The county hopes to tempt another big employer to open shop in downtown Silver Spring.
According to Gary Stith, director of Silver Spring’s regional center, the county is in talks with National Public Radio to move the organization to Ripley. That triangular area is bordered by Wayne Avenue to the north, Georgia Avenue to the east, and CSX and Metro tracks to the west.
If NPR does move to the area, it could happen by 2011, Stith said at Wednesday night’s commercial and economic development committee meeting.
Jane Holmes, an NPR employee who attended the meeting, was elated. “I wanna walk to work!” she said.
The nonprofit organization broadcasts news and entertainment programs over the radio and via the Internet. Its current headquarters are on Massachusetts Avenue in the District’s Chinatown. Its 2,600 square-foot recording studio is also in the District.
Stith said that NPR was offered some financial incentive to move to Silver Spring, though he did not disclose the details.
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I worry about all these “financial incentives” the county is doling out in order to convince businesses to locate here in SS. Why do they need inducing? Isn’t downtown’s Silver Spring’s proximity to the Metro, et. al. incentive enough? What’s worrisome is that clearly the county is cash-strapped and doesn’t, for instance, have enough resources to increase the police presence in downtown. I just hope these mysterious incentives aren’t coming in the form of tax breaks or outright payments from the county.
[...] a Monday morning media event outside the Shady Grove Metro station, Leggett told The Penguin that NPR’s possible relocation would allow downtown Silver Spring to continue its economic [...]