The final touches are being made to Alexandria City High School’s expansion of its Minnie Howard Campus.
The five-story, $174 million high school project is on-budget and on-track for “substantial completion this spring,” according to an Alexandria City Public School staff report that will be presented to the School Board on Thursday.
“Construction of the new Minnie Howard building has been ongoing since the spring of 2022 and is on track to be substantially completed this spring for occupancy in August 2024,” staff wrote.
The 1,600-student school, which nearly 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.
Staff also reported that construction the gymnasium and auxiliary gym are complete, that furniture is being moved in and that interior finishing touches are being made.
Next steps for the project include inspection by the Health Department and getting a final occupancy permit.
The Alexandria School Board made significant changes to its proposed collective bargaining agreement resolution with staff on Thursday night.
In a work session that ran until nearly midnight, the Board amended the 17-page draft resolution, which sets the rules for negotiations on a three-year agreement. The draft resolution reveals a slow rollout for the Alexandria City Public Schools bargaining process that will only reach full fruition in future negotiations, with the school system currently focusing on reaching an eventual collective bargaining agreement on six yet-to-be-determined topics with a portion of employees.
The document was heavily criticized last month by the Education Association of Alexandria (EAA) union. EAA was adamantly opposed to the draft recommendation that 30% of licensed staff and support personnel vote to create two separate employee unions, or bargaining units, to represent them.
“We got some things and others we did not,” EAA President Dawn Lucas said. “We are not in agreement with any voter thresholds and don’t want limitations on bargaining topics.”
Last October, EAA sent the Board an employee certification on behalf of licensed teachers. That submission gave the Board 120 days to adopt a framework for the collective bargaining resolution, with a full board action expected on Thursday, March 21. ACPS wants to come to a collective bargaining agreement with staff by the end of the year, School Board Chair Michelle Rief said earlier this year.
School Board Member Abdel Elnoubi got majority support from his colleagues to remove the 30% voting threshold for employees to establish unions for bargaining.
“I don’t think anyone in this town was elected with 30% of the vote, not the mayor and City Council, and not us,” Elnoubi said. “I think it’s a burden that’s unnecessary.”
Board Member Chris Harris said he felt challenged by removing the 30% threshold.
“I’m challenged by this,” he said. “I’m just not sure what the engagement looks like. There could be two people. That could be a handful of people make a decision for an entire business unit. I’m not okay with that.”
The draft document now stipulates that employee unions can be established by a simple majority of staff within their respective employee groups.
The Board added Member Ashley Simpson Baird’s recommendation to increase the number of bargaining topics from four to six, and adding a sunset clause removing all restrictions on the number of topics that can be bargained after the first agreement expires.
Also approved was Vice Chair Kelly Carmichael Booz’s proposal to expand collective bargaining to administrative staff after the first agreement expires.
School Board Member Tim Beaty, a former leader with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, won a recent special election by campaigning on the importance of collective bargaining. He added language that will make the school system pay for the union elections.
“To me, the election is an obligation of the government that’s holding the election,” Beaty said. “We’re not trying to state what the rules are for the election, but we will pay for the election.”
ACPS middle school teacher David Paladin Fernandez is running against Lucas for EAA president. That election is expected to be conducted in May and the results released before July 1.
Fernandez sat through the nearly four hour meeting and walked away hopeful. Changes he’d like to see are management providing mailing lists of staffers to the EAA on a quarterly basis, and adding a “just cause” clause forcing the school system to tell employees why they are being disciplined or fired.
“EAA needs this to pass,” he said. “I like the level of discourse. It’s not something we see often out of the School Board. I’m largely happy.”
After 16 months of digging, Hazel the tunnel-boring machine can rest.
Alexandria’s massive RiverRenew Tunnel Program reached a critical milestone on Wednesday with the completion of a 2.2-mile underground tunnel that will divert millions of gallons of raw sewage from flowing into the Potomac River every year.
The $454.4 million program is the largest infrastructure development in Alexandria history and will replace Old Town’s 19th century combined sewer system with a tunnel system, sewer infrastructure and improvements that run their way from Old Town to AlexRenew’s wastewater treatment plant (1500 Eisenhower Avenue).
Mayor Justin Wilson tweeted that it’s a “critical and exciting milestone.”
