HomeMy Public PortalAboutTOL PR 2011-03-02 Arts & Cultural District public hearing
Town of Leesburg
News Release
For Immediate Release
Leesburg Town Council Seeks Public Input on
Proposed Arts & Cultural District
Public hearing will be held on Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Leesburg, VA (March 2, 2011) – The Leesburg Town Council will hold a public hearing on the
proposed creation of an “Arts & Cultural District,” intended to spur the development of arts and
entertainment businesses in the Historic Downtown and adjacent areas. The public hearing will
take place at the Town Council meeting on Tuesday, March 8, 2011, at 7:30 p.m., in the
Leesburg Town Hall (25 West Market Street).
The proposal to establish the new Arts & Cultural District is a joint effort by the Leesburg
Economic Development Commission and the Leesburg Commission on Public Art. In 2009, new
enabling legislation was enacted by the Commonwealth that allows any municipality in Virginia
to create such a district and to offer incentives in the form of tax breaks, special zoning and
exemptions from local ordinances to encourage targeted businesses to locate within the
district. Following the passage of this legislation, the Economic Development Commission and
Commission on Public Art formed a joint task force to explore the possibilities for Leesburg. In
August 2010, the task force made a presentation to the Town Council, which then passed a
resolution directing the task force to conduct a detailed analysis and submit a draft ordinance
that would create the district. At the Town Council work session on February 7, 2011, the task
force presented their findings. A copy of the presentation is available on the Town website at
www.leesburgva.gov/news.
The draft Arts & Cultural District ordinance defines three things:
1. The proposed district boundaries
2. The incentives to be offered
3. The businesses eligible to receive incentives
The proposed Leesburg Arts & Cultural District encompasses the commercial areas of the
Historic Downtown, plus an area to the south and east of the downtown, generally bounded by
South King Street, Catoctin Circle and Edwards Ferry Road. Recommended incentives include
rebates on business, professional & occupation license taxes (BPOL), rebates on real estate
taxes and zoning permit exemptions. Eligible businesses include theaters, art galleries, dance
studios, music venues, performance spaces and art schools and academies. The draft
TOL PR 2011-03-02 Arts & Cultural District public hearing
Page 2
ordinance does provide opportunities for existing businesses to receive incentives for
expansions or improvements.
“The intent of the proposed Arts & Cultural District is to strengthen the creative community
with a sustainable model that capitalizes on the unique assets of Leesburg,” explained
Marantha Edwards, Leesburg’s Economic Development Manager. “A number of other
communities in Virginia have recently created Arts & Cultural Districts using this new economic
development tool. We hope to build on the existing arts community to transform Leesburg into
an arts destination.”
Contact:
Debi Parry
Business Retention Coordinator
dparry@leesburgva.gov
703-737-7023
# # #