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Sycolin Overpass Construction to Begin in June 8, 2013
Traffic Signal at Route 7/15 Bypass & Sycolin Road Will Be Removed
Sycolin Road Closed Between Gateway Drive & Hope Parkway Until August 2014
Construction of the Sycolin Overpass, eliminating the at-grade, signalized intersection of Sycolin Road and the Route 7/15 Bypass, will begin on June 8, 2103. On that date, the traffic signal will be removed and there will be no access from the Bypass to Sycolin Road. As a result, traffic flow on the Bypass will improve greatly, with no back-ups from the traffic signal. This change in traffic patterns is permanent! Access to Sycolin Road southbound, the Leesburg Executive Airport, the Loudoun County Park & Ride lot and other destinations in the southeast sector of Leesburg will be routed to Battlefield Parkway, either by the Dulles Greenway or Route 7. As a reminder, Exit 1 (Routes 7 & 17) and Exit 2 (Battlefield Parkway) from the Dulles Greenway are free. The map below shows the new traffic patterns.
In addition, Sycolin Road, from Gateway Drive to Hope Parkway, will be closed during construction of the overpass, until August 2014. Once the overpass is completed, Sycolin Road will reopen, but there will be no access from Sycolin Road to the Route 7/15 Bypass. For more information, please visit the VDOT Project Webpage at www.virginiadot.org/projects/northernvirginia/Sycolin_Road_Overpass.asp.
Leesburg is Home to Loudoun County's Only HUBZone
An area within the Town of Leesburg was recently designated a HUBZone by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), based on the results of the 2010 Census. The Leesburg HUBZone is the first, and only, HUBZone in Loudoun County. A map of the Leesburg HUBZone is shown at right.
The HUBZone (Historically Underutilized Business Zone) program was created in 1997 to promote economic development and employment growth in distressed areas. Designation is based upon the median household income within a Census Tract. In order to be designated as a HUBZone, 50% or more of the households in a Census Tract must have incomes below 60% of the area’s median household income. The median household income for Loudoun County is $119,134 (2011 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates).
Certified HUBZone businesses receive competitive advantages and price preferences when vying for federal contracts. To be certified, a business must have its primary office location in a HUBZone, must be a small business by SBA standards, must be 51% American-owned and 35% of its employees must live in a HUBZone.
Since the HUBZone announcement, interest in Leesburg office properties has risen significantly, as businesses seek to take advantage of the HUBZone incentives. The Mason Enterprise Center is now 100% occupied as a result.
Downtown Improvements Project
Phase I of the Downtown Improvement project is complete!
In 2008, the Urban Land Institute convened a Technical Assistance Panel to solidify a vision for downtown Leesburg as a catalyst for redevelopment efforts. The resulting report served as the basis for an implementation plan presented to the Town Council by the Downtown Improvement Association. The Council subsequently added the Downtown Improvement Project to the Town’s Capital Improvement Program.
On September 14, 2010, the Town Council approved moving forward with design and construction of the Downtown Improvement Project, aimed at improving the pedestrian environment in downtown.
Phase I of the Downtown Improvment Project was completed in Spring 2013 and included::
- Improvements to the two pedestrian alleyways from the Town Hall Parking Garage to King Street
- Rebuild of the East End Triangle, by Mom's Apple Pie
Phase II of the project will be improvements to Loudoun Street from the East End Triangle to King Street, including:
- Widened brick sidewalks east of Church Street
- Modification of the Loudoun Street/Harrison Street interesction
- Street trees
- Decorative street lights
- Replacement of the handrail at the crossing of the concrete-lined drainage ditch across from the County parking garage
- Street Furniture.
Construction of Phase II is expected to begin in Spring 2013.
Phase III of the project includes improvements to King Street, from North Street to Royal Street, will include:
- Widened brick sidewalks
- Improved crosswalks at the intersections
- Raised, mid-block crosswalk between Loudoun and Market Streets
- Street trees
- Decorative street lights
- Street furniture
More information about the entire Downtown Improvements Project is available on the Capital Projects page.
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The Town maintains an
online archive of press releases and other news items. If you are not able to find a specific press release in the
archive, please contact Betsy Fields, the Town's Research & Communications Manager at
bfields@leesburgva.gov or 703-771-2734.
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The Town of Leesburg welcomes inquiries from the media. Transparency of government is a guiding principle at all levels of the Town administration. Media representatives should feel free to contact directly any of the Town's department directors. For a complete list, please see the Staff Directory.
Town Tours. The Town's public information office will conduct tours of the Town for media representatives, highlighting recent new construction, current and proposed development projects and major capital improvement projects. To schedule a tour, please contact Betsy Fields, Research & Communications Manager at bfields@leesburgva.gov or 703-771-2734.
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