Two Responses to the RFDP
EYA/Regency/PN Hoffman and Rushmark WFC both responded with proposals. The executive summaries are available on the website.
Comstock had been selected as a finalist in the conceptual phase, but chose not to submit a detailed proposal.
Public Presentation at City Council Meeting
City staff will give a briefing at the City Council meeting on Monday, September 10. The public is welcome to attend and give public comment.
Next Steps
A committee will evaluate the full proposals and make a recommendation on the finalist to the City Council. The City Council is expected to vote on an interim agreement with the top ranked team in October.
Upon selection of top ranked developer partner, there will be an application for the appropriate zoning entitlements for the site, which will have a thorough and public review by all stakeholders, boards and commissions prior to the City Council approval of a final land lease or sale agreement for the ten acre site.
About the Project
The proposals relate to the redevelopment of approximately ten acres of the current George Mason High School campus. In November 2017, voters approved a bond referendum to construct a new high school facility on the campus. The new high school will be located on a smaller footprint such that a portion of the current campus can be put into private development and help lower the cost of the high school to the tax payers.
The City has encouraged proposers to thoughtfully integrate the ten acre site with the planning for GMHS, as well as the UVa/VT Northern Virginia Center and WMATA. Fairfax County is currently considering an application by WMATA for Comprehensive Plan Amendment for the West Falls Church Metro station property. Virginia Tech has announced that it received an unsolicited proposal for the redevelopment of the Northern Virginia Academic Center and recently issued a request for competing proposals under the Public-Private Education Facilities and Infrastructure Act (PPEA). The development of the ten acre site will be done in close coordination with the City School Board and the Universities to ensure that private development will enhance the important educational programs adjacent to the site.
Project Timeline
The project timeline calls for a final land lease or sale agreement for the ten acres in May 2019, prior to issuance of bonds to finance construction of the George Mason High School (GMHS) project. The private development would then start construction in the fall of 2021 after the new GMHS is complete. The process is being coordinated with the high school construction process through the Campus Coordinating Committee, which includes representatives from the City Council, School Board, Planning Commission, Economic Development Authority, Falls Church Educational Association, and PTA.