Manassas Takes Measures to Help Downtown Merchants Survive Crisis

MANASSAS, VA — The City of Manassas temporarily designated several parking spaces in the historic downtown area as 15-minute parking areas to facilitate pickup and delivery options during the new coronavirus, or COVID-19, crisis. The designated on-street parking spaces are located along Battle and Main streets between Church Street and the railroad tracks.

This temporary designation was requested by several downtown businesses that are complying with the state's 10-person limit. The city wants to make it easier for customers to park their cars and pick up meals or other purchases from these businesses.

“One of the strongest sentiments that our business community emphasizes to us is the unique sense of community that exists between the government, residents and businesses in Manassas” Manassas City Manager W. Pat Pate said Wednesday in a statement.

Along with urging residents to practice social distancing during the coronavirus crisis, the city wants to help local businesses. "This is one small measure we can implement that may help support our businesses while encouraging social distancing,” Pate said.

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Patrick Small, economic development director for Manassas, emphasized the importance of safety precautions but noted that local shops and restaurants need help from the public. According to Small, safe things that the public can do to support local businesses include:

• Continue ordering meals from local restaurants through delivery and carry-out.
• Order meals for coworkers, friends or neighbors, especially the homebound, those sheltering in place and people in high risk categories.
• Buy gift certificates for use at a future date. This gives businesses cash flow to help stay open.
• Order retail items from local shops online either for delivery or pickup.
• Send someone flowers or a small gift from a local merchant.

“Our business community is what makes Manassas such a great place to live and work,” Small said. “Not only do they provide essential and non-essential services that make our lives better, but they are our friends and neighbors and they employ our friends and neighbors. We need them to be here after the crisis is over and to guarantee that we have to support them now.”