Manassas Park EDA appoints bank signatories and hears consultants’ update on downtown growth and parking

The Economic Development Authority of the City of Manassas Park on May 6 approved a resolution appointing Lana Bryant as chairman and Joshua O'Neal as treasurer and signatory for the EDA account at Atlantic Union Bank, and then heard a wide-ranging presentation from economic consultants HGIS on leasing, parking and recruitment for the downtown.

The board voted to adopt the resolution after the finance director outlined the bank's requirements for changing signers; board members voiced support and there were no nays. The resolution names Lana Bryant and Joshua O'Neal as the authorized signatories for the account ending in 609.

The meeting's main presentation, delivered by Stephanie Reynolds and Quinton Reynolds of HGIS, described tenant activity across two primary downtown buildings and plans to use a movie theater as an anchor to sustain foot traffic. "We're in our sixth year now," Stephanie Reynolds said, "and the momentum is just really climaxing now," citing multiple recent leases and buildouts.

HGIS mapped Building A tenants as including Atlantic Union Bank, City Kebab, Little Bowl, Roll in Bowl (halal bowls), a Venezuelan breakfast concept called Tino World (projected to open in September), Strange Comics and Collectibles, a wedding shop, Park 170 coffee and other food and service businesses. They said one space in Building A remains available and that several tenants have recently opened or are completing buildouts.

Quinton Reynolds described broader leasing economics, saying rents rose from about $16 per square foot earlier in leasing to roughly $25 per square foot presently and adding that rents could rise further — consultants estimated $35–$40 per square foot — after the theater opens. He identified BNB Theaters as the planned anchor and stated a projection (attributed to the consultant) that the theater could draw about 400,000 visitors annually; the article reports that projection as a consultant claim, not an independently verified fact.

Parking and circulation were a central topic. Consultants described an angled parking plan that will convert some outdoor-dining space to head-in angled stalls near Atlantic Union Bank, adding roughly a dozen spaces in that immediate stretch, and a separate surface lot of about 150 spaces behind Building B expected to be completed by September. The consultants also noted 148 existing parking spaces behind the theater building and said the combined downtown supply will approach roughly 200 spaces when all work is finished.

Grocery recruitment remains a focus: consultants say they hold letters of intent from a concept called City Market for about 6,000 square feet but that landlords are concerned about operator experience. The presenters said the city has a consultant study that modeled market size and inventory turnover and that owners remain selective because of high land prices and the need to meet parking and operational requirements.

Consultants described other tenant prospects (dentists, home health, franchise shipping centers such as FedEx or UPS) and said some local franchisees are negotiating distance and territorial rules with carriers. They noted owner-assisted deals and examples of private capital (a local owner, referenced as owner of Sofund LLC and a Popeye's, provided capital to other tenants to help with buildouts).

Board members asked about impacts on existing small businesses and next steps; HGIS recommended continued EDA support in the form of streamlined permitting, event coordination and close coordination with the city manager and event coordinator to retain small-business stability as the downtown matures. They also urged pursuing similar targeted development on the city's opposite side after downtown stabilizes.

The meeting concluded with a director's report that included citizen feedback about commercial vehicles parking on city streets; members suggested taking that concern to the city council for further consideration. The EDA adjourned after the items were completed.

What happened next: the resolution authorizing signatories passed unanimously; consultants will continue leasing and outreach work and are expected to report progress at future meetings.

(Reporting notes: quotes and statements are attributed to presenters Stephanie Reynolds and Quinton Reynolds when they appear in the transcript. Projections such as theater attendance are reported as consultant claims and marked in the article as not independently verified.)