Merritt’s Spec Office Project Shows Confidence in Loudoun’s Market
On September 9, Merritt Properties held a groundbreaking for their newest spec office space in Loudoun. Located at 20700 Loudoun County Parkway, the 72,9000 square-foot single-story flex building is located directly across from the One Loudoun Development. With its size, access to major fiber providers and the capability of being served by an existing reclaimed water line, Merritt calls this an ideal location for a data center. However, this location is in no way limited to data centers. The flexibility within its design lends itself to any information technology company.
Its proximity to One Loudoun and other amenities in this growing section of Loudoun is just one of the reasons Merritt chose this Ashburn location. It also offers easy access to the Dulles Toll Road, Route 7 and Route 28. This area’s growth is a big motivation behind Merritt deciding to build a spec office space in a market where few companies are taking the risk. Another factor, as Merritt’s Steve Shaw said at the ceremony, is that “Loudoun is the easiest county we’ve ever worked with.” He also cited this ease as one of the reasons they’ve moved so much of their operations from Maryland to Virginia.
Loudoun Board of Supervisors Chairman Scott York spoke at the event, as did Supervisors Shawn Williams and Ralph Buona. All three emphasized the board’s commitment to raising the county’s commercial tax base, with Supervisor Buona remarking, “we can’t change the national economy, but what we can do is create a business-friendly environment.”
Supervisor Williams, whose district this building is in, also talked about the economy beyond Loudoun, thanking Delegate Barbara Comstock, who was also in attendance, for supporting and helping the county on a state level to bring in new businesses and improve our local economy.
The board often touts its focus on economic development and making Loudoun a pro-business environment. Chairman York said that he’s proud of Loudoun for having a “What can we do to get it done?” as opposed to a “What can we do to hold it up?” attitude. Delegate Comstock echoed her sentiments, saying she was “proud to be a part of the ‘Get it Done Caucus.’”
Loudoun Economic Development Director Buddy Rizer praised the project, saying “it’s further proof that when companies choose to do business in Loudoun, we do everything in our power to make the process efficient and beneficial to all involved.”