Metro is one of the many gifts of Loudoun that can bring us together this holiday season. This is one story in a series of 31 that highlight #LoudounPossible opportunities in the county. Check back every day in December to learn more!
The Metro Silver Line Extension gives new meaning to the expression, “every end is a new beginning,” and it couldn’t have come at a better time. Ashburn Station is the last stop at the end of the Silver Line, presenting a wealth of opportunity for the Loudoun workforce, incoming and existing businesses, and greenfield development planning. “The arrival of Metro is the key that opens up unprecedented opportunity in Loudoun County,” said Buddy Rizer, Executive Director of Loudoun County’s Department of Economic Development. “Connecting Dulles Airport and the rest of Loudoun to Washington D.C. via transit rail is the single most significant opportunity for economic diversity in the County’s history.”
The Silver Line Extension comes at a key time as the holiday season approaches. Unique shops, boutiques, and other specialty retail and entertainment run all along Silver Line stations, giving Loudoun residents a direct route to local businesses without braving traffic and offering a view of what the future holds for shopping and mixed-use in upcoming developments.
The extension also helps build and retain the surrounding workforce, providing residents and commuters an additional travel option for them to bypass commuter traffic. In addition, with the growth of local restaurants, major retail brands, and other professional, technical, and government workplace expansion, the Silver Line extension gives employment destinations such as Ashburn, Loudoun Gateway, and Washington Dulles access to an entirely new pool of candidates, further strengthening the talent across multiple industries.
Businesses owners and corporations looking to either relocate, expand, or open their doors for the first time in Loudoun County are only minutes away from the rest of the world with Washington Dulles International Airport situated just two stops from the end of the line. Having immediate access to international networks and opportunities gives these entities a competitive advantage when it comes to achieving success. Additionally, Loudoun’s transit-oriented greenfield sites present unique opportunities for larger projects, bolstering the economic diversity in the County. “With greenfield developments planned at Innovation Station, Loudoun Gateway and Ashburn Station, Loudoun County is set to add millions of square feet of class A office, retail, and entertainment as well has hundreds of new homes for workers of all income levels,” Rizer stated. “These developments provide us the next phase of what’s #LoudounPossible in our community.”
And the next phase is definitely something special.
At end of the extension planning, construction began, and so did the possibilities. At the end of construction, riders began riding, and excitement is anew. Now, here we sit at the end of the Silver Line in Ashburn, ready for what happens next. This end point is a new beginning for boundless opportunity to come because here, anything is #LoudounPossible.
