Vernon Miles | ALXnow

Maryland-based Indian restaurant replacing Old Town sushi restaurant

Published November 21, 2022 at 1:15PM | Updated November 22, 2022 at 5:02PM

Buffet at Ballywood Masala La Plata (image via Bollywood Masala/Facebook)

Old Town could be getting a new Indian restaurant next year, replacing a sushi restaurant in the heart of Old Town.

According to a recently filed special use permit, Ichiban Sushi and Ramen at 211 King Street in Old Town could be undergoing a change to become a new Bollywood Masala.

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ARHA renames headquarters to celebrate local civil rights champion

By Vernon Miles

Published November 21, 2022 at 9:50AM

A. Melvin Miller building (image courtesy ARHA)

Last week, the Alexandria Redevelopment and Housing Authority (ARHA) gave its headquarters an official name — one honoring a local civil rights activist and affordable housing advocate.

The newly christened A Melvin Miller Building honors A. Melvin Miller. After serving two years in the army, Miller move to Alexandria in 1958. Miller launched a criminal law practice but worked pro bono on school desegregation issues. Miller served as spokesperson for The Secret Seven, a group of Black civil rights pioneers in Alexandria. Miller was chair of ARHA from 1970 to 1977 and from 2001 to 2012.

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ALXnow’s top stories this week in Alexandria

By Vernon Miles

Published November 18, 2022 at 4:00PM

Lower King Street, closed to traffic (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

This week, Alexandria made some moves on new policy to liven up the city: permanently making the end of King Street a pedestrian zone and showing some growth in plans to add more arts uses around Old Town North.

Meanwhile, the city has also made some progress on affordable housing. A lottery is being held for new units near Potomac Yard and a new plan is in the works for a large-scale zoning overhaul.

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Southern Towers residents and activists protest rent increases and lingering health issues

By Vernon Miles

Published November 18, 2022 at 2:00PM

Organizers outside Southern Towers lead residents in a protest against CIM Group (staff photo by Vernon Miles)

At a rally outside Southern Towers (4901 Seminary Road), residents and community activists shared stories of rent increases and poor living conditions, shouting slogans against property owner CIM Group.

CIM Group purchased the buildings in 2020. Relations between tenants and owners were already fraught after the pandemic left many residents in Southern Towers — one of the last bastions of market-rate affordable housing in Alexandria — without work. Since then, community activists have raced to try and support residents facing eviction after pandemic-related protections expired.

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Alexandria launching ambitious new zoning reform with a emphasis on affordable housing

By Vernon Miles

Published November 18, 2022 at 11:00AM

Homes along the waterfront in Old Town, Alexandria (staff photo by James Cullum)

Alexandria could be on the verge of some of its biggest steps yet in the fight to make housing affordable in a city where housing prices continue to outpace wages.

At a meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 22, the City Council could jump-start a process set to run through next year that could dramatically reshape pieces of the city’s zoning code in an effort to make land use more equitable and inclusive. The “Comprehensive Zoning for Housing and Housing for All Package” involves a full sweep of large swaths of city zoning to look for ways to rewrite them from the ground up with a new emphasis on affordable housing and equity.

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Alexandria holding lottery for new affordable condos in Potomac Yard

By Vernon Miles

Published November 17, 2022 at 11:10AM

Dylan Condominiums in Potomac Yard (Rendering via Dylan Condominiums/Facebook)

The City of Alexandria will select nine locals via lottery for a chance to buy one of the handful of affordable condos built near the new Potomac Yard Metro station.

The units are committed affordable units — part of a trade for extra density from new development — in the Dylan Condominiums development at 701 and 737 Swann Avenue.

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Former City Council member Del Pepper to lead Alexandria’s Scottish Christmas parade

By Vernon Miles

Published November 17, 2022 at 9:50AM

Redella “Del” Pepper finished a historic 36-year term on Alexandria’s City Council earlier this year, but the former City Council member is back and will be at helm of this year’s Alexandria Scottish Christmas Walk Parade.

The parade is set to make its return the first weekend in December.

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New sandwich shop coming to Torpedo Factory building

By Vernon Miles

Published November 16, 2022 at 2:30PM

A new sandwich shop could be coming to the Torpedo Factory building at 101 N. Union Street.

In a new special use permit filed to the City of Alexandria, the Hyndford Street Hospitality LLC said it plans to open a small sandwich shop in the space.

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Alexandria cutting back on taxi regulations to help struggling industry

By Vernon Miles

Published November 16, 2022 at 11:00AM

Yellow Cab taxi (image via Alexandria Yellow Cab/Facebook)

Alexandria’s taxi cab industry is going through some changes as a result of ongoing used vehicle supply issues.

New and used vehicles remain very expensive as a result of pandemic-related disruptions to car production. As a result, local taxi cab drivers with vehicles that are coming up on the city’s age limit for taxis have expressed concerns they won’t be able to afford vehicles in compliance with the city’s limit that non-hybrid taxi vehicles can’t be older than 10 years.

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Fox News anchor Sean Hannity uses Alexandria sticker in anti-mail-in voting segment

By Vernon Miles

Published November 15, 2022 at 4:30PM

Sean Hannity with Alexandria "I Voted" sticker (image via Fox News/YouTube)

Conservative talking head Sean Hannity used Alexandria’s “I Voted” sticker in a segment attacking national elections, though why the city’s logo was used is never addressed in the ten-minute segment.

Hannity expressed frustration that some elections were still too close to call, which makes the use of Alexandria’s sticker all the more puzzling.

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City presenting plans tonight to redesign crash-prone Duke Street intersection

By Vernon Miles

Published November 15, 2022 at 2:45PM

West Taylor Run and Duke Street, via Google Maps

The intersection of Duke Street and West Taylor Run Parkway has been a hot spot for car crashes and at a meeting tonight, city staff are scheduled to present plans to give the intersection a makeover.

The meeting, held at nearby Bishop Ireton High School (201 Cambridge Road) from 7-8:30 p.m. tonight (Tuesday) will include an overview of the current intersection and a look at potential design changes.