Manassas Main Street Improvement Project to Continue Until November

An extensive project to improve one of Manassas' main thoroughfares is well underway and is expected to continue until November. 

Work on the $1.075 million Main Street Streetscapes project got underway in late July with the end goal of having the street look much like Battle Street, City of Manassas spokeswoman Patty Prince said. 

The improvements will extend from the railroad crossing in the heart of Old Town to Quarry Road, city officials said. 

The area will be more walkable and big enough for street dining when crews widen narrow sidewalks from the current dimensions of 4 to 8 feet to 5 to 16 feet. 

Nineteen Allee Lacebark Elms and Green Vas Japanese Zelkova trees will also be added. 

Ten parallel parking spaces and brick crosswalks will also be added to the street. 

City officials view the extensive work as an investment in Manassas proper and the businesses that call it home. 

“This is another step in the city’s strategic plan to promote our vibrant Old Town area and all it has to offer,” said Manassas Public Works and Utilities Director Mike Moon.

City staff don't want the improvement to deter shoppers from the area. A small sign declaring Main Street shops open during construction has been perched at the corner of Center and Main Streets since the work began.

“I can hardly wait for the new and improved Main Street. Conducting business as usual during the construction will be a challenge,” Christine M. Finnie, owner of the Whimsical Galerie on Center Street to city staff. “ ... the city has been proactive in getting the word out to residents that Old Towns still open." 

Improvements to public space elsewhere in Old Town have reaped generous returns, according to city data. 

The Manassas dining business has seen an increase of about 50 percent since improvements were made to Battle Street four years ago, city officials said. 

" ... Center Street, Battle Street, the Walkway, and the Harris Pavilion have seen such great success and Main Street merchants, restaurants and businesses will all benefit from the more welcoming ambiance that will be created outside their doors. I’m sure the wider sidewalks, potential for outdoor dining, and street trees will encourage more visitors to want to spend time on Main Street, as well as the rest of Old Town," Finnie said. 

The city began recreating the Old Town area in 2000 by making an investment in the Candy Factory Center for the Arts and creating the Loy E. Harris Pavilion. 

Then,in 2005 and 2006, the sidewalks on Center Street were widened and improved.

 Questions about this project, can be answered by Patrick Moore at 703-257-8266.

What is the best thing about Old Town Manassas? Tell us in the comments.