(Updated at 3:55 p.m.) In the shadow of the Covanta trash incinerator, just north of the Metro tracks, a small garden of unique, local businesses is blooming.
The West End Business Center (5308 Eisenhower Avenue) and Van Dorn Metro Business Center (5416 Eisenhower Avenue) look like average industrial uses, but several of the businesses inside this suite offer unique services that are relatively hidden from those who don’t already frequent the Eisenhower West area.
A car has crashed and overturned on W. Braddock Road at the intersection with N. Quaker Lane, near the Bradlee Shopping Center and Episcopal High School.
The crash happened around 12:30 p.m. on the west side of the busy intersection. Eastbound Braddock was briefly shut down to traffic, but two lanes have since reopened.
Registration for Alexandria’s winter recreation program, with activities ranging from dog obedience training to cooking, opens soon.
On Wednesday, December 18, registration will open online and in person for city residents at the Registration and Reservation Office at Lee Center (1108 Jefferson Street). Registration for nonresidents starts Dec. 20.
After the launch of the I-395 Express Lanes, Transurban is turning its attention to a ramp connecting I-395 to Seminary Road near the Mark Center.
The south-facing ramp, which opened in 2016, is currently restricted to HOV traffic and buses traveling north in the morning and south in the evenings. Transurban hopes to change that, opening the ramp up to toll-paying traffic — allowing another point of access to Seminary Road for drivers on I-395 and another incentive to use the Express Lanes.
Next Saturday, the Old Town trolly will run from the Metro to the Waterfront by way of the North Pole.
On Saturday, Dec. 14, Santa is scheduled to make an appearance at a King Street Trolly parked outside City Hall (301 King Street). The trolly is a free, year-round shuttle along King Street operated by the DASH bus service.
Redevelopment Plan in North Old Town — “As the American Physical Therapy Association prepares for a move to Potomac Yard, its current headquarters in North Old Town Alexandria is now slated for a major mixed-use redevelopment.” [Washington Business Journal]
ACPS Teacher’s Harrowing Journey — “When Onelio Mencho-Aguilar was 13-years-old, he left his mother and siblings to embark on a treacherous journey through rural Guatemala to the U.S. alone… against the odds, he found a home here in Alexandria and with the support he found, he thrived. First as a student at T.C. Williams High School and now as a teacher at the International Academy where new arrivals to the U.S. are educated and supported.” [Alexandria City Public Schools]
An Alexandria agency that helps locals adapt to a changing job market is itself trying to figure out how to adjust its services to meet the city’s changing marketplace.
Facing the impacts of Amazon’s looming arrival, the Workforce Development Center (WDC) is working to modernize and realign its services to fit with younger demographics.
The tables are set and the staff at El Saltado Restaurant and Carryout (3616 King Street) say it’s just about ready to open in the Bradlee Shopping Center.
The restaurant is replacing the Hong Kong Bistro on the east side of the shopping center. The restaurant will serve Peruvian food, though the website listed in flyers outside the restaurant still contains mostly placeholder descriptions and generic photos of food.
A plan to replace a disused pier would help the Old Dominion Boat Club bring more boats to Alexandria and hopefully make the waterfront a little cleaner.
In plans submitted to the City of Alexandria, the boat club in Old Town laid out its vision for replacing an outdated and disused wharf just to the south of the club’s location on The Strand with a new pier and floating dock.
If you waited, unlike the City of Alexandria, to put up your Christmas decorations after Thanksgiving, there are plenty of places to get your tree.
For one, the Alexandria Police Department is hosting its annual Christmas tree sale, a yearly fundraiser that helps cover the cost of sending over 50 children to Camp Kekoka in the summer. The program specifically aims to help Alexandria children who would otherwise be unable to afford summer camp.
There are big things in store for Eisenhower Valley, and local leadership says the southwest Alexandria neighborhood is ready for its moment in the spotlight.
The city is in the middle of developing an update to its master plan for the Eisenhower Valley. Leadership from the Eisenhower Partnership — an organization that recently celebrated its 25th anniversary — spoke with ALXnow about how they see that plan taking shape.