This doesn’t mean that the project is finished. The deadline was pushed back a year, to 2026, by the Virginia General Assembly due to supply chain issues caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine.
AlexRenew now has to build a pumping station with shafts capable of pumping 20 million gallons per day and 180 million gallons per day.
“That’s a lot of electrical components, mechanical components, pumps, valves, that type of equipment,” AlexRenew CEO Justin Carl told ALXnow in a previous interview. “So we want to make sure that we’re accounting for the potential for having delays procuring that equipment as well when we build that pumping station, because we don’t want to have to go back to the GA (General Assembly) a second time to ask for an additional extension.”
The City’s largest-ever infrastructure project has reached a critical and exciting milestone as Hazel, our tunnel-boring machine reached Pendleton Street after digging a 2.2 mile tunnel.
The legacy is a cleaner Potomac River for the next generation! https://t.co/jkvKMVRj8W
— Justin Wilson (@justindotnet) March 14, 2024
No arrests have been made as Alexandria police continue to investigate the shooting of two men in the Carlyle neighborhood last month.
The incident occurred in the parking lot of a gated apartment complex in the 2600 block of Foundry Way at around 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 16. A witness told police that they heard seven gunshots, looked out a window and saw a newer model white Mercedes Benz four-door sedan with tinted windows speed out the front gate, according to a recently released search warrant affidavit.
Upon arrival, police found the victim lying on the ground with a gunshot wound to the upper right thigh, according to the search warrant affidavit. They also found six shell casings in the parking lot.
The victim told police that he got into an argument while asking with a man with a face tattoo for directions, according to the search warrant affidavit.
“(The victim) and the subject exchanged words in an aggressive tone, at which point the subject pulled out a gun,” police said in the search warrant affidavit. “When (the victim) observed the gun, he started to run. He then heard a gunshot and felt (a) bullet strike his upper leg from behind.”
A possible suspect vehicle with three people was pulled over by police less than a half-mile away in the 2900 block of Eisenhower Avenue. Soon after pulling over the vehicle, a man walked over from the parking lot and told police that he’d been shot in the arm, but offered no details on how it happened. The officer helped the man make a tourniquet.
“While (an investigating officer) was speaking to the driver outside of the vehicle, a male emerged from further east in the parking lot,” police said in the search warrant affidavit. “The male was quickly walking towards the traffic stop, approached the officers and stated that he was shot.”
Police investigated the area from which the second victim walked and found a white Mercedes Benz parked nearby. Inside they saw blood stains on the front seats and saw a tan and green handgun “under the rear of the front passenger seat in plain view,” and the vehicle was seized, according to the search warrant affidavit.
The incident remains under investigation, according to the Alexandria Police Department.
APD officers are investigating an aggravated assault shooting in the 2600 block of Foundry Way. Two adult males sustained gunshot wounds, both were transported. No suspects at this time. Anyone with information should call 703-746-4444. pic.twitter.com/8e54JK8wrw
— Alexandria Police (@AlexandriaVAPD) February 17, 2024
Nothing punctuates your feelings like throwing an ax, and now there’s a new place to do it while drinking a beer in Alexandria’s West End.
Bad Axe Throwing opened at 617 S. Pickett Street in October, offering walk-in and appointments for customers to hone their axe and knife-throwing skills. After signing a waiver, it costs between $30 and $40 per-person to hurl the sharp objects at the wooden targets.
Staff joke that the experience is cheaper than getting therapy, but just as rejuvenating. The business also serves alcohol and some food.
“We’re all about getting people out of the house, the office, and having fun together,” said Skylar Mills, Bad Axe’s operations manager. “We’ve got team games, mini tournaments, and even a reoccurring league to get those competitive juices flowing. More chill and laid back? Our trained staff will always show you the ropes, make sure everyone’s throwing safely, and will gladly serve you some drinks and food on-site.”
Manager Alissa Henkel and her staff teach customers one and two-handed throwing techniques.
“It’s all about finding your throw, your technique,” she said. “Once you get it’s a lot of fun, and you’re like, ‘Oh, this is awesome.'”
The Canadian-based company has more than 40 locations, with 21 locations in the U.S. The nearest to Alexandria is the Fairfax location, which opened in 2019.
