A building has been evacuated in Potomac Yard after construction crews struck a large gas line.
The National Industries for the Blind building was evacuated and E. Glebe Road closed between Main Line Blvd and Potomac Avenue due to concerns about the escaping natural gas. Alexandria police and firefighters are on the scene, awaiting crews from Washington Gas to shut off the line.
An Old Town mural has helped raise some $10,000 for a mix of local and national charities.
The mural of two butterfly wings on the side of lingerie shop Bloomers (924 King Street) was the center of a local social media fundraising campaign in August and September. Last week, organizers announced it helped to raise $10,200 for 111 nonprofits.
A proposal to install a bar carved from shipping containers on the waterfront will approach its first hurdle to approval next week.
After a deferral at what may have been the shortest Board of Architectural Review meeting on record — at one minute, 26 seconds — the bar at Robinson Landing (314 Strand Street) is docketed for the review at the group’s Wednesday, Oct. 16 meeting.
Car-Free Block of King Street Planned — “Members of Alexandria’s City Council Wednesday night OK’d a proposal by City staff to begin laying the groundwork for a pilot program that will see a part of lower King Street closed to cars on weekends, beginning in April. The pilot project would close the 100 block of King Street to traffic on weekends through October.” [Alexandria Living Magazine, Patch]
For Sale: Historic House With Notorious Past — “The nonprofit organization that owns the site of one of the most notorious slave pens in the nation has put the building and its basement museum up for sale, after struggling for years to pay for the mortgage, property taxes and repairs. Freedom House, a registered National Historic Landmark in Alexandria, Va., is being advertised as an office or residential property priced at $2.1 million.” [Washington Post, WTOP]
If there’s one thing that will annoy many Alexandrians more than all else, it’s calling the southeastern area of Fairfax County across Cameron Run “Alexandria.”
Dave Statter, a former reporter and volunteer firefighter who runs a fire and EMS news website, went on a rant this week about the distinction after Fairfax County Police, and later news outlets, referred to the controversy over a police officer detaining a driver to be handed over to ICE as having taken place in Alexandria.
Inside the industrial halls of Alexandria’s Port City Brewing Company, some new brews are in the works and the return of an old favorite planned.
The brewery is preparing to release Tmavé Pivo, a dark Czech lager. The beer will be a draft release only, with interested parties invited to Czech it out on Friday, Oct. 11, from 3-10 p.m. in Port City’s headquarters at 3950 Wheeler Avenue. Those bringing their own growlers and crowlers can collect some Tmavé Pivo to take home.
Del Ray’s annual Art on the Avenue festival is returning this weekend and drivers are warned to keep clear of the area.
On Saturday (Oct. 5), Mount Vernon Avenue will be closed from 7 a.m.-9 p.m. between Bellefonte and Hume Avenues, according to a tweet from the Alexandria Police Department.
In response the June 6 shooting at a municipal building in Virginia Beach, Alexandria is preparing to install tighter security measures at City Hall in Old Town.
A suite of new security measures was approved at the Sept. 24 City Council meeting, less than two weeks after the City Council prohibited firearms on city property.
A relay at St. Stephen’s and St. Agnes School, a private school in the Seminary Hill neighborhood, is planned this weekend to help raise money for early childhood education in Alexandria.
This is the second year for the relay, which raises money for Child and Family Network Centers (CFNC). The organization has raised $31,120 so far but aims to raise $120,000 to help provide free pre-kindergarten to at-risk children in Alexandria.
A set of surface parking lots in the heart of Old Town could become a new set of retail and residential buildings — with no public parking lost.
The Planning Commission voted last night to recommend approval of the sale of 912, 916 and 920 King Street, along with 116 S. Henry Street just around the corner, to local investment firm Galena Capital Partners, LLC for $5.3 million.
Suit Filed Over Chicken Slaughterhouse — “The drama over the halal poultry butcher shop coming to Alexandria did not end when city council approved the business’ special use permit on March 26… About a month after the SUP approval, 10 businesses and residents filed a lawsuit against the City of Alexandria and the Alexandria City Council over the decision.” [Alexandria Times]
FBI Releases 2018 Crime Stats — “In Alexandria, violent crime fell from 262 to 260. That includes four murders and nonnegligent manslaughters, down from six in the previous year. Alexandria had 2,482 property crimes total in 2018, the same number reported in 2017.” [Patch]
