An upcoming meeting will give locals a chance to weigh in on the city’s plans to make changes to King Street where it runs past the Bradlee Shopping Center.
The city is considering adding bike lanes and an additional sidewalk — none exists on the northern side of the street. A few alternatives are being considered for the service road that runs parallel to King Street, including two-way traffic with transit improvements or one-way traffic with a bus lane.
The virtual meeting is scheduled for Thursday, May 16 at 6 p.m. Participants must register in advance.
“The community is invited to ask questions and provide feedback at the meeting,” the project website said.
The city is currently in the conceptual design phase of the project and will move into detailed design work sometime in 2026, with construction starting sometime after spring 2027.
The Board of Architectural Review (BAR) is most often in the news as a hurdle for local property owners, but the Board had nothing but praise for local restaurant Hard Times at a meeting to discuss upcoming renovations.
Hard Times Cafe is a restaurant on King Street known for its chili, burgers and general American cuisine. The restaurant is planning to temporarily close later this year for a series of internal changes.
The work would involve making the building more accessible with a new restroom and elevator, along with refinishing the walls, and floors. A second-floor bar will also be redone as part of the renovations.
The work will require the restaurant to temporarily close at some point this year.
Richard Kelly, owner of Hard Times, said he wouldn’t answer how long it would be closed.
“I never try to answer that question,” Kelly said. “Whatever they tell me, it’s always twice as long and twice as much. We’re trying to see if there’s a way to get some chili nearby because we have a lot of people addicted to our chili and have been coming for a long time.”
Kelly said he’s working on relocating staff to other locations — there are Hard Times restaurants in Fredericksburg, Rockville and Springfield — to try to minimize the impact on staffing.
The BAR had little by way of critique for the proposed changes.
“The one thing we wouldn’t approve is changing the menu,” BAR member Robert Adams wrote.
Kelly said the restaurant keeps the menu as close as possible to the family recipes passed down by co-founder Fred Parker.
“Fred had his three fold menu, which we went away from during Covid,” said owner Richard Kelly. “Now, we put it back. Part of the reason it’s there is so it can’t have anything more than what Fred originally put in it, which is what we want.”
Photo via Hard Times Cafe/Facebook
A major redevelopment of deteriorating townhomes on upper King Street in Old Town is heading to the Planning Commission.
Dechantal Associates LLC wants to convert the five dilapidated townhouse properties they own at 1604-1614 King Street into 10 residential row houses and an eight-story, 44-unit apartment building with two levels of underground parking. An exterior courtyard would separate the renovated row houses and the new building.
The owner anticipates about 100 residents living on the property, according to their special use permit application.
The property is located on upper King Street — west of the intersection of King Street and Washington Street. It is between the Lorien (1600 King Street) and Hampton Inn (1616 King Street) hotels.
According to the special use permit application:
The applicant requests a preliminary development special use permit for development on the KR zoned, 17,525 SF site to preserve five row houses at 1604-1612 King Street, currently used for office, retail, and residential purposes, by demolishing and rebuilding and/or renovating them and demolishing the existing structure at 1614 King Street.
The final development will provide 10 residential units in the row houses, and an 8-story, 44-unit mid-rise building over two below grade parking garage levels. An exterior courtyard will separate the renovated rowhouses and the new building. The proposed site access is from Dechantal Street to the south of the site and King Street, to the north of the site.
The Planning Commission will consider the matter at its meeting on Thursday, June 27, followed by the City Council public hearing on Tuesday, July 2.
Finding a gift for moms can be difficult. Google “Mother’s Day gifts,” and you’ll scroll through endless lists of beauty products, candles and fuzzy robes. Sure, those are sweet, but sometimes it’s fun to surprise loved ones with something a little more, well, practical!
Here’s one idea: Give her a gift certificate for a home cleaning from Well-Paid Maids. It’s the perfect “thank you,” “I love you” or “you’ve got this” for any mom. She can schedule the home cleaning at her convenience and breathe easy knowing she has one less thing to do.
The Office of Historic Alexandria will celebrate Marquis de Lafayette, the acclaimed Hero of Two Worlds, with a concert and lecture marking 200 years since the city first threw its arms open to a hero of both the American and French revolutions.
Lafayette, a French nobleman and military officer, served under George Washington throughout the war and commanded Continental Army troops at the siege of Yorktown. Lafayette was also a prominent voice early in the French revolution, though he was later driven out of the country by more radical factions.
Lafayette came to Alexandria on Oct. 16, 1824.
“Thousands of spectators lined the streets and the ladies leaned out of windows waving their handkerchiefs in celebration,” the National Park Service wrote. “Over 2,000 militiamen marched down King Street, accompanied by artillery salutes, marching bands, and a carriage carrying Washington’s war tents. One of the marchers in this pageant was 17-year old Robert E. Lee, then a recently accepted West Point cadet.”
