News

After seven years on the Alexandria waterfront, Vola’s Dockside Grill is set for an expansion. On Tuesday, City Council will consider adding 30 outside seats for the restaurant’s outdoor seating area.

The location at 101 N. Union Street is notable since it is a highly traveled area of the waterfront and is next door to the Torpedo Factory Art Center and Waterfront Park. The restaurant currently has 87 outdoor seats, and the proposal calls on 114 outdoor seats.


News

City Releases Multi-Language Coronavirus Fact Sheets — “The Alexandria Health Department has made multiple resources available regarding the outbreak of the novel coronavirus (now called “COVID-19″), and the Department of Community and Human Services encourages residents to read and share this information, especially in communities where languages other than English are primarily spoken, and with vulnerable residents, including those who may not have access to traditional media.” [City of Alexandria]

ARHA Looks to Redevelop Affordable Housing Properties — “Alexandria is now looking to redevelop five of its public housing communities, putting out a call for developers to replace 288 affordable homes around the city while building new “mixed-income communities… The Alexandria Redevelopment and Housing Authority recently issued a request for qualifications for interested developers on the projects, renewing a similar effort launched more than six years ago.” [Washington Business Journal]


News

The owner of a new Vietnamese restaurant at 606 King Street says that he plans to open for business in May.

Quang Nguyen, the owner of the Gaithersburg-based Pho Nam restaurant, tells ALXnow that he’s excited to expand to Old Town after nearly a half year of construction.


News

It was the perfect day for a parade as Alexandria celebrated the 39th annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade and Fun Dog Show on Saturday.

With sunny weather and temperatures in the 50s, thousands watched the procession of more than 2,000 participants, including Irish dancers, historic reenactors and the City of Alexandria Pipes and Drums. The festivities, which included the Fun Dog Show at Market Square outside City Hall, were sponsored by the Ballyshaners, a nonprofit dedicated to Irish heritage.


News

After months of confusion, the city and Alexandria City Public Schools plan on creating a committee to evaluate the co-location of affordable or workforce housing on the grounds of public schools slated for renovation.

“I feel like as a board that we’re being kind of we’ve been already left behind in this process. And and so I think that that we need to try to remedy that in some way,” School Board Chair Cindy Anderson said at a joint budget work session on Wednesday night.


News

Need to escape? Escape Room Live, on the second floor of 814 King Street in Old Town, wants to give you an extra hour each day to do so.

Last month, the escape room — which is kind of like a live-action game of Clue — filed a special use permit request to be open for an hour longer on weeknights and weekends, and to also close on Mondays for special events.


News

After working decades to get legislation passed for a museum dedicated to women’s history on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., the National Women’s History Museum is negotiating to open a two-level 40,000-square-foot location at Union Station.

The proposed museum’s administrative offices have been based in the Alexandria’s West End since it was founded in 1996, with the goal of eventually opening on or near the National Mall. Last month, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 1980, the Smithsonian Women’s History Museum Act, but it does not include a timeline or location.


News

Rising regional construction costs and are making Alexandria planners rethink a number of capital improvements, including the city’s extensive waterfront plan.

“We are in a highly volatile construction market, and it has been very challenging,” Deputy City Manager Emily Baker told city council in a budget work session on Feb. 26. “And it’s been very challenging for us to keep coming to you and saying, ‘Well, you know, we thought the project was going to cost X and now it’s going to cost some multiple of X.'”


News

The Alexandria Planning Commission unanimously approved a new maritime center for the Tall Ship Providence on Tuesday night.

If passed by city council, the 18th-century replica ship will be docked at a new floating pier at Waterfront Park.


News

Alexandria voters resoundingly chose former Vice President Joe Biden as their Democratic nominee for president on Super Tuesday.

Biden took Virginia with 54.22% of the 1.3 million votes cast across the state, and also won half of the city’s votes, which nearly doubled in participation since the last presidential primary in 2016. Virginia is one of 14 states that participated in Tuesday’s primary contest.


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