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.
The owner of an iconic commercial building in the heart of Old Town wants to convert the second floor from commercial to residential space.
The special use permit (SUP) request is going before the Alexandria Planning Commission on Tuesday, Feb. 4. Building owner Jemals 628 Newco LLC wants to convert the 6,700-square-foot second floor of the building at 628 and 622 King Street into five studio and six one-bedroom apartments.