Loudoun County’s finance committee has recommended project labor agreement pilots for two major public works projects, including a $38 million expansion of the Adult Detention Center and an $86 million widening of Rt. 15.
Loudoun County’s finance committee recommends PLA pilots for two major projects, citing scope, schedule flexibility, and skilled trades coordination.
Loudoun County, Virginia, is moving closer to using project labor agreements on two major public works projects, after the Board of Supervisors’ finance committee voted this week to recommend PLA requirements for an Adult Detention Center expansion and a Rt. 15 widening project, Loudoun Now reported.
Related guide: Project labor agreements in Virginia: from ban to local choice
Finance Committee Chair Juli E. Briskman framed her support around long-running concerns about cost overruns and delays on union-built work.
“I’m very supportive of our unions and I’d like to see the county again lead by example,” Briskman said.
The committee endorsed two pilots. The first is a 40,000-square-foot expansion of the Adult Detention Center, a $38 million project that will add capacity, expand mental health and re-entry programming, enlarge the kitchen, and add administrative space. Construction is scheduled to begin in summer 2028.
The second is the Rt. 15 widening between Battlefield Parkway and Montresor Road, an $86 million project funded without state or federal dollars. That flexibility gives the county room to structure the pilot PLA without additional VDOT or federal review requirements, Assistant Director of Procurement Cheryl Middleton told the committee.
Loudoun first authorized a PLA pilot in 2023, choosing a new government building complex as the inaugural project. After bidding delays and litigation tied to the PLA solicitation, the county pivoted to a non-PLA contract for that build and began searching for replacement pilots. Middleton said both new candidates fit the criteria: large scope, varied trades, extended timelines, and complex multi-agency coordination.
The PLA approach has drawn pushback from Supervisor Matthew F. Letourneau, who argued the requirement could narrow contractor participation and raise costs. County Chair Phyllis J. Randall rejected that framing during the committee discussion, noting the work involves standard public infrastructure rather than specialized construction.
The full Board of Supervisors will take up the recommendation at a future meeting.
READ MORE: Prince William board approves project labor agreement pilot for division’s 14th high school
READ MORE: Town will require a Project Labor Agreement on contracts over $200,000
