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In The News - Paxton Campus trustees unveil new plan for Leesburg site




Loudoun Times


A new master plan and major renovation project is in the works for the 16-acre Paxton Campus in northeast Leesburg, according to the trustees of the Margaret Paxton Memorial for Convalescent Children, which oversees the property.


The Paxton trustees, Melinda (Mindy) Hetzel, Paige Buscema and Mary Lou Leipheimer, have been working with their consultants for several years to develop a plan for the future of the campus, according to Hetzel.


The trustees envision a "mosaic" campus that serves as a one-stop-shop, offering multiple services for children in one place.


Paxton's main tenant since around 2008 is the Arc of Loudoun. The trustees would like to continue their relationship with the Arc as part of the mosaic, she said.


“Their services are amazing. We hope it will be an anchor tenant,” she said.


The trust stipulates that the property be used to serve the largest and broadest community possible, with a specific focus on children in need because of health, accident, neglect or poverty.


“There are currently a number of children not being served,” Hetzel said. "The big hole is in daycare and working with children with financial needs. There is not enough behavioral services and a lack of accessibility. We are seeing there is a great need for additional programming."


The changes underway are based on the stipulations of the trust. The trustees believe space on the campus is underutilized and not providing enough services for the community, she said.


“Ms. Paxton’s will said that the trust was really originally designed for convalescent children,” Hetzel told the Times-Mirror.


“The courts later ruled instead of convalescing children, that it would focus on children in need due to health, accident, neglect or poverty. So that’s our mandate of children we can serve,” she said.


Hetzel noted a recent Loudoun County survey on childcare needs found a lack of daycare services.


The trustees believe the Paxton campus could be used to help meet some of that need, she said.


“We feel strongly that it is our mission and duty to maximize the campus in a full capacity,” Hetzel said.


She said new construction and layout will likely take about five years. The anticipated cost is about $10 million for two buildings.


The trustees are conducting an internal review and have hired consultants to develop a strategic capital fundraising campaign that could involve various private and public funding sources, she said.


This comprehensive review is designed to ensure that the campus plan reflects Paxton’s long-term objective to maximize its facilities to serve the most children in need, she said.

The property will be divided into quadrants, with two anchor tenants and smaller tenants all housed in state-of-the-art buildings, replacing the existing brick buildings to create a cohesive look.


The northeast corner building will be about 10,000 square feet and the second building, on the other side of the campus, will be about double that size. The historic stone Carlheim Manor House, in the center of the campus, will be renovated at a point yet to be determined.


Other historic buildings on the property, such as the peacock house — which housed Paxton’s pet peacocks — and the smoke house will also be preserved.


The property was originally hundreds of acres and was purchased in the late 1800s by Rachel and Charles Paxton. Their daughter, Margaret, predeceased her parents, and the trust is named for her.


When Rachel Paxton died in 1921, the trust was established, and the manor house became a place for children to recover from injury or illness.


The home was then used as an orphanage until 1980; it was run by the trustees and a board of directors from St. James Episcopal Church.


From 1980 to 2004, it served as the Margaret Paxton Memorial Learning and Resource Center. 


The trustees came to an agreement with the Arc in 2008 to serve children with autism and to run a daycare facility.


“It has been a good, positive and transparent relationship and a good use of the property,” Hetzel said.


The Arc was scheduled to meet with the trustees Oct. 25 to discuss plans moving forward.

As a nonprofit, the Arc operates the approximately 50-student Aurora School, the Open Door Learning Center preschool, the Claude Moore Center for Early Intervention, the Aurora Behavior Clinic, Ability Fitness Center and the ALLY Advocacy Center.


The Arc currently does not pay rent, but is responsible for maintaining the property.

Arc spokesman Renss Greene said the mosaic idea is an “exciting prospect,” but Arc officials are unsure about the lease terms and space limitations.


"We hope we can bring it to fruition. As we’ve been saying, we support the idea of bringing related human services organizations onto campus, and we already have the partnerships and expertise to make that kind of project happen,” he said.


“But we still hope this will lead to something even more wonderful here at Paxton. We are optimistic, because after this summer’s massive community outcry (when talks on a new lease stalled), the trustees did agree to enter mediation with us. Hopefully, that means turning over a new leaf," he said.


"If they are truly open to a renewed partnership, in working with us in good faith to write a realistic and impactful plan for campus, and in hearing what the experts here and in the broader community have to say, there’s an amazing opportunity to do even more good,” Greene said.

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