In a move that further solidifies Arlington County’s Ballston as a hub of economic activity, the county announced it has approved the new Ballston Business Improvement District (BID) effective Jan. 1.
A BID is a public/private partnership in which property and business owners contribute to the maintenance, development and promotion of a commercial district. Other BIDs in Arlington include the Crystal City BID and the Rosslyn BID. The District has eight BIDs.
Due largely to the extension of Metro’s Orange Line, Ballston has grown from a suburban commercial crossroads in the 1980s to a dynamic, high-density, mixed-use urban village.
Planners for Montgomery County’s Rockville Pike corridor often point to the Ballston-Rosslyn corridor as an example of what they’would like to achieve along the Shady Grove side of the Red Line.
So if it’s already so great, why does it need a BID designation? Simply put, a BID will generate more money for community improvements and can be a lobbying arm for the development community.
Or, as Arlington County Board Chairman Jay Fisette says, “a Business Improvement District for Ballston is the best vehicle for building on Ballston’s already considerable assets and positioning it for the future.”
Yeah. That too.
