April 3, 2008

Falls Church Urged to Establish 'Arts District' With Tax Incentives

A scarcely-known resource provided to the City of Falls Church by the Virginia State Legislature in 2005 drew keen interest Tuesday as leaders of five area arts organizations addressed the monthly luncheon of the Falls Church Chamber of Commerce. Falls Church became one of only a handful in the state authorized to form an “arts and cultural district,” replete with tax and other incentives. On Tuesday, this obscure fact came to light, along with the fact that the City has never taken advantage of the opportunity. When asked for a show of hands on whether the City should establish an “arts and cultural district,” over three-dozen local business leaders raised their hands. The informal and spontaneous show of hands did not constitute any kind of an official vote, but the sentiment was clear following the speakers who, among other things, showed studies documenting the positive economic impact of arts institutions in any community.