Now that NSF is leaving run-down Ballston what's Zimmy's back up plan for filling the aging buildings with surtax-paying corporations? Zimmy and Arlington Economic Development have devised a scheme called the Ballston Innovation Initiative, or BI2, to fill vacant older buildings with national security and homeland security contractors (now the warfighting is winding down in the Middle East and national security and homeland security budgets are being cut). So, Zimmy's 'vision' for Ballston is 'to imagine a place where in a 5-block radius, 8000 of the world's leading scientists, educators, and innovators work alongside each other. This is Ballston. A place where the impossible National Security problems become products that revolutionize the way humanity lives'.
So, think of the Ballston Innovation Initiative as a National Security Artisphere, with all sorts of fun events planned over the next few months, like National Security Deal Day on June 12th where national security entrepreneurs will have the opportunity to pitch businesses. On June 22nd, students from Virginia Tech and elsewhere will have the opportunity to compete for cash prizes for helping solve intractable National Security and Homeland Security problems during the BI2 Tech Throwdown. More fun events will be scheduled over the Summer. What the heck, Economic Development has $10 million a year to spend and only Zimmy is telling them how to spend it.
Terri - 22201