Despite some pushback from city leaders this weekend, the name WestEnd is likely here to say for the redevelopment at the former Landmark Mall site.
City Council members said the name is a baffling choice given that the project is located within the larger West End neighborhood.
Vice Mayor Amy Jackson noted that wayfinding signs that might say “2.5 miles to the West End”, for example, might create confusion about whether that means the development or the neighborhood. City Council member Kirk McPike noted that there are organizations that already use the West End name, like the West End Business Association, and the development’s name creates an unnecessary overlap.
But others pointed out in the comments: the West End is already an overly broad term for a huge swath of the city. This Alexandria Economic Development Partnership map, for instance, lumps everything from Landmark and Mark Center to chunks of Seminary Hill into West End.
Around 57% of readers said last year they’d never call the project “WestEnd”.
At the same time, others say they never refer to that area of the city as the West End. While the poll is about the WestEnd development name, sound off in the comments if you think the West End is too broad of a neighborhood title.