Leesburg EDC highlights marketing push, awards and business outreach at June 4 meeting

At its June 4, 2025, monthly meeting, the Leesburg Economic Development Commission heard a staff report on recent local projects, marketing events and business outreach plans and set next steps for commissioner engagement.

Russell, economic development staff, told the commission that three Town projects — including the Edwards Ferry sidewalk segment and improvements at the King and Market intersection and an associated park — received Loudoun Design Excellence Awards presented at the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors meeting. He also announced a Fox 5 “Zip Trips” live segment scheduled for June 20, 7 a.m. to 11 a.m., at Market Station in downtown Leesburg, coordinated with Visit Loudoun.

The awards and the planned Fox 5 visit are part of ongoing marketing efforts, Russell said, and were discussed alongside market data he cited from CoStar. “This one right here really caught me — 94%,” Russell said, referring to a CoStar data point he displayed to the commission. He also described longer-term questions about attracting large employers and the limited industrial and college footprints available in the town, noting nearby institutions in Loudoun County and the constraints of local land supply.

Commissioners discussed outreach tactics and upcoming events that would solicit business feedback. The EDC plans a business-focused breakfast and networking event the following day to gather pain points and success stories from local business owners, and commissioners agreed to participate where possible. Commissioners also discussed scheduling site tours; staff said they would contact a local developer, Kevin, to arrange a walkthrough of an in-progress project.

Other items mentioned to the commission included a newspaper report that a new hotel was slated to open Aug. 1 (the staff cited a press item referencing an August 1 opening and a reported starting room rate, as printed in the paper), and commissioners referenced the ION venue and its local revitalization as an example of redevelopment momentum.

The commission emphasized that feedback collected at outreach events should lead to concrete follow-ups rather than be limited to surveys: “If you participate in the survey and nothing happens, then ... what’s the incentive to go to these things,” one commissioner said, urging that the EDC translate business feedback into actionable items for the Town Council. Commissioners agreed to use a July work session to consider measurable economic metrics and baselines to guide future recommendations.

A motion to adopt the meeting minutes was moved and seconded and approved. The meeting was adjourned by unanimous motion.

The commission did not take action on zoning or development approvals; Russell reported that Loudoun County had approved the sidewalk design and related design items referenced in his presentation, and commissioners discussed follow-up outreach rather than local regulatory changes.

The EDC scheduled a July 17 meeting at the Economic Development office and plans additional outreach and tours in the coming weeks.