News

ALXnow’s top stories this week in Alexandria

By James Cullum
Proposed renovations show a VanLeeuwen ice cream shop at 400 King Street (via City of Alexandria)

What a busy week it’s been in Alexandria.

Our top story was on big changes planned for 400 King Street in Old Town. The building takes over an entire city block and is currently home to The Alexandrian Old Town Hotel at 480 King Street and Southern restaurant King & Rye.

Our number-two story this week was on a potential measles outbreak in Northern Virginia. A passenger on an international flight arriving at Washington Dulles International Airport on Wednesday, March 5, later tested positive for the highly contagious illness.

On Monday, we reported on a 31-story tower with up to 775 apartments proposed in Alexandria’s Carlyle neighborhood. The project joins a number of new residential developments in the area, including a proposed apartment building for the elderly at 1900 Eisenhower Avenue.

Speaking of new things, this week Visit Alexandria unveiled new waterfront experiences, dining options and major events planned for 2025.

In budget news, this week City Council decided not to advertise a tax increase in the run up to their adoption of the city’s Fiscal Year 2026 budget. The move essentially takes away wiggle room for City Council to amend City Manager Jim Parajon’s proposed budget. Council will approve the budget on April 30, and it goes into effect July 1.

“I think when you put out a message of a higher rate you invite the community to say, okay, here are all the things that are possible to be filled within that space,” Mayor Alyia Gaskins told her colleagues on Tuesday night. “And even though it doesn’t mean we have to approve those things, I think it sets up a different type of conversation when we are in a space where we actually need to be pretty cautious and conservative.”

Politically, it’s no secret that Alexandria leans to the left. Earlier this week, we also reported that the Alexandria Democratic Committee formally asked Virginia Senators Tim Kaine and Mark Warner to withhold future support of President Donald Trump’s cabinet secretaries.

The most-read stories this week were:

  1. Big changes planned for 400 King Street in Old Town (13327 views)
  2. VDH warns of potential measles outbreak in Northern Virginia (12393 views)
  3. JUST IN: ICE arrests El Salvadoran woman convicted of 2020 misdemeanor in Alexandria (11026 views)
  4. 31-story tower with up to 775 apartments proposed in Alexandria’s Carlyle neighborhood (10048 views)
  5. Two Alexandria women claim Virginia Lottery prizes totaling over $880,000 in separate games (9591 views)
  6. Alexandria Dems ask Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine to stop supporting Trump’s cabinet picks (8667 views)
  7. WHAT’S NEW: Visit Alexandria unveils new waterfront experiences, dining options and major events (5187 views)
  8. Notes: Inova’s Alexandria Campus taking shape (4618 views)

Have a safe weekend!

About the Author

  • Reporter James Cullum has spent nearly 20 years covering Northern Virginia. He began working with ALXnow in 2020, and has covered every story under the sun for the publication, from investigative stories to features and photo galleries. His work includes coverage of national and international situations, as well as from the White House, Capitol, Pentagon, Supreme Court and State Department. He's covered protests and riots throughout the U.S. (including the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol), in addition to earthquake-ridden Haiti, Western Sahara in North Africa and war-torn South Sudan. He has photographed presidents and other world leaders, celebrities and famous musicians, and excels under pressure.