Lafayette spoke with locals about his experiences in the Revolutionary War and his encounters with America’s Founding Fathers, all published in the Alexandria Gazette.
A celebration of that visit is scheduled to kick off tonight (Tuesday) from 7-9 p.m. at The Lyceum (201 S. Washington Street). The event will feature music from the French Revolution as well as a discussion of Lafayette’s leadership in the Garde Nationale Parisienne.
“Experience the sounds of Lafayette’s era through a captivating lecture and concert featuring music performed on authentic early 19th-century instruments,” the Office of Historic Alexandria said in a release. “Researchers and historical-performance specialists Dominic Giardino and Dr. Chris Troiano will bring to life the melodies that underscored Lafayette’s remarkable French Revolutionary career.”
Tickets are $20 per person and available online.
(Updated at 1:30 p.m.) It could’ve been curtains for all those free prom dresses this year at Alexandria City High School.
With the high school’s annual shindig scheduled for May 18, it was a shock for administrators to learn Monday that UNCUT Youth, the organization responsible for providing free prom dresses to dozens of students, had backed out.
As of Friday, May 3, UNCUT Youth was still on board to deliver dresses for their second straight year. But an organizer with the nonprofit told ALXnow that they had to make emergency travel plans and, while they set up the pop-up for dresses at ACHS last month, were unable to provide dresses in a second pop-up event this month.
ACHS psychologist Mary Beth Meeker was told the situation yesterday morning and made a bunch of calls. She needed to find 40 prom dresses.
Meeker called a parent that she knows, Kristen Simpson Creighton, who then posted about the situation on the Parents and Community of Alexandria City High School Facebook page.
Within hours of posting, Operation Deploy Your Dress came forward and offered use of 120 prom dresses.
“This problem got solved pretty immediately,” Meeker said. “I hope everyone has fun at prom, that it’s a good time, and maybe we’ll have some dresses for next year, too.”
Operation Deploy Your Dress provides free ballgowns to U.S. military members and their spouses.
“Military servicewomen and military spouses can come to ODYD and select one dress and one accessory per year,” the company states on its website. “They simply present their military ID card and sign the record book, and they can walk away without spending a dime.”
Creighton said that the response to her post was amazing. She has since collected about 375 prom dresses — all in about 24 hours. She took in a carload of dresses from parents who donated from as far out as Loudoun County and Charlottesville.
“Within just a few hours of me posting, we have had reams of dresses donated,” Creighton said. “There has been an amazing response.”
Good Tuesday morning, Alexandria!
⛈️ Today’s weather: Showers and possible thunderstorms after 2pm, with patchy fog clearing by 9am. Mostly cloudy, high near 80, with a calm easterly wind around 5 mph in the afternoon, and a 40% chance of precipitation. Tuesday night, expect mostly cloudy conditions with a low around 65, southeast wind at 3 to 5 mph, and a continued 40% chance of showers and thunderstorms.
🚨 You need to know
Port City is hosting a kickoff event this Thursday for Alexandria’s 275th birthday.
The launch is part of year-long ALX275 celebrations recognizing the city’s 275th anniversary.
Port City has created a new beer for the occasion: ALX275 IPA. According to the brewery website:
Join us on May 9th at Port City to kick-off Alexandria’s 275th summer! This is the first time you will be able to drink and take home the ALX275 IPA, brewed with 275 pounds of hops in honor of 275 years of Alexandria. This commemorative brew is packed full with a variety of flavors, notably cashmere, el dorado, and strata hops, for a bright and bitter brew.
📈 Friday’s most read
The following are the most-read ALXnow articles for Apr 26, 2024.
- New map shows how sea level rise would impact Alexandria (1341 views)
- Alexandria resident arrested on felony assault charges for Jan. 6 riot (1240 views)
- Check out the mayor’s pictures of Alexandria City High School’s new Minnie Howard Campus (1221 views)
📅 Upcoming events
Here is what’s going on today in Alexandria, from our event calendar.
- No events today. Have one to promote? Submit it to the calendar.
Staff raises and market rate adjustments are a few of the proposed highlights after Alexandria City Public Schools got the green light last week by City Council to add $273.03 million to its combined funds budget.
The $14.3 million increase over the current ACPS budget comes at considerable cost to the taxpayer, as last week City Council approved a 2.5-cent tax increase to pay for it and other city services.
The School Board initially wanted $21 million in its combined funds budget request. Now as the school system awaits funding approval from the Virginia General Assembly’s budget later this month, Superintendent Melanie Kay-Wyatt is putting the finishing touches to her proposed $384.39 million combined funds budget.
ACPS wants an additional $3.4 million from the state, a 5% increase for a total ask of $71.3 million.
The combined funds budget includes the ACPS operating fund, the grants and special projects fund, and the school nutrition services fund.
