The Alexandria City Council unanimously approved plans for a new George Mason Elementary School, approving a Development Special Use Permit for the project at 2601 Cameron Mills Road on May 17, 2025.
The new school will boost capacity from 420 to 670 students. Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) plans to keep the original 1939 facade while partially demolishing the existing structure. The two-story replacement building will offer improved classrooms, a cafeteria, a gymnasium, and a media center.
“This project is about making a critical investment in our city’s educational infrastructure,” says Danielle Sims Vote, president of the George Mason PTA.
The new building aims for LEED Gold certification and net-zero energy efficiency.
The approved plan includes 60 on-site parking spaces, new playgrounds, and better stormwater management. A 6-foot fence will limit public access to recreational areas during school hours.
Construction is set to start in August 2025, with the new school expected to open for the 2027-28 school year. During construction, George Mason students will move to a temporary space on North Beauregard Street.
City staff note the project will exceed required phosphorus load reductions by 34% through its stormwater management features. Traffic improvements include a new bus layby and student pick-up/drop-off loop on Cameron Mills Road.
The Special Use Permit was passed 7-0 following a motion from Councilman R. Kirk McPike with the following condition changes: revert condition 3, which the planning commission changed to the staff version; amend condition 13 to add a section d that moves the fence line between the playground and the field; and instruct staff to work with ACPS to adjust the walkway to save as many healthy, noninvasive trees as possible. The council also added language to identify an on-location liaison to serve as a point person for the project and for complaints.
