Sign posted on Leesburg's South King Street (Photo by Erica Garman)

It’s hard to miss the land advertisement sign on Leesburg’s South King Street, just north of the Rt. 15/Rt. 7 interchange.

The large sign boasting 53 acres for sale is flanked by two green and gold banners - an invitation of sorts - which read “GMU Land Here.”

“It’s the perfect place for a college,” said Andre Fontaine, a representative of Realty Diversified Services, the company that owns the property. “It’s within walking distance of downtown shops and restaurants - like the campuses of William & Mary and the Univ. of Mary Washington. Plus, the land is close to major roadways for ease-of-access.”

George Mason University has long expressed an interest in building a full-service campus in Loudoun.

In 2006, land developer Greenvest offered the university property in the proposed Dulles South community. But when those plans were nixed by the Loudoun Board of Supervisors, so were Mason’s.

Currently, Mason and NOVA (Northern Virginia Community College) officials have combined resources and are exploring what kind of campuses would best fit the needs of Loudoun’s growing population with a feasibility study entitled, “Planning for Enhanced Public Higher Education in Loudoun: Building on the Mason-NOVA Partnership.”

NOVA wants to build a second campus in Loudoun to complement the community college’s network of facilities.

The results of this higher education study will be available before the end of the year, said Jerry Coughter, Mason’s Loudoun campus executive officer.

“We have the chance to do something innovative and creative here,” Coughter added. “We want to do it right.”

Coughter cited a recent GMU study forecasting student population growth in Loudoun and the surrounding counties of Clarke, Fairfax, Fauquier, Frederick, Prince William and Warren.

In 2012, according to that study, more than 43,000 high school students will graduate from these six counties. Of those students, more than 25,000 will plan to attend a four-year college; more than 11,000 will attend a two-year college.

Meanwhile, Mason officials are looking for public input and gathering information from area business leaders about what a Loudoun campus should look like, both physically and academically. Coughter emphasized that Mason envisions a full-service campus in Loudoun that would offer bachelor’s and graduate degrees.

Where should the Mason and NOVA campuses be located?

A downtown setting such as Leesburg; a suburban setting like Brambleton, perhaps; or would a campus with Metro-access at Moorefield Station make the most sense? Maybe a campus should be built in an empty field in rural Loudoun. Wasn’t that the setting of NOVA’s Loudoun campus when it was first built?

Post your comments below about where you think a campus should go. GMU and NOVA officials are reading.

Also, you can voice your opinions at a public input session on this issue that will be held at the Loudoun County Public School Administrative Building at 7 p.m. on Nov. 13.