Vernon Miles | ALXnow

Facelift Planned for The Atrium Building in Old Town

Published May 19, 2020 at 3:30PM

The Atrium building at 277 S. Washington Street in Old Town (image via WC. and A.N. Miller Development Company)

The sprawling Atrium building in the heart of Old Town (277 S. Washington Street) could be getting a major facelift as the building tries to attract new tenants.

The building, constructed in 1978 in a neo-traditional style, is five-stories tall and roughly 139,000 square feet. It takes up the entire block and one of its largest tenants is the Eagle Bank at the corner of S. Washington and Duke Streets.

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ACPS Recommends Pre-Labor Day Start for 2021-2022 School Year

By Vernon Miles

Published May 18, 2020 at 5:00PM

ACPS headquarters and clock (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Alexandria City Public Schools reiterated in a School Board meeting last Friday (May 15) that the upcoming school year won’t start before Labor Day (Sept. 7) but the next school year likely will.

In a memo to the board, Chief Human Resources Officer Stephen Wilkins said that Calendar Committee recommended the 2021-2022 school year start at on Aug. 28. School officials warned, however, that this could change depending on the long-term impact of COVID-19.

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Potomac Yard Senior Living Facility Returning to Alexandria With Revisions

By Vernon Miles

Published May 18, 2020 at 3:30PM

A planned senior care facility called The Landing in Potomac Yard is returning to the city for approval of some changes to reflect new city guidelines.

Silverstone Healthcare Co. is applying to the City of Alexandria to increase the size of a project at 2602 Main Line Blvd., originally approved in 2018, from 150 units up to 190 units in one building but with an overall decrease in units.

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Bourbon Donuts, Grill and Chill Packages, and Other Alexandria Specials for Memorial Day

By Vernon Miles

Published May 18, 2020 at 2:30PM

With Visit Alexandria pivoting from external tourism to keeping locals engaged, the city-sponsored organization has written up a guide for celebrating Memorial Day (Monday, May 25) in Alexandria.

Northern Virginia, including Alexandria, is not scheduled to start lifting coronavirus restrictions until May 29. There are still more restaurants and retail locations starting to reopen as they adjust to social distancing rules. The Visit Alexandria site has a list of local eateries with Memorial Day specials. Jast as with Cinco De Mayo, some local restaurants are offering interesting or unusual items.

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DCHS Director Says Coronavirus Highlights Preexisting Food Insecurities in Alexandria

By Vernon Miles

Published May 15, 2020 at 4:30PM

Kate Garvey, Director of the Alexandria Department of Community and Human Services, says COVID-19 has helped lay bare existing islands of food insecurity in the city.

As her department has worked extensively with community partners like ALIVE! for food distribution, Garvey said the pandemic emphasizes a growing need.

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Outdoor Dining Needs Put Old Town Walking District Back on the Menu

By Vernon Miles

Published May 15, 2020 at 3:15PM

An earlier plan to close a portion of King Street for pedestrian-and-bike-access-only could be making a comeback as restaurants look for ways to do outdoor dining as a social distancing measure.

In a virtual town hall, Mayor Justin Wilson addressed questions about the possibility of closing streets to promote pedestrian and bicycle traffic. The prospect has gained ground in New York City, San Francisco, and other urban localities. There has been pressure from some advocates in D.C. for the city to do the same.

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Trends in Positive Tests and Hospitalizations Remains Sticking Point for Reopening Alexandria

By Vernon Miles

Published May 15, 2020 at 2:00PM | Updated May 15, 2020 at 2:40PM

Inova Alexandria Hospital at 4320 Seminary Road (staff photo by James Cullum)

Alexandria has met three of the five criteria for reopening, Mayor Justin Wilson said in a weekly town hall yesterday (Thursday), but the last two remain elusive.

Standards set out by the CDC, and reinforced at every level from the state to the local health director Dr. Stephen Haering, says that there are five standards that need to be met

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New Vocational School for Adults with Disabilities Planned for Old Town

By Vernon Miles

Published May 14, 2020 at 4:30PM

A local nonprofit is planning to renovate an office building in Old Town into a facility dedicated to helping individuals with special needs get access to job training.

The Joey Pizzano Memorial Fund (JPMF), an Alexandria based nonprofit dedicated to improving the lives of children with special needs and their families, is planning to build a Community Integration Center — a facility aimed at providing adults with disabilities with training and resources for their personal and employment goals — at 919 Prince Street. The facility will also include two accessory dwelling units.

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T.C. Seniors Launch Project to Give Graduating Classmates Moment in Spotlight

By Vernon Miles

Published May 14, 2020 at 3:15PM | Updated May 17, 2020 at 10:12PM

(Updated 5/17) T.C. Williams High School seniors in the class of 2020 may not have their chance to walk across the stage, but a small group of seniors are working to make sure their classmates still get a moment of public celebration.

The Instagram page tctitans_seniors has profiled 92 seniors in the school so far, sharing a picture with their post-graduation plans and other small bits of information about them.

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Rental Support for Low-Income Communities Takes Spotlight in City Recovery Efforts

By Vernon Miles

Published May 13, 2020 at 3:30PM

Scenes at Southern Towers during a rent protest because of Covid-19 (Staff Photo by Jay Westcott)

The City of Alexandria is working through a three-pronged approach to protect the city’s most vulnerable populations from the dire economic impact of COVID-19.

In a City Council meeting last night (Tuesday), the department heads who approached the city leadership at the April with an outline of their needs came back with plans on how to address housing challenges, food scarcity and keeping small businesses alive in the wake of the pandemic.

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Neighborhood Health Outlines Progress and Challenges in Arlandria COVID-19 Testing

By Vernon Miles

Published May 13, 2020 at 11:40AM

A young boy is tested for COVID-19 at a Neighborhood Health testing facility outside Casa Chirilagua in Arlandria (Staff photo by James Cullum)

Dr. Basim Khan and community health nonprofit Neighborhood Health have been on the frontlines of the coronavirus pandemic in Arlandria, the neighborhood with the highest number of positive tests.

Khan spoke to the City Council yesterday (Tuesday) about the progress, and challenges, for testing and providing healthcare options for Arlandria residents.