BY BILL FREEHLING

A planned research and technology park in North Stafford took a big step forward last week.

The Stafford County Board of Supervisors unanimously voted at its Nov. 15 meeting to allocate up to $237,000 from its Opportunity Fund toward the project.

The county has been working on the research park for years and has partnered with ManTech International Corp., the University of Mary Washington, George Mason University and Germanna Community College.

The vision is for a research park focusing on the defense and intelligence communities. Academia, government and the private sector would collaborate to educate the workforce and conduct cutting-edge research that could attract corporate investment and well-paying jobs.

The Quantico Corporate Center, a Silver Cos. development off U.S. 1 near Marine Corps Base Quantico, is being targeted as the home for the research park. UMW has already started offering classes there in ManTech space, and Stanford University participated in a forum there last week.

Now the county is working on obtaining dedicated space where high-tech classrooms, and potentially business incubators, can be built.

The county wants to lease about 3,500 square feet at the Quantico Corporate Center. The $237,000 would help pay for rent, the cost of building out and equipping the classrooms, and marketing the research park.

"I believe this is going to pay dividends in the end that far outweigh the initial investment," said Stafford Supervisor Paul Milde.

The Silver Cos. agrees. The company has offered free rent for five years at the third, 140,000-square-foot office building now being constructed at the QCC. If the county decides to lease space in the smaller building now being constructed for defense contractor Patricio Enterprises at the QCC, Silver has agreed to subsidize the rent up to $315,000 over five years. And Silver has also agreed to donate land at the QCC for a permanent academic center.

"We are very supportive of the idea," said Jud Honaker, Silver's president of commercial development.

Stafford is now discussing options with its partners, said Tim Baroody, the county's economic development director. Officials have been visiting similar Virginia research parks for ideas, and hope to have the initial space ready by summer 2012.

The 3,500 square feet is seen as just a start. Eventually county officials hope to help create a large research park with hundreds of thousands of square feet of new commercial space and high-paying jobs. The Quantico Corporate Center could be renamed as part of the branding efforts.

Bill Freehling: 540/374-5405
Email: bfreehling@freelancestar.com