With the prospect of new passengers using Manassas Regional Airport in 2025 to reach their destinations starting in 2025, airport officials continue pushing for a new flight tower.
The current air traffic control tower at Manassas Regional Airport is about is 60 years old, said airport spokeswoman Jolene Berry. The tower was built at Centennial Airport in Denver. It was erected at the Manassas Regional Airport in the early 1990s and put into service in 1992.
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The Manassas City Council accepted an early Christmas gift from Amazon Data Services.
The firm will pay the city about $28 million for land at the city airport to build a new server farm. Amazon offered to purchase the 21-acre parcel at 10453 Wakeman Drive from the city government.
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The Manassas School Board and City Council will hold a joint meeting on Thursday, November 30. The governing bodies are expected to receive updates on several capital projects, including the planned construction of the replacement of Jennie Dean Elementary School.
Officials will receive a report from RRMM Architects, presenting new information about the site and design of the school, which is expected to cost at least $87 million and sit in the heart of Jennie Dean Park. According to public documents, the two-story school will hold about 1,000 students and feature an IT workworm, a broadcast booth, and collaborative learning areas.
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Manassas City officials want the General Assembly to end a moratorium on annexation by Virignia cities.
City spokeswoman Patty Prince says the city wants to begin talks with Prince William County to realign some of its borders. Some city limits fall in the middle of streets, prompting city leaders' desire to adjust the maps.
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Manassas City Government: “Manassas City Police Chief/Assistant City Manager Douglas Keen will serve as Interim City Manager beginning in November when the resignation of City Manager W. Patrick Pate becomes effective.”
“Chief Keen was selected by City Council at their Sept. 18 meeting after Council conducted interviews for the position. Pate, who has served as City Manager for the last 10 years, has accepted the City Manager position in Winston-Salem, N.C. His resignation is effective Nov. 3.”
“Chief Keen has my full support in this dual role,” said Mayor Michelle Davis-Younger. “He will not only keep the City running smoothly, but keep us on track with our current and future projects, setting the next city manager up for success.”
“Chief Keen began his career with the City in 1987, rising through the ranks as a police officer, lieutenant, captain, and Assistant Chief of Police. He was appointed Chief of Police in 2010, and helped the department achieve a Gold Standard of Excellence Award from The Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. that rewards best practices related to life, health, and safety procedures. He serves as the Chiefs/Sheriffs Chair for the Northern Virginia Gang Task Force; Vice Chair of the Prince William County/Manassas Jail Board; Board member of the Northern Virginia Criminal Justice Academy and Washington Council of Governments; and served on the City’s Equity and Inclusion Task Force.”
“Chief Keen has focused on special projects, Human Resources, Public Works, Social Services, the Fire and Rescue Department, and city-wide employee leadership development after being appointed Assistant City Manager in 2021. He holds a Masters of Public Administration degree from the University of Oklahoma, and a Bachelor’s degree in the Administration of Justice from George Mason University.”
“I am honored to be selected for this interim position, knowing the Mayor and Council have confidence in my leadership abilities to keep the City on track,” said Chief Keen. “I can assure the community and our staff that they have someone in place who will set us up for future success.”
“In his new role, Chief Keen will continue to hold the title of Chief of Police; however, he will name an interim, acting Chief of Police to delegate daily duties to due to his limited availability in that role. Assistant City Manager Diane Bergeron, Director of Finance, and Assistant City Manager Matt Arcieri, Director of Planning and Community Development, will continue to support the City Manager’s office.”
“A national search for a new City Manager is underway.”
Patrick Pate, the Manassas City Manager who led the city government for the past 10 years, resigned.
Pate accepted a new job as the city manager of Winston-Salem, N.C., a jurisdiction nearly five times the size of Manassas. In a letter Pate submitted on August 8, 2023, the government official said he was returning to his native North Carolina to be closer to family.
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The Manassas City Council will meet at 5:30 p.m. today, Monday, July 24, 2023, to decide whether or not to allow commerce airline service from the city’s regional airport.
The jets would carry nearly 200 passengers and fly to destinations, including Florida, providing new options for travelers headed to and from the Washington, D.C. area. As many as 30 flights a day could operate from the airport, which is already Virginia’s largest general aviation airport.
The city council differed a decision on the matter during its July 10 meeting. The city aims to contract with Avports, LLC to bring as many as 30 commercial flights daily to the airport in jets, accommodating nearly 200 passengers.
Several city council members expressed excitement about the prospect of the city becoming a third airline gate to the National Captial Region. The city’s airport commission unanimously approved the proposal in June.
However, not everyone is excited about living next to what could become the third passenger gateway to Washington, D.C. “Was there a request from the community for this service? Did they say, ‘We’re having a hard time trying to find flights to Florida,” asked Manassas resident Douglass Hunter during the July 10 city council meeting. “Dulles Airport is only 30 minutes away.”
Under the proposal recommended to the city council by its airport commission, Avports, LLC would lease the Manassas Regional Airport terminal for 40 years, for $642,000 a year, and be responsible for ticketing, fare gates, baggage claim, and maintaining the parking lots. Eventually, Avports would expand the terminal to accommodate 16,000 flights per year — adding to the nearly 100,000 flights per year that already take off and land at the state’s largest general aviation airport.
The biggest questions before the city — what airline, or airlines will operate at the airport, to where would they fly, and how often — are still unknown and won’t be known until later this summer, after the city council is expected to approve the plan. Avports has several non-disclosure agreements with potential airlines that prevent city officials and city residents from knowing the answers; airport officials told PLN.
The firm operates a similar service at a municipal airport in New Haven, Conn.
Ongoing power outages have plagued residents over the past few months. The electrical substation at Battery Heights on Liberia Avenue, one of four in the city, is offline.
The three other substations are carrying the load. Diane Bergeron, Finance Director for the city, told the council it wouldn't be sustainable to continue to operate on only three. Meanwhile, the city found a transformer in Pennsylvania and hopes to deliver it by July 27, potentially operational by August 1.
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Winston Salem Journal: "By a 5-3 vote, the Winston-Salem [N.C.] City Council on Friday chose William Patrick “Pat” Pate of Manassas, Va., as the next city manager of the city."
"The board split reflected the desire of some city council members to elevate current Assistant City Manager Patrice Toney to the city’s top administrative job."
