Ribbon cutting held for VRE/Manassas deck

At the end of his speech during Thursday’s ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Virginia Railway Express/City of Manassas parking deck, outgoing Mayor Douglas S. Waldron slipped dark shaded lenses over his normal glasses.

“The future is so bright, I got to wear shades,” Waldron joked with the lyric to the crowd gathered in front of the Old Town garage on a warm, sunny morning.

Waldron used the quote to describe the future of the city with its new brick parking deck. Built in just nine months after years of discussion and planning, the five-level, 432-space garage is the latest jewel in a city that is trying to invigorate its downtown while providing more parking.

“I think it’s wonderful,” said councilman Steven Smith, who attended along with the other five council members, several Prince William supervisors and distinguished members from neighboring jurisdictions. “As soon as some of the housing projects are done, I hope to see more activity with the local stores. Perhaps, filling the garage with shoppers.”

The $11-million-plus jointly-funded facility is located on Prince William Street south of the railroad tracks between Main and Battle streets.The first three floors are reserved for commuters and the top two floors for visitors to Old Town.

Some of the features of the garage include four handicapped accessible sidewalks, elevator and stair towers with 38 clear glass windows and landscaping along all four sides of the building.
The garage will likely be open by the second week in July, said BRE spokesperson Mark Roeber.

Former Manassas mayor Bob Brown, who served from 1992 to 1996, raved about the facility, saying he’s watched the construction of the facility from start to finish. Brown started as mayor the same year VRE was launched.

“I have been really pleased with the design and look of it,” Brown said. “I think it’s a good fit for Old Town and I think to use it for citizens, that was good planning.”

Former long-time councilman Ulysses X. “Xerk” White also praised the garage. During his second term in office, from 1996 to 2000, White said he argued for the council to build the garage on city-owned land a few blocks away from its current location because it would have been cheaper.

But in retrospect, said White, tearing down the existing buildings and purchasing the land it rests on now was the right decision. The garage sits atop land that housed the former location for Manassas Ice & Fuel and the cinderblock Self Storage building.

“This is so close to just about everything that happens downtown,” White said. “I think it’s going to be a great asset. The [Manassas] Museum, shopping, the [Loy E. Harris] Pavilion, all of those assets people will be able to take advantage of.”

Approximately 11:25 a.m., Waldron, Manassas Vice-mayor Harry J. “Hal” Parrish II, VRE Chief Executive Officer Dale Zehner and VRE Operations Board Chairman and Prince William County Supervisor John D. Jenkins, D-Neabsco drove into the garage in a white SUV, “cutting” the ribbon and ending the ceremony.