Vernon Miles | ALXnow

Alexandria Mayor says city and Youngkin share at least one thing: being mad at Dominion Energy

Published November 4, 2021 at 3:30PM

Alexandria Mayor Justin Wilson on the dais in Council Chambers, July 6, 2021. (staff photo by James Cullum)

After two years of euphoria with a Democratic majority in the legislature and a Democrat governor, local Democratic leadership are bracing for the other shoe to drop after Republicans won the governor’s seat and secured a tie in the House of Delegates in the election on Tuesday.

Alexandria Mayor Justin Wilson, a Democrat who just won re-election along with the full slate of Democratic candidates in the City Council race, said those last two years have been a boon for the city.

News

ACPS says no major infrastructure work planned for Alexandria middle schools

By Vernon Miles

Published November 4, 2021 at 11:00AM

George Washington Middle School (staff photo by Vernon Miles)

After recent infrastructure work, Alexandria City Public Schools confirmed that it’s satisfied with the conditions at Alexandria’s middle schools — for the time being.

In what one school official described as a pleasantly “boring” meeting between the City Council and School Board after recent City Council-School Board turmoil, school staff said some recently completed work at George Washington Middle School and Francis C. Hammond Middle School should be the last big investments in those schools for the foreseeable future.

News

City Council to step up fight against Comcast internet monopoly next week

By Vernon Miles

Published November 4, 2021 at 9:50AM

Empty municipal fiber cables to be laid in the ground (staff photo by Vernon Miles)

Alexandria’s City Council is scheduled to throw down the gauntlet on Comcast next week as the city works to break the company’s stranglehold on local internet access.

The city broke ground in August on a new municipal fiber-optic network that would boost internet speed at city facilities and public schools, but the part of bigger interest to the public was that a second underground system was being laid simultaneously to allow a private company to step in later and franchise it.

News

Morning Notes

By Vernon Miles

Published November 4, 2021 at 5:00AM

City warns of vaccine scheduling issues — “The City is aware that the state’s vaccine scheduling system may be overloaded with demand and service may be intermittent.” [Twitter]

Kismet Modern Indian opens in Old Town Alexandria — “Kismet Modern Indian [opened] for takeout on Tuesday, Nov. 2 starting at 4 p.m. at Alexandria’s Tavern Square, 111 N. Pitt Street.” [Patch]

News

Georgetown tearoom relocating to Alexandria waterfront

By Vernon Miles

Published November 3, 2021 at 2:45PM

Tea served at Lady Camellia (photo via Lady Camellia/Facebook)

Lady Camellia Pastry and Tea Room, once described by Washington City Paper as “a six-year-old’s tea party fantasy“, is relocating from Georgetown to an equally posh but overall better waterfront: Old Town Alexandria.

Where exactly in Old Town Lady Camellia is relocating isn’t clear. The tea shop hasn’t announced a new address, and the shop couldn’t be reached for comment, but the shop did say it will be on the waterfront. The new tea room could be opening sometime next spring or summer.

News

Alexandria’s holiday boat parade returning next month

By Vernon Miles

Published November 3, 2021 at 1:15PM

Alexandria Holiday Boat Parade of Lights (photo via Visit Alexandria/Facebook)

Visit Alexandria has announced the return of the Alexandria Holiday Boat Parade of Lights early next month.

The event is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 4. The event is planned to feature dozens of brightly lit boats cruising along one mile of the Potomac River shoreline, Visit Alexandria said in a press release.

News

Retail, residential, and music venue could replace North Old Town office park

By Vernon Miles

Published November 3, 2021 at 10:50AM

Tidelock office park (photo via Google Maps)

Plans to convert a North Old Town office park into a mixed-use space are headed to city review early next year.

TideLock Property Owner, LLC is looking at turning the Tidelock office park at 1033, 1055 and 1111 N. Fairfax Street into mix of residential and retail development. Plans submitted to the city indicate the developer is looking to convert the existing space and add new density rather than demolish and rebuild.

News

Morning Notes

By Vernon Miles

Published November 3, 2021 at 5:00AM

(Left to right) City Councilman John Tayllor Chapman, Alyia Gaskins, Mayor Justin Wilson, Kirk McPike, Councilwoman Amy Jackson, Sarah Bagley, Councilman Canek Aguirre and Vice Mayor Elizabeth Bennett-Parker on election night in Del Ray. (staff photo by James Cullum)

Alexandria Democrats win, but party loses Governor’s race — “CBS News projected that Republican Glenn Youngkin had won Virginia, a state President Biden won by 10 points.” [CBS]

A rabid raccoon was on the loose at the Shirlington Dog Park — “There was a rabid raccoon on the loose in Arlington that came into contact with a number of dogs.” [ARLnow]

News

Heritage project appealing appropriateness to City Council after BAR rejection

By Vernon Miles

Published November 2, 2021 at 3:45PM | Updated November 2, 2021 at 4:46PM

Rendering of Block 1 of the Heritage Project, via City of Alexandria

(Updated 4:45 p.m.) After being denied a certificate of appropriateness from the Board of Architectural Review (BAR), Old Town PropCo LLC is taking the case for The Heritage project to the City Council.

The Heritage is a project that will replace four buildings in southeast Old Town ( 900 Wolfe Street, 450 and 510 S. Patrick Street, 901 Gibbon Street, and 431 S. Columbus Street) with three new apartment buildings. It’s attracted some criticism from neighbors close to the project, but was eventually unanimously approved by the City Council.

News

Developer reopens abandoned Alexandria power plant for tours later this month

By Vernon Miles

Published November 2, 2021 at 1:30PM | Updated November 2, 2021 at 3:08PM

GenOn Power Plant (staff photo by Vernon Miles)

If you missed the rare tour opportunity for the defunct GenOn plant back in June, Hilco Redevelopment Partners (HRP) has announced a new set of tours for later this month.

The vine-overgrown plant’s days are numbered: HRP is hoping to spearhead redevelopment of the site starting with demolition in 2023.

Opinion

Most expensive homes sold in October

By Vernon Miles

Published November 2, 2021 at 12:00PM

211 Prince Street (photo via Google Maps)

It’s November, which means it’s time for a new round of everyone’s favorite Alexandria game show: what does the housing market look like for the city?

For starters: there are currently 485 homes listed for sale in the city, according to Homesnap. There are 316 condominiums listed for sale and 109 townhouses. The median list price is $519,950 and the median sales price is $615,000. That’s about a 13% uptick in median sales prices but overall not outside of the ordinary.