Leesburg staff roll out 'Together in Leesburg' welcome‑center campaign; report retail study, interns and openings

At its July 2 meeting in Town Hall, the Leesburg Economic Development Commission heard staff present a month‑long marketing placement at the Fredericksburg Virginia Welcome Center and received several local economic updates, including findings from a regional retail study, a funded internship program, and forthcoming business openings.

Allison, economic development staff, described the Fredericksburg placement as a staffed “takeover” of the welcome center that runs through July and carries the theme “Together in Leesburg.” She said the display highlights three visitor categories — “kid approved,” “dog friendly” and “crew worthy” — and features giveaways, two‑day itineraries and laminated restaurant menus from Leesburg businesses. Allison said the campaign highlights 42 businesses and uses Bitly‑tracked QR codes on nearly every printed item so staff can measure engagement.

Russell, economic development staff, summarized other items in the staff report and provided the commission with a retail‑market snapshot drawn from a recent study covering 2024–25. Russell said the study estimated roughly 160,240 square feet of excess retail supply in the State Route 50 corridor, about 647,000 square feet in the greater metro area, and about 2,000,000 square feet in the State Route 7 corridor up to the town line, for a combined total of roughly 2.8 million square feet of over‑retail in the three corridors studied. He noted downtown Leesburg and some downtown corridors continue to show relatively low vacancy rates.

Staff also outlined short‑term local items: Latin Credit Union is moving into a building across the street and is considering a July groundbreaking once interior renovations are complete, and staff reported four ribbon cuttings in June with two events planned for July (a bakery on July 11 and Hotel Berg opening scheduled for July 29). Russell said these openings and the welcome‑center placement aim to increase foot traffic for downtown businesses.

On workforce support, staff said the Leesburg office will host paid interns funded by the Loudoun County Education Foundation. Allison said interns will earn $15 per hour, work about 20 hours per week for approximately five weeks, and will be assigned meaningful projects in marketing, business‑retention data work or CRM setup rather than only clerical tasks. Staff said interns would likely attend at least one commission meeting and participate in cross‑departmental orientations during the internship.

Procedural actions at the start of the meeting included a motion to admit Bob Cusack to the meeting, which the commission approved; adoption of the meeting agenda; and approval of the June 4, 2025 minutes. Those motions were moved and seconded on the record and passed by voice vote.

Staff said it will report back after the Fredericksburg placement ends with engagement metrics from the QR codes and other tracking, and will bring updates on the Latin Credit Union schedule and the July ribbon cuttings.