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Published: July 28, 2007

Manassas Park is rapidly becoming an attractive area to live, work and play.

With a land area of only 2 square miles, the city just north of Manassas is the second smallest in Virginia. But growth has meant incredible changes for the community, which saw its population increase by 51.4 percent during the 1990s. According to preliminary figures released by the U.S. Census Bureau, Manassas Park was the fastest-growing city in Virginia between 2000 and 2003.

Skyrocketing real estate values have provided the city government with the funds needed for large projects. The Census estimate for 2006 counted the city's population at 11,642, a 13 percent increase since 2000, and is expected to climb to 15,000 by next year, according to city officials.

Part of that increase will be due to the construction of Park Center, a multi-use commercial and residential project on Manassas Drive that began in April 2007. The entire project, which will likely include 414 residential units, several restaurants and other businesses, should take approximately five to 10 years to be completed with the first phase expected to be finished in 2008.

Over the past 10 years, Manassas Park has acted as its own developer, building a new high school, a new fire station, a new elementary school, the 980-home subdivision of Blooms Crossing, a regional water theme park, an 18-hole golf course and more.

A new police station has also been completed and plans are in the works for major renovations to the city's parks and recreation facilities.

Expansion has created a marked contrast between the city's west side, made up of post-World War II cookie-cutter houses, and the more affluent town houses and expansive homes on its newer east side.

The western part of the city is now home to a rapidly growing Hispanic community, which represented an estimated 29 percent of the city's population in 2005.

Haverhill of Manassas Park, a 350-unit apartment complex next to the city's Virginia Railway Express station, is one of a few new luxury apartment developments in the city, along with Manassas Park Station, a 411-unit mix of condos and single-family attached town houses.

The city's west side has also been the site of some new development with the building of the 96-unit Mosby II.
The city's do-it-yourself attitude has been a characteristic of the community since it was founded in 1955, when a group of Korean War veterans moved into a small Prince William County subdivision north of Manassas.

Within two years, the community had petitioned local courts and won status as a town. Just before incorporating as an independent city in 1975, the last community in Virginia allowed to do so, Manassas Park expanded east of Va. 28, annexing 600 acres.

The city further expanded east in 1990, buying the 463 acres needed to build Blooms Crossing.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

• City Hall: Manassas Park City Hall, 1 Park Center Court, is open from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, call 703-335-8800.

• Parks and Recreation: The city's two main parks are Costello Park, located in the western part of the city, and Signal Hill Park, located southeast of the city.

Costello Park has a recreation facility, free to all city residents and their guests, that includes a gym, a meeting/activity room and classrooms. The 25-acre park includes a playground, a community pool, five baseball fields, three softball fields, two tennis courts, an outdoor basketball court, several picnic areas with grills and a covered pavilion. Admission to Costello Park Pool is $2.50 for children, $3 for adults. Seniors 60 and up pay $1.25, and infants under 1 year of age get in for free.

Signal Hill Park is a 110 acre site with a water park, four multi-purpose fields, an ASA regulation softball field, 100 sq. foot playground, one mile of asphalt trail, large pavilion with restrooms, a pond area, and several picnic areas with grills.

Signal Hill Park is open year round from 7:30 a.m. until dusk, and is located off Signal View Drive near Manassas Drive.

Its biggest attraction is Signal Bay Water Park. Admission is $5.50 for children [16 and under] and $6 for adults. Seniors 60 and up pay $2.25. Infants under 1 year of age get in for free. Hours are 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. seven days a week.

For more information, call 703-335-8872.

• Travel: Manassas Park is 26 miles from Washington, D.C.

Manassas Drive provides the main access off Va. 28 to both sides of the city.

The city's Virginia Railway Express station is located off Manassas Drive, east of Va. 28. Call VRE at 703-684-0400 or 703-684-1001.

• Taxes: Manassas Park's real estate is taxed at $1.14 per $100 of assessed value. Its personal property tax is $3.50 per $100 assessed value.

Decals for vehicles and motorcycles may be purchased at City Hall.