Mason Receives Land Grant in Loudoun County

Updated at 4:26 p.m. EST

Thirty-seven acres in Loudoun County have been granted to George Mason University from Van Metre Companies.

News of the land grant was first announced through University News but has recently been gaining more attention through Twitter. Students, Loudoun County residents, and other members of the Mason community are re-tweeting the story.

A few Loudoun County residents are buzzing about the sizeable land grant, using the hashtags #broadlands, for the Van Metre planned community near the land grant, and #ashland, where the land grant is.

One Ashburn resident tweeted that the land grant is “literally across the street from my house, not that I had any say in the decision.”

The land had not been appropriated for specific use as of yet, according to Press Secretary Dan Walsch.

“Because there are so many partners in this effort, specific decisions will definitely not be happening overnight,” said Walsch. “At the same time, the generosity of the Van Metre Company and the potential good that will be coming from this gift are very exciting.”

Walsch also said that Mason will be working closely with Loudoun County officials for an appropriate use of the land in the coming months and years to come.  

 “As we assess the university’s future and determine how best we can continue meeting the educational needs of our regions, this significant gift provides us with strong options to make many of our programs more accessible to many more people,” said Mason President Alan Merten in a press release.

Van Metre Companies builds planned communities and oversees home development and design within their planned communities. Van Metre has developments in Stone Bridge and Lansdowne in addition to Broadlands, owns Mill-Branch Industries, a building supply company, and has three golf courses and athletic clubs in the area.