Alexandria’s location has seven lanes and 14 wooden targets.
Bad Axe Throwing is open Tuesday and Wednesday from 5 to 9 p.m., on Thursday from 4 to 9 p.m., Friday from 4 to 10 p.m., Saturday from noon to 10 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 6 p.m. It is closed Monday.
A 50-year-old sex offender is being held without bond after allegedly abducting a woman in Old Town and sodomizing her, according to a recently released search warrant affidavit.
The victim told police from Inova Alexandria Hospital on Feb. 1 that she met the suspect on the evening of Jan. 29 while riding on the King Street Trolley. The victim told police that he told her about his prior military service and that they talked for several minutes before they decided to get coffee at Bob & Edith’s Diner (1743 King Street).
After midnight, the victim and the suspect walked out together, after which she told police that he grabbed her by the hair and told her to kiss him.
The victim said that the suspect tried to pull her pants down and forced her to perform oral sex on him, according to the search warrant affidavit. The victim told police that the suspect stopped her when he began suffering chest pains.
Police identified the suspect after looking at surveillance footage from the restaurant. They also found three days earlier, on Jan. 26, that he was taken to a local hospital “due to chest pain from consuming narcotics,” according to the search warrant affidavit.
Michael Kristopher Sheckles, of Newburg, Maryland, was arrested on Feb. 21. He is being held without bond and goes to court April 3 for abduction with intent to defile and sodomy.
Sheckles is a registered sex offender with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. While serving in the U.S. Air Force, he was convicted of sodomy and indecent assault in 2000 and misdemeanor sexual battery in 2007, according to FDLE.
A 30-year-old man is being held without bond for allegedly stealing juice drinks and assaulting an employee from a West End 7-Eleven.
On Feb. 7, the employee at the store at 6120 Lincolnia Road called 911 to report the incident, according to a recently released search warrant affidavit. The victim told police that the suspect walked into the store, took three-to-four juice bottles and then walked out without paying and sat across the street at a bus stop.
“The victim followed the unknown suspect outside the store to the bus stop across from the 7-Eleven,” police said in the search warrant affidavit. “The victim demanded the suspect return the merchandise. The suspect put the bottles down on a nearby parked vehicle. As the victim leaned forward to grab the bottles the suspect punched him several times in the face. The suspect then took the bottles and fled the scene.”
The victim sustained a broken nose, a hematoma on his forehead and lacerations near his left eye and nose, according to the search warrant affidavit.
Churchill Oluwole Hamid was arrested on Feb. 15 for the incident and is being held without bond. He was charged with malicious wounding and petit larceny and goes to court on April 3.
Neighborhoods next to the proposed $2 billion arena at Potomac Yard are against the project, according to results from a recent poll.
Of the 496 survey respondents from the Del Ray Citizens Association, Hume Springs Civic Association, Lynhaven Civic Association and the Rosemont Citizens Association, 58% oppose the project, 29% support it, 12% have mixed feelings and just under 1% aren’t sure.
The survey was created with Zoho and fielded from Feb. 13 to Feb. 26 to more than 1,200 members from the four associations. There was an overall response rate of 43%.
The top concerns for residents were:
- Increased traffic and congestion
- Impact on resident parking
- Cost to Alexandria taxpayers
- Public subsidies to private organizations
- Cost to Virginia taxpayers
The Coalition to Stop the Arena at Potomac Yard said that the poll was a confirmation.
“Alexandria residents do not want this two billion-dollar white elephant,” said coalition organizer Andrew Macdonald, a former vice mayor. “We don’t need the noise, the traffic, or the pollution, and the city needs to concentrate on important challenges like housing, education and sewage issues.”
Vice Mayor also opposes arena
The embattled project was dealt a decisive blow last week when the Virginia General Assembly refused to include it in its fiscal year 2025 budget, prompting even Vice Mayor Amy Jackson to publicly remove her support. Only three months ago, Jackson and her City Council colleagues sat onstage in Potomac Yard as Mayor Justin Wilson congratulated Monumental Sports and Entertainment owner Ted Leonsis on choosing to move the Washington Wizards and Washington Capitals from D.C. to Potomac Yard. Jackson, who is running for mayor, took a selfie with Leonsis after the event, but the next three months proved disastrous for the development.
