Vernon Miles | ALXnow

Crumbl Cookies plans to open in Bradlee Shopping Center this summer

Published January 25, 2023 at 10:30AM | Updated January 25, 2023 at 11:10AM

Weekly lineup of cookies at Crumbl Cookies (image via Crumbl Cookies/Facebook)

(Updated at 11:10 a.m.) Crumbl Cookies, a Utah-based chain of cookie stores, is planning to open its new Bradlee Shopping Center location this summer.

Crumbl Cookies offers a rotating selection of cookies from the classic milk chocolate chip to a “French Silk Pie” cookie. Plans for the new Bradlee Shopping Center location were first announced last year but there was no information at the time on when the store would be opening.

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Alexandria City High School students organize walk out protesting cancelation of lunchtime activities

By Vernon Miles

Published January 24, 2023 at 3:45PM

ACHS students in a walk out protesting the cancelation of Lunch and Learn (staff photo by Vernon Miles)

(Updated 3:55 p.m.) At 10 a.m. today, Alexandria City High School students filed out of their classrooms and took to the field behind the school in protest against the elimination of a popular lunchtime program at the school.

For a time, students could use their lunch block to meet with clubs or teachers in a program called Lunch and Learn. This was later given a more formal structure in a program called Titan Lunch, a re-do with more security, but that program was never instated.

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With Alexandria seeing more residential development conversions, city leaders discuss pushing for greater ‘voluntary’ contributions

By Vernon Miles

Published January 23, 2023 at 1:50PM | Updated January 25, 2023 at 10:04AM

1225 and 1229 King Street (image via Google Maps)

A redevelopment vote (item 6) that was meant to be part of the consent calendar — items generally approved without controversy — ended up taking up a large swath of a City Council meeting this Saturday and became the center of a discussion about how hard the city should push for “voluntary” affordable housing contributions.

The topic at hand was the conversion of the non-residential upper floors of 1225 King Street into 12 residential units. There was little contentious in the presented redevelopment plans, but it sparked a discussion of how the city should be handling affordable housing in the increasingly popular residential conversions.

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ALXnow’s top stories this week in Alexandria

By Vernon Miles

Published January 20, 2023 at 3:30PM

Inova at Landmark construction, January 2023 (staff photo by James Cullum)

This week saw several longtime topics of discussion around Alexandria get new updates.

Designs emerged for the planned Inova hospital at the former Landmark Mall development. Demolition on the mall started last May and the project is expected to wrap up in 2028. Plans show development coming into place around the former Landmark site over a few phases.

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Alexandria seeking funding to preserve the oral history of historic black cemetery in Old Town

By Vernon Miles

Published January 19, 2023 at 1:45PM

Douglass Memorial Cemetery following flood damages in 2021 (photo courtesy Michael Johnson)

There are nearly 200 years worth of stories buried at 1421 Wilkes Street.

The site started being used as a burial place for Black Alexandrians in 1827, but was officially established as the Douglass Memorial Cemetery in 1895. The last burial was in 1975.

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New trail highlights Black history across southern Old Town

By Vernon Miles

Published January 18, 2023 at 10:45AM

A group of Black Alexandrians at Jones Point in 1897 (image via Alexandria Black History Museum)

A new trail is launching in Alexandria next month that highlights Black history across southern Old Town.

The new South Trail Route is an extension of the African American Waterfront Heritage Trails’ North Trail Route that launched in 2021. Together, both trails run from Montgomery Street to the southern tip of Jones Point Park.

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Alexandria leaders watching marijuana retail legislation ‘grow’ with interest

By Vernon Miles

Published January 17, 2023 at 1:15PM

Marijuana (photo via Wesley Gibbs/Unsplash)

Marijuana was legalized in 2021, but Alexandria is hoping 2023 is the year the state finally settles the weird issues around selling weed.

Currently, it’s legal to possess small amounts of pot and grow them at home, but it’s still illegal to buy it commercially without a medical card.

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Tatte Bakery & Cafe files permit for new King Street location

By Vernon Miles

Published January 17, 2023 at 10:30AM

Coffee and pastries at Tatte Bakery (image via Tatte Bakery/Instagram)

It’s official: Tatte Bakery & Cafe is coming to 515 King Street in the heart of Old Town — pending the approval of a special use permit.

The plans to open in Old Town were first reported by the Washington Business Journal back in October, but applicant Tatte Holdings LLC just filed the permit to make it official.

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ALXnow’s top stories this week in Alexandria

By Vernon Miles

Published January 13, 2023 at 3:30PM

Duke Street near Landmark and Cameron Run (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

This week, Alexandria streets were under the microscope as the city eyes changes both in their design and their names.

Five years after adopting Vision Zero, the city’ total number of crashes has continued to trend downward, but the number of crashes resulting in severe injuries or death has remained consistent.

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Alexandria found success in King Street pedestrian zones, but the 200 block could be trickier

By Vernon Miles

Published January 13, 2023 at 1:40PM

200 block of King Street (image via Google Maps)

While the city has had some success with pedestrian zones on King Street, city staff say less retail and sloping conditions could make it harder to add a similar zone along the 200 block.

Many residents have welcomed the pedestrian zones that the city added to the 100 and unit blocks of King Street, according to a survey. Motivated by this early support, Chris Ziemann, transportation division chief, said the city is focusing on improving the now-permanent pedestrian zones at the 100 block of King Street and the unit block — the block closest to the waterfront.

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Five years since adopting Vision Zero, total crashes are down but fatalities and severe injuries remain steady

By Vernon Miles

Published January 12, 2023 at 3:30PM

A driver was seriously injured in a crash in Old Town that shut down N. Washington Street between Montgomery and First Streets. (Staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Daniel Pearson from the Philadelphia Inquirer recently took his city to task for high traffic fatalities despite a Vision Zero pledge — a commitment by localities to get their pedestrian deaths down to zero. But Philadelphia isn’t alone: many cities vocally promoting Vision Zero plans, many of those cities are faced with continually increasing traffic fatalities.

So, with 2022 in the rearview mirror: how do Alexandria’s crash statistics measure up against the “vision zero” goals?