I’m excited to share that the U.S. Department of the Treasury has approved Maryland’s nominations of the Rockville Pike and Twinbrook Metro census tracts as federal Opportunity Zones. The Rockville Pike tract, first designated in 2018, will keep its designation, and the Twinbrook Metro tract will join the program for the first time. Together, they account for two of Montgomery County’s selections for the new ten-year period beginning January 1, 2027.

I want to thank Governor Wes Moore and his administration for putting these areas forward for federal designation, and our Rockville City Staff for helping make the case for investment here. Our City Staff worked to identify areas where investment could create jobs, help local businesses grow, and expand housing options.

The federal program encourages long-term private investment by offering tax benefits to investors who reinvest eligible capital gains through a Qualified Opportunity Fund. For a business on the Pike looking to expand, or a property owner seeking to turn an underused site near Metro into housing, that can open up another source of financing.

Why I’ve supported growth near Transit

Earlier this year, I was proud to support Maryland’s state Transit-Oriented Development designation for the Rockville Metro Station area in Town Center. In my March update, I also wrote about the potential I saw around Twinbrook Metro. At Twinbrook Quarter, someone who lives at The Milton can already take the Red Line home from work and pick up groceries at the Wegmans downstairs. I want more people, at a range of incomes, to have that option in Rockville. And as a Rockville business owner myself, I know how much it can mean for a shop or restaurant to have more customers living and working a short walk away.

There’s a reason to care about these designations even if you live nowhere near the Pike. When a business chooses to open or expand in Rockville, it can create jobs for our residents and strengthen the commercial tax base that helps pay for parks, recreation programs, and public safety services in every neighborhood. Growing that tax base helps us sustain the City services our residents count on while keeping property tax rates stable.

Help shape the Rockville Pike Neighborhood Plan

These designations come at a particularly good time because the City is updating the Rockville Pike Neighborhood Plan. In choosing which areas to nominate, Maryland gave the most weight to communities that identified specific projects or strategies for attracting investment. Our neighborhood plan gives residents and business owners a voice in what Rockville should pursue along the Pike and what public improvements we’ll need as the area grows. That includes where new homes would put more people within walking distance of Metro, how redevelopment can support the shops and restaurants already here, and which sidewalks and crossings need attention today.

The City is aiming to adopt the updated plan by the end of 2027, following public hearings and votes by the Planning Commission and the Mayor and Council. I encourage you to weigh in now, while the plan is taking shape. If there’s a crossing you avoid on your walk to the station, a shopping center whose local businesses keep you coming back, or a property you think could better serve the community, I’d like to hear about it.

You can take the City’s survey or drop a pin on its interactive map to show us the exact spot: Share your ideas for the Rockville Pike Neighborhood Plan.