COVID Relief Program To Support National Landing Businesses

ARLINGTON, VA — A grant program to support restaurants and small businesses in the National Landing area of Arlington will return for a second year.

The Local Love initiative is a COVID-19 recovery and relief program from the National Landing Business Improvement District with the Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington. Created in 2021, the program supports eligible businesses in the National Landing district, which includes Crystal City, Pentagon City and Potomac Yard (Arlington).

This latest round of funding totals $100,000. Grants will support small businesses' pay for workers and other operating expenses.

"Restaurants and small businesses are the cornerstone of National Landing’s vibrant and growing community,” said Tracy Sayegh Gabriel, president and executive director of the National Landing Business Improvement District. "As COVID-19 continues to impact these businesses, we hope the Love Local initiative will help them during these difficult times."

In 2021, 30 restaurants, retailers, fitness studios, and other local businesses received support from the Love Local initiative.

"National Landing BID’s Love Local program continues the important work of providing access to relief resources that are a lifeline for small businesses and restaurants during the pandemic," stated Kathy Hollinger, president and CEO of the Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington. "The opportunity to be able to access relief dollars to assist with operational expenses is an extremely effective recovery tool that helps to save jobs and community assets."

Eligible brick-and-mortar businesses that are open can use the application portal starting 11 a.m. on Feb. 15 through Feb. 28. Funding amounts will be divided equally to the eligible businesses that sign up. The National Landing Business Improvement District and Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington will issue agreements to ensure the proper processes and safeguards are there before funds are distributed.

National Landing Business Improvement District is a public-private partnership that supports the business, retail, restaurant and residential communities. Formerly known as Crystal City Business Improvement District, the name was changed in 2020 to reflect the larger neighborhood where Amazon's second headquarters and the Virginia Tech Innovation Campus are being located. Recently, the National Landing Business Improvement District also helped sponsor Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington’s 2022 Metropolitan Washington Winter Restaurant Week by covering the costs of neighborhood restaurants to participate.