Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Historic Preservation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Debate over preserving old Jenny Dean building centers on history, sewer constraints and multi‑million-dollar upgrades
Summary
School board and city officials debated whether to preserve the existing Jenny Dean building after community testimony urged honoring its history; city staff warned the existing 18‑inch sewer line and lift station are near capacity and that upgrades to preserve full building use could cost 'seven figures' depending on scope.
The Manassas City School Board and city officials heard an extended public discussion about the future of the existing Jenny Dean building, balancing community calls for preservation and historical interpretation against infrastructure limits and high renovation costs.
"Any proposal to preserve the school in its entirety for full use will require upgrade of that 18‑inch line and upgrade of that lift station," a city staff speaker told the meeting, explaining the existing sewer line and downstream lift station are near capacity. Staff said they do not yet have a precise cost estimate but described the work as "significant," and participants in the room used phrases like "seven figures" and "at least $1 million" to capture scale.
Board materials note the May 13, 2024 special‑use permit requires the board to present recommendations regarding continued use of the existing building by March 2028. The board summarized community input gathered at a June 11, 2026 public discussion — described in the meeting as well attended with more than 15 speakers — and listed a range of potential uses including a career and technical education center, workforce and vocational training, a robotics hub, expansion of Pathways programs, a health clinic and universal pre‑K.
A longtime resident offered a detailed, emotional account of the building’s historical context and personal trauma tied to the Manassas Industrial School/Jenny Dean legacy, urging the board to preserve truth and to avoid honoring the building without contextual interpretation. "We have got to not let people continue to let truth decay," the resident said, urging a trauma‑aware approach to honoring the site’s legacy.
Board and council members sought more precise cost estimates and asked consultants and architects to provide scenario‑based budgets for demolition, partial preservation (historic section only), and full preservation. City staff suggested that building preservation at full footprint would likely trigger the need to build a parallel sewer line and significant lift‑station work; staff said some scaled pipeline comparisons may be estimable but lift‑station upgrades hinge on projected discharge and design choices.
Discussion also touched on broader fiscal context: a referenced "Save the Bennett" campaign was estimated in the meeting material at about $56.25 million for relocation and renovation, and the city and board noted that no dedicated funds have been set aside for preservation. Council members urged an enrollment and utilization study — board members confirmed a facilities study with enrollment analysis has been commissioned and will include the old Jenny Dean building in its scope.
No decision was made at the meeting. Board members and councilors emphasized partnership and pledged further study, including engineering cost estimates, enrollment analysis and options that would be presented well before the March 2028 special‑use‑permit deadline.
