Rosslyn BID Launches Phase II of “Rosslyn Ready” to Provide Specialized Guidance to Rosslyn Businesses and Residents for a Healthy and Successful Re-Opening Following COVID-19
New Stage of the Program Focuses on Public Health with Guidance for Businesses and Residents, Increased Sanitization of Public Spaces, and Social Distancing
Phase II Builds on the Success of Phase I of Rosslyn Ready and Other BID Initiatives Like #RosslynRewards and Arlington County GRANT Program
Rosslyn, VA – June 18, 2020 – Today, the Rosslyn BID announced the launch of Phase II of Rosslyn Ready, a multifaceted program to promote proper safety measures when welcoming people back into the neighborhood as Northern Virginia enters new phases of reentry. The second phase focuses on readying the public realm, with hundreds of new signs, stickers, banners, and instructional materials distributed throughout Rosslyn in key high-traffic areas. Rosslyn’s landlords and building owners are also a key part of this campaign by providing guidance both internally to their tenants and outside of their buildings for safe practices.
The BID has creatively evolved their placemaking efforts to adapt to safe social distancing guidelines by installing 10 new sanitizing wipe stations around the neighborhood, placing all furniture 6-8 feet apart, and transforming underutilized space by adding additional seating and continuing to safely distance people as they enjoy the outdoors. The Rosslyn BID Ambassadors, who keep Rosslyn’s streets clean, give directions, and provide neighborhood information, have increased their cleaning protocols for high-touch zones in public areas and surfaces throughout Rosslyn.
Images of the new signage and implemented social distancing protocols can be found here with photo credit to Sam Kittner.
“With more than 40,000 people living and working in Rosslyn each day, we at the BID want to do all we can to make Rosslyn a safe and healthy place for everyone,” said Mary-Claire Burick, President of The Rosslyn BID. “As Northern Virginia enters new phases of reopening, Rosslyn is ready to welcome everyone back to work, their favorite restaurants, and all of our outdoor spaces with new spacing and sanitization in place.”
“Reentry is going to look slightly different for each building and company. We have extensively prepared for our tenants’ return, and having consistent protocols in place that ensure the health and safety of our tenants and employees has been a key priority of ours,” said Tim Helmig, Managing Partner from Monday Properties. “We appreciate the Rosslyn BID’s work to ready the public space for our community, as well as the inter-building coordination that helps ensure we’re ready for the next phases of reopening.”
“We’re grateful to have the support of the Rosslyn BID and the Rosslyn Ready program while we prepare to welcome our employees back to our office,” said Carolyn Parent, CEO from LiveSafe. “The Rosslyn Ready Program has been a valuable source of information for us and has provided the tools we need to keep our employees safe and healthy.”
Phase I of Rosslyn Ready, which launched in May, focused on providing customized digital resources and access to industry experts to help Rosslyn businesses create individualized strategies for reentry. Businesses received specific guidance in the form of digital resources and a webinar series where they could ask questions of renowned experts, including Gensler, Streetsense, Hilmann Consulting, and Bean, Kinney & Korman. Over 130 businesses and restaurants have participated in the program thus far.
The Rosslyn BID has launched several other programs to assist businesses since Virginia’s COVID-19 stay-at-home order was passed in mid-March:
- The #RosslynRewards program and Rosslyn restaurant directory benefit both restaurants and consumers by encouraging residents to frequent Rosslyn restaurants to earn gift cards to those establishments.
- The Rosslyn BID also contributed $100,000 to Arlington County’s Small Business GRANT Program, which was reserved for Rosslyn small businesses in need of funding.
Although social distancing has changed many of the Rosslyn BID’s 200+ annual events and activations, the BID is continuing to foster social connections for the community in new, innovative ways through virtual offerings like:
About the Rosslyn BID:
The Rosslyn Business Improvement District (BID) is a designated 17-block mixed-use, urban center in the heart of Rosslyn, Virginia. Through a public/private partnership with Arlington County, the Rosslyn BID provides services for our 25,000 employees, 15,000 residents and 1.2 million visitors a year to enhance, grow, and connect the neighborhood.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Alex Miller Murphy
717-903-9302