According to ACPS: “After these adjustments, the FY 2025 Combined Funds Budget will increase by $10,737,000 to $384.39 million dollars per the Superintendent’s Proposed Budget. The overall Combined Funds Staffing will increase/decrease by 7.4 FTE (full-time employees) to 2,696.70.”
Kay-Wyatt’s operating budget recommendations are below.
- Add a 2% market rate adjustment (MRA) for all eligible employees — $5,350,000
- Add a step increase for all eligible staff who did not get one in FY 2020 — $4,200,000
- Add two full-time elementary advanced academic services teachers — $250,000
- Add one full-time athletic trainer to Alexandria City High School — $115,000
- Add one full-time college and career counselor to Alexandria City High School — $125,000
- Add one full-time psychologist to ACHS — $125,000
- Add two full-time deans of students at George Washington and Francis C. Hammond Middle Schools — $307,000
- Add a part-time family liaison — $65,000
The grants and special services fund recommendations are below.
- Add a 2% MRA for all eligible employees — $250,000
- Add a step increase for all eligible staff who did not receive in FY 2021 — $200,000
- Reduce expenditures in purchased services, materials and supplies and other services to fund staff raises — $450,000
The school nutrition services fund recommendations are below.
- Add a 2% MRA for all eligible employees — $100,000
- Add a step increase for all eligible staff who did not receive in FY 2021 — $100,000
- Federal funds increased for salary compensation — $200,000
The School Board will conduct a public hearing on the budget on Thursday (May 9) at 6:30 p.m. The Board will vote on the budget on June 6.
(Updated 3:50 p.m.) The results of the Healthy Home Network survey last fall found that the biggest concern for most residents in Alexandria is pests.
The survey was run by the Alexandria Health Department with the goal of identifying issues affecting homes around the city.
A survey of 900 residents — conducted in English, Spanish, Amharic, Dari and Pashto — found that 35% of respondents (278 people) were concerned about bugs, mice or rats in their home.
The second highest concern was tobacco or marijuana smoke smells at 21% (172 people) and mold or moisture also at 21% (170 people).
A release from the Healthy Homes Network said they agreed “further engagement is needed” to root causes and sustainable solutions for tenants, homeowners and property managers.
The Healthy Homes Network is hosting a pair of virtual and in-person sessions to discuss home health issues.
The first will be a virtual session on Wednesday, May 15, from 7-8 p.m.
The second will be an in-person session on Saturday, May 25, from noon to 1 p.m. at the Charles Houston Recreation Center (901 Wythe Street).
“Please arrive at 11:30 a.m. for a free meal or to enroll your child (ages 4-12) in free childminding services,” the Healthy Home Network said. “Attendees will be entered to win a free HEPA air purifier!”
Photo via Joshua J. Cotten/Unsplash
The final touches are being made on the expansion of Alexandria City High School’s Minnie Howard Campus.
After two years of construction, a certificate of occupancy was issued for the five-story, $174 million building last month. Alexandria City Public Schools is on track to welcome students to the new facility in August.
Mayor Justin Wilson recently toured the site and shared a gallery of photos on his Twitter and Facebook pages. We included the photos in a gallery above.
“It is an impressive facility that will benefit our entire community,” Wilson wrote.
The school, when completed, will have a capacity of 1,600 students, which is roughly doubled in its capacity, will feature an aquatics facility and expanded career and technical education (CTE) lab spaces for “potential new offerings in game design/development, robotics, emergency medical sciences, cyber security, (and) firefighting,” according to ACPS.
The latest official construction update from ACPS is below.
Construction activities are ongoing in all areas, which include various tasks such as installing concrete sidewalks, laying pavers, applying asphalt, constructing bioretention ponds, planting greenery, installing lighting fixtures, erecting fencing, setting up playground equipment, and applying playground surfacing. These efforts are progressing according to schedule and are anticipated to be finalized by April.
Façade enhancement work, including steel painting, coping and canopy installation, finish metal panels, greenhouse glass fitting, exterior lighting, and soffit installation, will be completed as weather permits.
April will see the removal of any unnecessary construction equipment or debris. Interior spaces are undergoing final touches, including painting, flooring installation, base and wall protection, millwork, locker installation, door fitting, and hardware placement. Final cleaning has commenced and will be finished by April.
The pool has been filled, with final inspections slated for April. Furniture installation permits have been secured for all areas. Work will continue on Saturdays and during extended shifts, approved by the city from 7 a.m. to midnight Monday through Saturday, adhering to noise ordinances. This extended work period is approved until Apr. 15, 2024. The temporary certificate of occupancy was issued Apr. 5, 2024.
The project remains on track for completion within contractual obligations. Relocation activities are scheduled to commence in June 2024, involving moves from the existing Minnie Howard facility and adjacent campus locations. Planning for Phase 2 is underway, with submittals initiated and a tentative start date set for June 2024.
