Holladay Properties is planning to purchase 4.4 acres at 9307 Discovery Boulevard in Manassas, VA from Prince William County to build a 30,000 square foot  Class A research and wet lab facility. The facility would be located in Innovation Park, next to George Mason University’s STEM campus.

“I see this as an underutilized development opportunity,” said Austin Haynes, SVP-Development. “I just believe that there’s a chance there not just to build the first laboratory, but to build several of these, as George Mason continues to increase their research arm. The problem is that Prince William County so far has really not received that bio-life sciences recognition that it deserves.”

Holladay is working with Christopher Consultants Ltd. for civil engineering and Loveless Porter Architects LLC on the conceptual design for the project, which could break ground in August 2020. The wet lab research facility would be designed to handle research into cancer causing agents, Lyme disease, pharmaceutical delivery, and other non-bio hazard studies. 

Innovation Park, where project would be located, is a 1300-acre park dedicated to life sciences and bio-tech research. The park is currently home to a 9,000 square foot accelerator facility, and Holladay’s new project would offer a place for companies that have grown out of the accelerator space to move to.