STAFFORD, VIRGINIA – December 15, 2021 – The County along with Stafford’s Economic Development Authority voted last night to approve an incentive agreement to support the expansion of Stafford based business, Virginia Oncology Care.
The Virginia Oncology Care was started by Doctor Manan Mehta in 2017, with a focus to provide critical oncology services in the greater Fredericksburg region. Dr. Mehta has seen tremendous growth and investment in the community.
“This region lacks comprehensive oncology services, with many patients having to travel north to Fairfax or south to Richmond,” says Mehta. Doctor Mehta’s practice was recently highlighted in The Free Lance-Star for provision of a device that helps limit hair-loss in patients—service provided by Virginia Oncology Care at no cost to patients.
Virginia Oncology Care has purchased the former Safeway store in Chatham Heights and will expand from five service providers (doctors, advanced nurse practitioners, counselors) to 15 in the next five years. This expansion will also include expanding from 25 staff and support workers to 50. The expansion is expected to include a capital expenditure investment of approximately $3.8M.
“This project serves a critical public purpose and the redevelopment of a long-underused property in Stafford,” stated Supervisor Tom Coen of the George Washington District. Chairman Crystal Vanuch said, “Stafford supports the expansion of existing business and attraction of new business and the Board is pleased to support the expansion of Virginia Oncology Care.”
This incentive funding will provide a fifty percent payment in the amount of the new real estate tax revenue over five years, with conditions that Virginia Oncology Care makes the proposed investments and hires the proposed new staff.
Director of Economic Development and Tourism, John Holden adds that “This investment by Virginia Oncology Care with support from Stafford helps revitalize a long-underused property in the Chatham Heights Shopping Center, and we welcome this kind of investment in Stafford.”
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