The Manassas Economic Development Authority met Tuesday to review several items tied to the Manassas Shopping Center, small-business support and other economic-development matters.
The Sept. 8 agenda included action involving Kids & Family Dental, a Rice Hardware license item, a police activity report for the shopping center, the July operating report and the latest project tracker.
The authority also received the Mason Small Business Development Center annual report and FY2026 invoice.
Official minutes from the Sept. 8 meeting were not yet posted when this draft was prepared, so this article describes items documented in the meeting agenda and supporting public records. It does not assume how the authority voted unless an outcome is separately confirmed.
2-MINUTE BRIEF
WHAT IS THE EDA: Manassas has both a Department of Economic Development and an Economic Development Authority. The department is part of City government. The EDA is a separate public authority governed by seven directors appointed by City Council.
SHOPPING CENTER: The EDA owns the Manassas Shopping Center on Mathis Avenue and manages the property while longer-term redevelopment planning continues.
SEPT. 8 ITEMS: The agenda included Kids & Family Dental, Rice Hardware, police calls for service, the July operating report and the shopping center project tracker.
SMALL BUSINESS SUPPORT: The EDA also reviewed the Mason Small Business Development Center annual report and FY2026 invoice.
What the Economic Development Authority Is
Manassas has both a Department of Economic Development and an Economic Development Authority, or EDA.
The Department of Economic Development is part of City government and handles day-to-day business attraction, retention and economic-development work.
The Economic Development Authority is a separate public authority created under Virginia law. It is governed by seven directors appointed by the Manassas City Council and has powers that include acquiring and managing property, entering contracts and supporting redevelopment and financing projects.
The Department of Economic Development provides staff support to the EDA, while the authority’s seven-member board takes the EDA’s formal actions.
The EDA also maintains its own financial activity and can receive revenue from property it owns and projects it manages.
That structure is directly relevant to the Manassas Shopping Center, which is owned by the EDA. The authority therefore oversees current property operations and decisions tied to longer-term redevelopment planning.
Manassas Shopping Center
The EDA purchased the Manassas Shopping Center in 2024 as part of the City’s long-term redevelopment plans for the Mathis Avenue corridor.
The shopping center was built in 1959 and includes more than 100,000 square feet of commercial space on approximately 13.5 acres.
The EDA paid $16 million for the property using one-time American Rescue Plan Act funds and City capital reserves.
At the time of the purchase, the City said existing leases would be honored and that new agreements could be issued on a short-term basis while redevelopment planning continued.
The property was producing about $1 million annually in lease revenue at the time of acquisition.
The EDA later pursued additional parcels around the shopping center, expanding the broader redevelopment area to nearly 20 acres.
Tenant and License Items
The Sept. 8 agenda listed Kids & Family Dental as an action item and a separate Rice Hardware license item under Manassas Shopping Center business.
The public agenda does not, by itself, establish the final action taken on either item.
Because the EDA owns the shopping center, tenant agreements and licenses are part of the authority’s ongoing property-management responsibilities while the center remains in operation.
Shopping Center Operations
The board also had several operating items on its Sept. 8 agenda, including a police activity report, the July 2026 monthly operating report and the latest project tracker.
Police calls-for-service reports have appeared regularly on EDA agendas as the authority manages the shopping center.
Earlier EDA records also show the authority reviewing paving, signage, security and other property-management issues.
The agenda addressed current property operations separately from longer-term redevelopment planning.
Small Business Development Center
The Sept. 8 agenda also included the annual report from the Mason Small Business Development Center, or SBDC, and an FY2026 invoice.
The SBDC provides counseling, training and other assistance to small businesses and entrepreneurs.
Manassas has partnered with the program as part of its broader business-support efforts.
What Comes Next
The EDA continues to manage the Manassas Shopping Center while redevelopment planning for the property and surrounding Mathis Avenue corridor continues.
Once official Sept. 8 minutes or other confirmed meeting results are available, the Manassas Journal will update this article with the board’s recorded actions.
Sources / Further Reading
City of Manassas Economic Development Authority, Sept. 8, 2026 agenda and meeting materials.
City of Manassas Economic Development Authority board and membership information
City of Manassas Department of Economic Development
City of Manassas financial statements and Economic Development Authority background.
City of Manassas Comprehensive Plan, economic-development implementation strategy.
City of Manassas Department of Economic Development, Manassas Shopping Center acquisition materials.
Mason Small Business Development Center annual and program materials.
