MANASSAS — Manassas Mayor Hal Parrish, II said the landmark Micron expansion deal has been a project in the making for the last 10 years. The City has been preparing to accommodate the impact this technology giant will bring to the region, creating 1,100 new high-paying jobs by 2030.
Governor Ralph Northam announced the expansion at the city’s Godwin Drive manufacturing plant earlier this month. Micron will develop new technologies for driverless cars.
The chip maker’s expansion coupled Boeing’s acquisition of Aurora Flight Sciences, headquartered at the city’s airport, will make Manassas the state’s leader in autonomous vehicles.
Parrish wants to avoid the challenges he’s observed in Silicon Valley as they encountered rapid growth. Silicon Valley’s massive growth “created a massive housing shortage,” said Parrish. To date, the Manassas has not encountered a housing shortage and plans to utilize resources to continue developing housing and transportation to accommodate anticipated growth.
There was little to no discussion among leaders in local jurisdictions about the deal before the big announcement. However, Parrish said the governor was brought in six weeks prior to finalize the deal. Micron’s interest had been shifting away from Manassas to Singapore.
Some of the same reasons that drew IBM to the city in the late 1960s when his father Hal Parrish I was mayor are the same reasons why Micron chose to expand here today.
- They sought additional continuing education which was available through Northern Virginia Community College at the time.
- The ability to move people around coast-to-coast and around the nation. Manassas Regional Airport was the answer to this need.
- Lastly, they required copious amounts of clean water, specifically surface water over well water. The City provided that.
IBM left the city in the early 1990s.
Parrish said that the city is able to offer Micron opportunities with real estate taxes while also keeping the company’s machinery and tools taxes lower. Micron’s $3 billion investment is not primarily in real estate, but in tool and machinery which the city will be able to tax.
The City of Manassas will become a hub for development, and according to Parrish, it all began with the work his father began in the City years ago, preparing for their future growth.
“Necessity becomes the mother of invention,” said Parrish.
