From Infrastructure Improvements To Grants For Businesses, Fairfax City Invests In Its Future

To accelerate economic development, Fairfax City, Virginia, is pursuing multiple strategies ranging from offering grants and incentives for local businesses to encouraging more mixed-use development through improved infrastructure.

Bisnow’s Fairfax 2025 State of the Market event on Sept. 3 at 1800 Reston Row Plaza will dive into growth and development opportunities in Fairfax County communities, including Fairfax City. Among topics to be explored by guest panelists is Forward Fairfax: Marketing Overview and What’s Shaping The Next 10 Years.

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Bisnow caught up with Marie Spittell, senior assistant director of business investment at Fairfax City Economic Development to discuss the city’s development pipeline, the initiatives that draw businesses to the community and its vision for economic growth.

Bisnow: How is Fairfax City investing in its infrastructure? 

Spittell: Fairfax has five primary activity centers, and each one has a small area plan that encourages denser development and mixed-use development. The city is focused on designing and installing new roads and building out street grids within these activity centers to encourage more development investment. We’re very much focused on walkability and increasing the quality of life for office users, residents and visitors.

One example is in Northfax East, which had an obsolete 1950s shopping center that the center’s property owners redeveloped with the support of the city’s policy objectives. It now has several restaurants within walking distance to offices and a new public road creating access and enhanced movement throughout the site.

There’s also a plan before the board of architectural review to redevelop a portion of the tank farm on Pickett Road, or a place for storing liquids, with a logistics and delivery center. 

Boulevard VI comprises hundreds of new townhomes, condos and apartments and has shopping and dining within walking distance for the residents. Though not in a designated small area plan, Boulevard VI has emphasized the creation of place through new homes and new retail opportunities along Fairfax Boulevard, supporting the broader vision of a diverse economy and a walkable community.

Bisnow: How does the city attract businesses?

Spittell: Fairfax City invests in businesses that invest in us, and our grants, incentives and programs reflect that. 

The Facade and Interior Improvement Grant, or FIIG, is designed to help new and existing Fairfax City businesses reduce the cost of renovations, especially with exterior facade improvements. It helps make the city a more attractive place in terms of creating vibrant and interesting building fronts and storefronts. Oftentimes, this removes the barrier to entry for small retail or food services businesses and can encourage businesses to grow and remain in the city as well.

The Lease Incentives for Fairfax Tenants program, also called LIFFT, incentivizes new and/or expanding businesses to lease office space for at least three years in any of 20 priority office buildings. Brokers have been using it to incentivize people to come to Fairfax, and it's getting us additional looks as people consider where they want to go within the region. It has already helped to retain several growing businesses that have options to go to a lot of different places. It's a unique program that has been well-received.

Bisnow: What other initiatives have been impactful for both residents and businesses?

Spittell: Upskill Fairfax City is a tuition assistance program between Fairfax City Economic Development and Northern Virginia Community College, which provides tuition-free courses for Fairfax City residents or those employed at Fairfax City businesses to get certifications in high-demand fields such as tech, life sciences and skilled trades. 

There are a lot of information technology certifications, which are very attractive to our government contractors in the city. We also recently added a project management professional certification. Any time there is a new high-demand certification, it will be added to our roster. 

We've launched a new partnership between the Mason Consulting Group at George Mason University. The student-led consulting group within the Costello College of Business at GMU is looking for two Fairfax City businesses to serve as their clients in their pilot project this fall.  

The students will advise on matters important to the businesses, such as marketing or operations. It helps city businesses to improve and streamline their operations, get assistance where they might not normally be able to afford a comparable consultant, and it gives the GMU students some good hands-on experience and training. 

Bisnow: What does continued economic growth look like for Fairfax City businesses?

Spittell: There’s an enormous amount of development interest and opportunities. We're a small city, but leadership in the city has economic development as a high priority. We’re organizing ourselves and communicating our plans as best as we can, not only to our existing businesses but other businesses that are looking for a place where they feel appreciated and recognized for their contribution to the local ecosystem.

We’re a lean, 12-person team. For businesses that establish a connection with us, we will make sure they meet with the right people within City Hall and the regulatory and entitlement process.

This article was produced in collaboration between Studio B and Fairfax City Economic Development. Bisnow news staff was not involved in the production of this content.

Studio B is Bisnow’s in-house content and design studio. To learn more about how Studio B can help your team, reach out to studio@bisnow.com.