Vernon Miles | ALXnow

New Playground Planned to Help Revitalize Fort Ward Park

Published June 15, 2020 at 5:30PM

Rendering of planned Fort Ward Park playground (photo via City of Alexandria)

As part of a plan to revitalize Fort Ward Park, the City of Alexandria is planning to build a new playground at the site in a more publicly accessible area.

Moving the playground to the southern portion of the site was initially proposed in 2015. An initial design for the new park was released today (Monday) with design expected to continue through the spring and summer. Construction of the new playground is scheduled for Spring 2021.

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Braddock Apartment Complex and Daycare Returns to City Council With Less Retail

By Vernon Miles

Published June 15, 2020 at 4:30PM | Updated June 24, 2020 at 4:18PM

Proposed 1200 N. Henry Street rendering (image via City of Alexandria)

(Updated 6/24) A new mixed-use development featuring a ground-floor daycare facility is scheduled to go to the City Council for approval this Saturday (June 20).

There’s extensive redevelopment underway at the northern end of the Braddock neighborhood just south of Potomac Yard. A seven-story residential building with ground-floor retail and the aforementioned daycare is planned for the very northern point of that neighborhood on a triangular lot at 1200 N. Henry Street.

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Alexandria Restaurant Partners to Host Job Fair to Re-Staff Local Eateries

By Vernon Miles

Published June 15, 2020 at 11:30AM

As Alexandria Restaurant Partners (ARP) starts expanding its restaurant capacity with the city’s phased reopening, the local restaurant group is planning to hire new staff.

ARP is scheduled to host a job fair on Thursday (June 18) from 9:30 a.m.-2 p.m. at Vola’s Dockside Grill & Hi-Tide Lounge (101 N. Union Street).

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Local Seniors Rally From Retirement Home to Support Protests Against Police Violence

By Vernon Miles

Published June 12, 2020 at 4:30PM

Local seniors who once marched for Civil Rights rallied over the last week to show their support for a new generation they see as carrying on the torch in an ongoing fight against racism and injustice.

Seniors at both Goodwin House communities — in Alexandria (4800 Fillmore Avenue) and Bailey’s Crossroads (3440 S Jefferson Street) — that couldn’t attend local vigils and rallies decided to host some of their own in their facilities.

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New Unemployment Claims in Alexandria Fall Under 500

By Vernon Miles

Published June 12, 2020 at 11:30AM

After reaching a high of 2,578 unemployment claims in Alexandria on April 4, the number of new unemployment claims has been gradually dwindling over the last few weeks and reached 454 new claims for the week of June 6 — the lowest since the pandemic started.

New claims are still significantly higher than pre-pandemic levels. For comparison, there were 33 new unemployment claims the week before the pandemic hit.

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Gun Activists Plan Protest Against New City Ordinance Tomorrow in Old Town

By Vernon Miles

Published June 12, 2020 at 10:30AM

A large gun activism group in Virginia is planning a protest this weekend against new ordinances proposed by the City of Alexandria to limit the carrying of guns on city property.

The Virginia Citizens Defense League (VCDL) announced on its website that a protest will be held in Market Square outside of City Hall (301 King Street) from 2-6 p.m. with speakers scheduled to address the group at 3 p.m.

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Alexandria Cat Cafe Eyes a Mid-Summer Pounce Into Old Town

By Vernon Miles

Published June 11, 2020 at 4:45PM

In a rare bright spot of 2020, the highly-anticipated Mount Purrnon Cat Cafe and Wine Bar (109 S. Alfred Street) announced on social media that progress is continuing slowly but surely.

“Construction at Mount Purrnon is currently ongoing and it’s starting to look great,” owners Kristin and Adam said in a Facebook post. “The work crew is small (but very talented) and all available health precautions are being taken.”

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City Council Moves Forward With Sweeping Firearm Prohibitions

By Vernon Miles

Published June 11, 2020 at 10:30AM

Alexandria City Hall (staff photo by James Cullum)

Few things outside of the Seminary Road diet can rile the public comment portion of an Alexandria City Council meeting like proposed gun control legislation.

At a City Council meeting on Tuesday, the Council unanimously approved moving forward with a sweeping ban on firearms on or near city property — including parks — or on streets near permitted events.

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City Council Unanimously Approves Putting Together a Police Review Board

By Vernon Miles

Published June 10, 2020 at 4:35PM | Updated June 10, 2020 at 10:24PM

The Alexandria City Council unanimously agreed last night (Tuesday) that the city should Endorse a resolution condemning systemic racism and establish a community police review board. That vote was preceded by hours of heated debate on Council over red tape.

Some members were concerned that a new community police review board — which would investigate alleged abuses and use of force — would overlap with the City’s Human Rights Commission, the body which currently investigates instances where force is used.

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City Moves to Settle on Fire Department Discrimination Case

By Vernon Miles

Published June 10, 2020 at 11:45AM | Updated June 10, 2020 at 2:09PM

During a City Council meeting last night, the city moved to settle on a discrimination case involving the Alexandria Fire Department reprimanding and disciplining a captain requesting medical leave to handle a disability.

Last December, EMS Captain Michael Cahill — who has worked for the Alexandria Fire Department since 1994 — filed a lawsuit against the city alleging that he faced discrimination and retaliation as a disabled person requesting medical leave.

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What Changes When Alexandria Moves Into Phase 2 of Reopening

By Vernon Miles

Published June 9, 2020 at 5:30PM

Alexandria, like the rest of Northern Virginia, is scheduled to move into Phase 2 of reopening this Friday. For cooped up Alexandrians, that means local gyms and some entertainment venues could start to reopen.

According to the Alexandria Economic Development Partnership, this will mean a loosening of restrictions on local businesses, including: