Leesburg receives Rural Zone Designation

(LEESBURG, GA) – Local business owners in Leesburg are about to get a big reason to stay in Lee County.

That’s because the city was approved for Rural Zone Designation.

“It’s an incentive to have investors fix up properties in the downtown area, and encourage full time employees to improve their businesses,” says Leesburg City Manager, Bob Alexander.

Leesburg city officials initially tried to get rural zone designation a year earlier, only to be denied.

After getting approval this time around, the city can start to rehabilitate dilapidated properties in the city, and for local businesses, it could pay off in the long run.

Alexander tells us, “It’s a pretty good incentive, to encourage people who want to start a business in the downtown area, or they need tax credits, that it’s a good opportunity for them.”

The current timeline for the the rural zone is to see long term benefits over the next five years.

Both Leesburg and Lee County officials agree that having something like this in place helps to further inject new life into downtown Leesburg.

“If you’re bringing more activity into the downtown area, more business, it’s more economic development. And it snowballs from there. So it’s real important to have a viable downtown because that’s the heart and soul of your communities.” says Alexander.

The Rural Zone Designation will start on January 1st, 2021.