The Falls Church City community has always been told that there would be ample opportunities for input into the design of the new school and that the design process would be transparent.  The recent community discussion about the auditorium, the changing size of the stage and the news that there will be no full fly rigging system has brought these promises into serious question. Many in the community would really like to understand the decision making process associated with the development of not only the footprint for the Performing Arts Space but details about the space itself. By reviewing the proposal documents it looks likeRead More →

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On Sunday October 21, 2018, City Manager Wyatt Shields and Superintendent Peter Noonan hosted a town hall to update the community about the development of the George Mason High School site. If you watch the video, at timestamp 5:40, Superintendent Peter Noonan describes where we are in the timeline and talks about the phases of the project.   The Schematic Design Phase is an extremely critical phase for the community stakeholders as it is in this phase that the program specifications of each department or space are defined, finalized and ultimately contractually incorporated into the design plans.  The timeline below shows that this phase is nowRead More →

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We are re-posting portions of this article from November 2017 due to the recent news of an unsolicited proposal received for the redevelopment of the UVA/VATech campus.  The current lease of the property is $1/year. UVA/VaTech Deal The UVA/VaTech building deal was the winning offer from Falls Church City and Fairfax County in a regional competition to relocate the grad center from its former Merrifield location to its current site.   UVA/VaTech has a 40 year lease for $1 per year that started in 1995 and expires in 2035. The universities have an option to purchase the property in 2021 (26th year) for $3,350,000 minus aRead More →

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UPDATE:  Video Link added here. Last Wednesday, Superintendent Noonan and City Council member Marybeth Connelly welcomed a group of roughly 100 City residents to an overview of how the new high school project will play out.  After the overview was compete, citizens moved into a several different breakout sessions, including 21st Century Design, Academic Program,  Athletic Program,  Arts Program,  Community Use, Green Schools/Sustainability and Transportation and Parking.  If anyone has comments to share about those break-out sessions they attended or feedback on that meeting please share it here in the comments section. FACTS offers a few notes on the transportation session. The hand out stated:Read More →

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As many know, there is a UVA/VATech building right near the GMHS campus. Especially now, people are asking: Can GMHS take advantage of the building and its amenities? UVA/VaTech Deal The UVA/VaTech building deal was the winning offer from Falls Church City and Fairfax County in a regional competition to relocate the grad center from its former Merrifield location to its current site.   UVA/VaTech has a 40 year lease for $1 per year that started 1995 and expires in 2035. The universities have an option to purchase the property in 2021 (26th year) for $3,350,000 minus a $500,000 credit that was used to renovate theRead More →

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There are alternatives to a $120,000,000 new school as discussed and identified through various community meetings.  However, the only option that is being advertised to citizens is the $120,000,000 option.   From the chart, it appears there are other viable solutions but the referendum is written for only the most expensive option.  We have a right and responsibility to look at all options in a thorough and intelligent way to minimize the financial risk while providing space for our growing population.    Ask your school and city leadership to give details of all the options – not just one.  Read More →

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