I am thrilled to announce (and proud to strongly support) Rockville’s successful effort to have the area around the Rockville Metro Station designated by the State of Maryland as a "Transit-Oriented Development" (TOD) site.

This new critical designation is important for our City because the Rockville Metro Area (in the heart of Rockville Town Center and adjacent to The Square) has enormous potential. It already sits at the center of Metrorail, MARC, Amtrak, local bus service, Town Center, nearby neighborhoods, restaurants, employers and civic amenities. With the right planning, it can become an even stronger place for jobs, housing, restaurants, shops and public activity.

For me, this designation is really about making Rockville stronger and more affordable over the long term.

If we want to keep taxes stable and continue providing strong City services, we need to grow our commercial tax base, support local businesses and attract new investment. The Rockville Town Center (and specifically the Rockville Metro Area) is exactly the kind of place where thoughtful growth makes sense because the transportation infrastructure is already there. Specifically, in June 2025, during the Maryland Municipal League Conference, I met with Maryland Secretary of Housing and Community Development Jake Day to talk specifically about Rockville’s transit-oriented growth and redevelopment opportunities. I have continued to advocate for Rockville to pursue every reasonable opportunity for state partnership and investment.

The TOD designation gives Rockville another tool to help make that happen. This designation can improve our ability to compete for state funding, infrastructure support, housing investment and other economic-development opportunities tied to transit-oriented communities.  This designation also provides benefits that can help attract businesses and investment to the area.

I have consistently pushed for Rockville to be proactive about economic development. We cannot sit back and wait for investment to come to us. We must competing for employers, supporting entrepreneurs and local businesses, expanding housing opportunities and taking advantage of the areas of our City that are best positioned for responsible growth.

For these reasons, I have also worked to strengthen Rockville’s life sciences and business sectors, supported continued City investment in economic development, and encouraged housing and commercial growth near transit.

Importantly, this designation does not approve any particular development project and does not change Rockville’s zoning. Any future proposal will still go through the City’s normal planning, public review and approval process. This TOD designation is not a blank check for development. It is merely a tool (but an important tool) that can help us attract investment, improve infrastructure and create opportunities while still making sure future growth works for the surrounding community.

I strongly believe responsible economic growth can help us accomplish several goals at once: strengthen Rockville Town Center, create jobs, support local businesses, expand housing options, improve public spaces and generate additional revenue to support City services without simply asking homeowners to pay more.

Rockville Town Center should be one of the strongest economic-development assets in our city. This TOD designation gives us another opportunity to unlock that potential.

I was proud to support and champion Rockville Metro Station Area’s TOD designation, and I look forward to continuing the work with residents, businesses, property owners and our state and regional partners to make sure future growth around Rockville Metro benefits the entire community.  I also look forward to having another TOD designation for the area around Twinbrook Metro Station soon as well!