the month’s end to amend the budget. The City Council is not scheduled to meet again until September 12.
“The best time to buy Real Estate was 20 years ago, and the next best time is now,” said Christina Brooks, school board member.
Today, the school division’s central office occupies about 35% of the building or about 19,000 square feet. If it buys the building, the school division will become the landlord for businesses in the four-story building. At least two other companies have offices in the building — a credit union and a walk-in clinic.
But it needs more space for the expansion of career learning programs like culinary arts and cosmetology, said Hawkins. The school division would like to open a cafe inside the building and staff it with children who attend Manassas City Public Schools.
The building is located in the center of a commercial district with multiple businesses and restaurants.
“We need this space. We are going to need more instructional space. This is the perfect opportunity at the perfect time,” said Robyn Williams, School Board member.
“We are doing this because it is the most responsible thing to do,” added School Board Chair Suzanne Seaberg.
As for not going through with a plan to occupy the old police station, Hawkins said, at $11.1 million, it would cost more to renovate the old police station than it would if it purchased the office building on busy Centreville Road.
The only formal document showing the School Board to move into the old police station is a letter of intent, signed by former Mayor Hal Parrish II, agreeing to allow the school division to use the building.
Hawkins said the city government offered to allow the schools to use the building for 10 years, with three optional extensions for 1o years each. Later, Hawkins stressed nothing was stopping the City Council from booting the school division from the police station after the first term.
Hawkins warned that a former mayor who presided under a different group of City Council members signed the letter of intent.
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