County Approves Mixed Use Development in Potomac Communities Revitalization Area

Hilton Garden Inn and Amerisuites Hotel Headed to Prince William County

A brand new Hilton Garden Inn and an AmeriSuites Hotel are slated to open in Neabsco Common, a mixed use project located in the Potomac Communities Revitalization Area, thanks to the County approval granted in November 2009.

Located near the intersection of I-95 and Dale Boulevard, the mixed-use project will contain a total of over 396,000 square feet of nonresidential space, including 160,000 square feet of office space in two office buildings, as well as two mixed use buildings with ground floor retail, retail service and office, and a potential free-standing, sit-down restaurant.

“The approval of this plan will provide valuable tax revenue for the County, as well as providing important positioning for future economic growth in the Potomac Communities, an area the County is looking to revitalize,” said Sherman Patrick, Jr., Planner at Compton & Duling, L.C., who has worked with the developer since the rezoning process began in 2007 to bring this mixed use project to the County.

“At first, the County was reluctant,” said Patrick, noting that the Planning Commission had initially recommended a denial of the mixed-use project. The Commission cited the potential for high residential costs as one of its main concerns. Patrick met with staff from each department at the County to go over the details of the plan. He then met with each Commissioner and County Supervisor to review the proposal. Patrick took note of the concerns from the County and suggested solutions to the various concerns.

As a result of the hard work and dedication provided by County staff, the Planning Commission, and Compton & Duling, L.C., the site plan was granted unanimous approval from the Planning Commission on November 20, 2009.

“Both the developer and the County are extremely pleased with the final product,” said Patrick. The project, originally zoned as A-1 agricultural, will be built next to the Woodbridge Northern Virginia Community College campus. The Community College has planned a classroom expansion for Fall 2010, which will include a new Workforce Training Center. The hotels to be built on the newly-approved Potomac Communities site will help to facilitate the infrastructure needed for both the classroom expansion and the Workforce Training Center.

Fifty percent of the required parking for the Neabsco Common mixed-use site will be contained in a parking structure, which reduces the need for sprawling parking lots and creates a more walkable community. The residential units at the site will have green-roof courtyards on the second floors of the buildings.

This is the second mixed use project in the Potomac Communities that Patrick has helped navigate the approval process. Potomac Town Center, originally owned by The Mills Corporation, was approved in 2006.