Good Monday morning, Alexandria!
⛅ Today’s weather: Partly cloudy throughout the day. High of 57 and low of 43.
⛅ Tomorrow: Partly cloudy throughout the day. High of 51 and low of 38. Sunrise at 6:33 am and sunset at 6:07 pm.
🚨 You need to know
An opinion piece published in the Wall Street Journal by a former Mike Pence speechwriter took aim at the anti-development “Save Del Ray” campaign.
The piece by Stephen Ford, titled “Yes, There’s a Housing Crisis. No, You Can’t Build Here”, detailed much of the appeal of Del Ray — its “Main Street” atmosphere, the Halloween parade — but said the once working-class neighborhood has become increasingly unaffordable.
“Now the most affordable town homes typically run in the low to mid $700,000s, and single-family homes usually go for $1 million or more,” Ford wrote. “People want to live in Del Ray, but for many families it’s getting difficult to move — or even to stay — here.”
Enter Bonaventure Realty and its plans to Alexandria redevelop the former Department of Community and Human Services building at 2525 Mount Vernon Avenue into a four-story, 43-foot-tall building mixed-use development.
The plan prompted backlash from some locals and the creation of a “Save Del Ray” group. The project’s density was scaled back but eventually, community feedback pressured the developer into backing away from the project. According to Ford:
Hyperbole carried the day. In November, Bonaventure put the project on indefinite hold, and the property is now for sale. It makes sense. Nothing short of the status quo seems likely to win over opponents. Until some middle ground can be found between not-in-my-backyard and yes-in-my-backyard, neighborhoods like mine–and Berkeley, Calif., and Brooklyn, N.Y., and many other desirable places–will keep getting more expensive and less welcoming to newcomers.
📈 Saturday’s most read
The following are the most-read ALXnow articles for Mar 4, 2023.
- Police: Man murdered in Landmark shooting Friday night (2074 views)
- Police: Man murdered in Landmark shooting Friday night (12 views)
- Police: Man murdered in Landmark shooting Friday night (12 views)
- Police: Man murdered in Landmark shooting Friday night (12 views)
🗞 Other local coverage
- 🌱 Officer Receives Medal Of Honor + St. Patrick’s Day Parade Returns
Patch (Sunday @ 4:18 pm)
- City of Alexandria Releases Funeral Arrangements for Brian Hricik, EMS Deputy Chief
Zebra (Sunday @ 10:54 am)
- Earthquake Relief For Turkey Announced By Northern Virginia Leaders
Patch (Friday @ 5:10 pm)
- Beyer applauds Medal Of Honor recipient Col. Paris Davis
Alexandria Times (Friday @ 4:39 pm)
- Body Camera Program Launch Coming To Alexandria Police Department
Patch (Friday @ 4:09 pm)
- 20 Alexandria School Teachers Certified by National Board
Zebra (Friday @ 2:57 pm)
- Amazon HQ2 Pause, Peak Bloom, NAACP On Police Killing: Top VA News
Patch (Friday @ 2:53 pm)
- Alexandria Songwriter Jarreau Williams Drops His New Single “Cherry”
Zebra (Friday @ 12:54 pm)
- ‘Lettice and Lovage’: A Frothy Comedy Delights at The Little Theatre of Alexandria
Zebra (Friday @ 11:43 am)
- St. Patrick’s Day Parade, Restaurant Weeks: NoVA, DC Weekend Events
Patch (Friday @ 10:49 am)
- Check Out These Spring 2023 Events Around Alexandria
Patch (Friday @ 9:42 am)
- St. Patrick’s Day Parade Returns to Old Town Alexandria Saturday, March 4
Zebra (Friday @ 9:00 am)
📅 Upcoming events
Here is what’s going on today in Alexandria, from our event calendar.
Recent Stories
Kevin Harris didn’t like the way the 2021 City Council primary went down and now he’s taking another shot. Harris was edged out by just 750 votes, with Council Member…
After years of planning, a new neighborhood was just approved to replace the former Vulcan Materials site in Alexandria’s West End. City Council approved the proposal 5-1 at their Saturday…
The Old Town Festival of Speed and Style is set to cruise back into Alexandria next month. The annual festival is returning for the fifth year in a row on…
Wondering how the real estate market in Alexandria did for the first quarter? Ask McEnearney dives into the numbers!
The Alexandria Branch of the NAACP, Shiloh Baptist Church, and The Departmental Progressive Club present the following two Primary Candidate Forums for the City of Alexandria Virginia. The events are free of charge and open to the public.
Mayoral Forum
● Who: Candidates for Mayor in the City of Alexandria, VA
Unlike our competitors, Well-Paid Maids doesn’t clean your home with harsh chemicals. Instead, we handpick cleaning products rated “safest” by the Environmental Working Group, the leading rating organization regarding product safety.
The reason is threefold.
First, using safe cleaning products ensures toxic chemicals won’t leak into waterways or harm wildlife if disposed of improperly.
Pro Coro Alexandria – To the Sea
Join Pro Coro Alexandria, the chamber choir of the Alexandria Choral Society, this Saturday for our concert, “To the Sea.” Experience a variety of songs from beloved choral classics like “Shenandoah” and “What Shall We Do With A Drunken Sailor?”
Del Ray Kitchen Confidential Design Tour
Please join us for Del Ray Kitchen Confidential – a walking tour of recently renovated kitchens in Del Ray with the experts who make the magic happen! FA Design Build owner Rob Menefee and Design Consultant Melissa Fielding walk us
