News

Notes: Alexandria City Council returns with King Street vote, opioid settlements

By Ryan Belmore

Good morning, Alexandria! 👋 Today is Friday, Sept. 5, the 248th day of 2025. There are 117 days left in the year.

☀️ Today’s weather

  • No weather advisories (Special Marine Warning expired at 4:15 p.m.)
  • Today: Sunny, with a high near 88. Light southwest wind increasing to 6 to 11 mph in the morning. Winds could gust as high as 18 mph.
  • Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around 70. South wind around 6 mph.
  • Tomorrow: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 2 p.m. Partly sunny, with a high near 87. Chance of precipitation is 60 percent.
  • Air quality: Good (AQI: 42)
  • UV index: High (7) – sunscreen recommended

🚨 You need to know

The Alexandria City Council will return from its August recess Tuesday with a packed agenda that includes a proposal to permanently close a section of King Street to vehicular traffic and multiple opioid settlement votes.

The Sept. 9 meeting, which begins at 7 p.m. following a 6:15 p.m. executive session, features 42 agenda items ranging from routine board appointments to significant policy decisions. The most notable item is the introduction and first reading of an ordinance to permanently close the 200 block of King Street to vehicles, a proposal that has generated significant community debate.

Council will also consider resolutions approving the city’s participation in multiple opioid-related settlements, including agreements with Purdue Pharma and the Sackler family, as well as several pharmaceutical manufacturers. These settlements could bring additional funding to Alexandria for addiction treatment and prevention programs.

The meeting includes extensive board and commission business, with contested appointments for 11 different bodies, including the Archaeological Commission, Planning Commission, and Visit Alexandria Board of Governors. Council will also hear oral reports on transportation initiatives and economic development updates from city staff.

The meeting will be held in the Council Chamber at 301 King Street and streamed online. The full docket and supporting materials are available at legistar.granicus.com.

What else to know

On this day in Alexandria history: Sept. 5, 1914 — The City of Alexandria sold two white horses at a public auction held in front of City Hall. The horses, which had been used by the Relief Hook and Ladder Company, sold for more than $100 each as the fire department modernized its operations.

An Alexandria man has been sentenced to four years in prison for selling classified documents to Chinese agents, and eight affordable units are now available via lottery at a new luxury condo building in Old Town North.

Del Ray’s First Thursday event was postponed yesterday due to rain and will be rescheduled.

The city has announced it will loosen Green Building Policy requirements for developers, and a Grammy-nominated quartet will perform this month at Virginia Theological Seminary.

Visit Alexandria prepares to announce the city’s hotel and tourism revenue figures later this month.

📈 Thursday’s most read

The following are the most-read ALXnow articles for Sep 4, 2025.

  1. Alexandria mayor clarifies Flock camera policies amid immigration enforcement concerns (1228 views)
  2. ARHA deputy director takes over as interim CEO amid controversy (688 views)
  3. NWS issues Special Marine Warning in Alexandria (680 views)
  4. Alexandria to loosen its Green Building Policy requirements for developers (427 views)

📅 Upcoming events

Here is what’s going on today and this weekend in Alexandria, from our event calendar.

Friday, Sept. 5

Things To Do

Live Music & Entertainment

City of Alexandria & Alexandria City Public Schools

  • No events or meetings are scheduled.

About the Author

  • Ryan Belmore is a journalist based in Alexandria, Virginia. He served as Publisher of ALXnow from March to October 2025. He can be reached at [email protected].