Vernon Miles | ALXnow

Morning Notes

Published January 25, 2022 at 5:00AM

Landmark Mall is no more. The site is being rebranded, and ‘Landmark’ is not part of it. — “Foulger-Pratt is moving on from Landmark Mall. Not the project, of course, just the name.” [Washington Business Journal]

Alexandria joins 6 other school boards in suit against Youngkin order calling masks ‘ineffective and impractical’ — “This morning the Alexandria School Board and six others in Virginia filed a joint lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of Executive Order Number Two, signed by new governor, Glenn Younkin, on Jan. 15.” [Zebra]

News

Minnie Howard overhaul approved, but getting students between campuses still a concern

By Vernon Miles

Published January 24, 2022 at 4:45PM

Students get on school buses lined along W. Braddock Road on Dec. 10, 2021 (staff photo by James Cullum)

Alexandria voted in 2019 to stick with one high school across two campuses, but how exactly students get from one location to the other remains a topic of some consternation.

The City Council was supportive of plans for the Minnie Howard campus of Alexandria City High School presented at the meeting on Saturday — with the Council voting unanimously in favor and Mayor Justin Wilson calling it an example of positive collaboration in an occasionally fraught relationship. But getting students from Minnie Howard to the King Street campus and vice-versa is still a nagging cause for concern.

News

Restaurant Depot plans expansion in Alexandria into neighboring open space

By Vernon Miles

Published January 24, 2022 at 2:45PM

Restaurant Depot in Alexandria, photo via Google Maps

Shopping center Restaurant Depot on Eisenhower Avenue (4600 Eisenhower Avenue), a big-box store that sells equipment to restaurants, is looking to purchase open space from the city for an expansion.

Jetro Cash & Carry, owners of Restaurant Depot, are headed through the city approval process for an offer to purchase 32,459 square feet of the public right of way adjacent to the property for additional warehouse space.

News

City Council approves controversial hotel project, but says labor conversation isn’t over

By Vernon Miles

Published January 24, 2022 at 11:15AM

Hotel Heron, a proposed development at 699 Prince Street, image via Monarch Urban

Alexandria’s City Council voted to approve a partially city-funded hotel project at 699 Prince Street despite opposition from community labor activists.

The project drew some attention for the city involvement in funding — 1% of the tax revenue generated by the project will be paid back to bond trustees — but at the City Council meeting on Saturday, the majority of the discussion centered around how the city should use its involvement to push for better labor practices.

News

Morning Notes

By Vernon Miles

Published January 24, 2022 at 5:00AM

Police presence in Alexandria over suspicious death — “A suspicious death is being investigated by the Alexandria Police Department (APD).” [Local DMV]

AHDC seeks city go-ahead to build large affordable housing development in Arlandria — “The proposed affordable housing development near the intersection of West Glebe Road and Mount Vernon Avenue has evolved since Alexandria Housing Development Corporation (AHDC) requested City Council’s approval for a predevelopment loan back in September 2020.” [Alexandria Living Magazine]

News

ALXnow’s top stories this week in Alexandria

By Vernon Miles

Published January 21, 2022 at 3:45PM

It’s been a busy week for city leaders as Alexandria City Public Schools, the City Council, and even the Sheriff’s Office faced new problems.

Meanwhile, local leaders have been working to adapt in one way or another to the change in state leadership. ACPS is carefully eyeing Governor Glenn Youngkin’s budget plans to see how they’ll impact a proposed raise for staff. It’s been a week of new opportunities for others, with former City Council candidate Monique Miles nabbing a state-level attorney position.

News

Local labor activists push back against city financing in proposed hotel project

By Vernon Miles

Published January 21, 2022 at 2:45PM

Hotel Heron, a proposed development at 699 Prince Street, image via Monarch Urban

Local labor representatives have come out in force against potential city funding in the development of the Hotel Heron in Old Town.

A proposal spearheaded by the Alexandria Economic Development Partnership (AEDP) would have the city take some of the tax revenue generated by the Hotel Heron project at 699 Prince Street to pay the project’s bond trustees.

Opinion

Poll: Should the City help finance the new Old Town hotel development

By Vernon Miles

Published January 21, 2022 at 11:00AM

Heron, a proposed hotel development at 699 Prince Street, image via Monarch Urban

Alexandria has been bleeding hotels and local economic and tourism experts said if Alexandria wants to fully capitalize on a post-COVID tourism boom, it needs to pitch in on a new hotel.

At a meeting last week, the City Council expressed cautious enthusiasm about a proposal that Alexandria put a little of its tax revenue from the hotel back into the developer’s coffers. The proposal involves offering incentives to help finance the development of a luxury hotel at 699 Prince Street.

News

Morning Notes

By Vernon Miles

Published January 21, 2022 at 5:00AM

Horse outside Hard Times Cafe, staff photo by Vernon Miles

Jones Point Park live-action roleplayers fight with foam swords, create community — “It is Sunday at Jones Point Park, and today is the day Marcus finds glory on the battlefield.” [Alexandria Times]

Yunnan by Potomac Noodle House honored on 2022 Yelp 100 list — “The Alexandria restaurant is one of the top 100 restaurants in the country, according to Yelp.” [Alexandria Living Magazine]

News

Minnie Howard campus overhaul headed to City Council review this weekend

By Vernon Miles

Published January 20, 2022 at 3:45PM

Minnie Howard design renderings, photo via Perkins-Eastman/Alexandria City Public Schools

Three years after Alexandria’s School Board voted to stick with one high school, plans are headed to Alexandria’s City Council that could help shed light on what that one high school system looks like.

As a quick refresher: the Minnie Howard campus currently hosts 9th-grade classes but will be expanded to act as a larger satellite campus for Alexandria City High School with a total of 1,600 students.

News

Former Alexandria City Council Republican candidate Monique Miles gets state-level attorney position

By Vernon Miles

Published January 20, 2022 at 2:45PM | Updated January 21, 2022 at 10:02AM

Monique Miles, photo via Monique Miles for City Council

Among the slate of new officials being picked for statewide positions under Governor Glenn Youngkin is a familiar face among Alexandria Republicans: former City Council candidate Monique Miles.

Miles was tapped to serve as deputy attorney general for Government Operations and Transactions, a division that represents executive agencies, state boards, authorities and commissions in all legal matters.