“Fully expected it,” Jackson tweeted on March 6. “It was not ready for prime time. Let’s start discussing another path for an entertainment district without an arena but will have affordable family-centric activities for our youth and families.”
Jackson is the first member of City Council to go against the project, although she is joined in her disapproval by one of her Democratic opponents, Steven Peterson. A third mayoral candidate, City Council Member Alyia Gaskins, says that her interest is maintained by the project’s economic potential.
After the announcement of the arena on Dec. 13, the city embarked on a series of community meetings to educate the public and solicit feedback. No future public discussions, pop-ups or information sessions were listed as of last week.
The Alexandria City Council will consider making electric scooter rides cheaper in the poorest areas of the city at its meeting on Tuesday night (March 12).
Council will vote at City Hall (301 King Street) on allowing staff to apply for a $200,000 grant from the Better Bike Share Partnership’s Living Lab Program. The city would have to contribute $20,000 toward the effort, which is intended to increase the ridership with an outreach campaign and by lowering prices for electric scooters and e-bikes in Arlandria and the West End.
“The City will work with local community organizations to build awareness for micromobility equity programs and facilitate new member sign ups,” city staff wrote in a presentation going before Council. “This program would offset costs associated with Dockless Mobility trips that start or end within designated equity zones.”
Alexandria has tried to expand ridership in the two areas since launching its Dockless Mobility Program in 2019. Consequently, the city’s three permitted operators (Bird, Lime and Spin) must operate a percentage of their fleet within Arlandria (5%), west of Interstate 395 (10%) and between I-395 and Quaker Lane (15%).
Exactly how much riders who live in Arlandria and the West End will save is unclear, but the non-electric Capital Bikeshare has a program that allows low-income riders to ride their bikes for $5 per year.
The Living Lab Program is a partnership between the City of Philadelphia, the National Association of City Transportation Officials and the nonprofit People For Bikes. If the city is chosen for a grant, the program would be implemented this fall and run until Spring 2026, after which it would be evaluated, according to the staff presentation.
The city’s draft resolution is below.
WHEREAS, in 2021, the City Council of the City of Alexandria adopted a dockless mobility permit program that includes requirements to encourage equitable deployment and usage across the city; and
WHEREAS, in 2023 the Better Bike Share Partnership (BBSP) announced a Living Lab Program intended to address key barriers to access and use of shared micromobility; and
WHEREAS, City staff submitted a letter of interest and received an invitation to submit a full proposal; and
WHEREAS, the City Council of the City of Alexandria desires to submit an application to Better Bikeshare Partnership (BBSP) for up to $200,000 to participate in the BBSP Living Lab Program for 2024-2026; and
WHEREAS, these funds are requested to fund efforts to increase membership numbers in the Dockless Mobility and Capital Bikeshare equity programs, and to reduce the costs associated with dockless trips that either start or end within designated equity zones in the city.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the City of Alexandria hereby supports this application for an allocation of up to $200,000 through the BBSP Living Lab Program for 2024-2026.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Alexandria City Council hereby grants authority for the City Manager to apply for funds, allocate an additional $20,000 as a required 10% local match, and execute project administration agreements, as well as other documents necessary for approved projects.
With major developments rolling out in Alexandria’s West End before the end of the decade, residents have until the end of the month to provide opinions on a draft plan that would recommend park and open space expansions.
After months of community meetings, the city’s Alex West Plan is available for public comment until March 31. Once finalized and approved by City Council, the package of documents will guide the city government in land use, transportation and other areas.
With the massive WestEnd mixed use development is expected to unveil several new buildings next year, and Inova at Landmark is poised to open in 2028, the plan is recommending A significant expansion of Dora Kelley Nature Park, a new public park adjacent to the Winkler Botanical Preserve, and a new park at the corner of Seminary Road and N. Beauregard Street.
The plan would comprehensively update the 1992 Alexandria West Small Area Plan with an update and combining it with the 2012 Beauregard Small Area Plan, according to the city.
“Creating an updated community vision allows us to proactively plan for change and prepare for challenges and opportunities in the years to come,” the city said on its website.
Residents can provide feedback through the project webpage, or to city urban planner Christian Brandt via phone at 703-746-3895 or email at [email protected].
The final draft plan is expected to be released this summer.