Alexandria City Council unanimously approved the first reading of an ordinance Tuesday night to permanently close the 200 block of King Street to vehicular traffic, following a pilot program that demonstrated overwhelming public support.
The ordinance, which passed 7-0, sets a public hearing and final vote for Saturday, Sept. 13. If approved, the permanent closure would take effect Oct. 1.
Alexandria City Manager Jim Parajon presented the first in a series of monthly economic updates to the city council on Tuesday, Sept. 9, highlighting mixed economic signals and rising uncertainty that could complicate budget planning.
The presentation, requested by Mayor Alyia Gaskins, showed commercial office vacancy rates climbing to 21.6% in 2025 from 15% in 2023, while retail markets remained strong with Old Town posting a 5.8% vacancy rate.
Alexandria announced Tuesday its first project labor agreement for a $35 million renovation of City Hall, Market Square Plaza and an underground garage set to begin in January 2026.
City Manager James Parajon presented the agreement during Tuesday’s city council meeting, calling it “a major milestone in the history of the city of Alexandria.” The city announced the agreement via a press release following Parajon’s presentation.
The City of Alexandria will commemorate the 24th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on Thursday, Sept. 11, with a remembrance ceremony at City Hall and a volunteer service project at Alexandria National Cemetery.
More than 200 volunteers are expected to gather at Alexandria National Cemetery from 9 a.m. to noon to clean headstones and beautify the grounds. The volunteer event is organized by Carry The Load, a national nonprofit, and is part of a nationwide initiative spanning nearly 70 national cemeteries where thousands of volunteers will participate in similar acts of remembrance.
Alexandria resident and retired supervisory special agent Jeffrey James Higgins released his latest espionage thriller, “The Khorasan Retribution,” today, Sept. 9. The book is the newest in his Nathan Burke Thrillers series.
The novel follows FBI Special Agent Nathan Burke and his new partner, Bridget Quinn, who find themselves in a fierce shootout outside a mosque in Arlington while intercepting a shipment of Chinese fentanyl. The operation reveals a plot involving a series of deadly terror attacks that use opioids. As the death toll rises, Burke races the clock to identify the terrorists. His investigation uncovers a shadowy figure leading an elite terror cell, the Phantoms of Khorasan, who is driven by revenge.
Democrat James Walkinshaw, a politician with experience working on Capitol Hill, has won a special election to be the next U.S. House representative of the Virginia district home to the state’s most populous county.
Walkinshaw’s victory in Virginia’s 11th Congressional District helps Democrats winnow Republicans’ narrow majority in the House and only adds to the GOP’s spending battles this month ahead of a potential government shutdown.
About 50 family members, friends, and city officials gathered at Alexandria City Hall on Tuesday, Sept. 9, to celebrate the city’s 13 centenarians during the annual recognition ceremony.
The event, held in the Vola Lawson Lobby, honored residents age 100 and older with personalized birthday displays, music from the Alexandria Citizens Band, and a decorated sheet cake reading “Celebrating Alexandria’s Centenarians!”
The Alexandria City Council, on Saturday (Sept. 14), will consider loosening its citywide mural requirements.
Following the Planning Commission’s unanimous approval on Sept. 4, the City Council will conduct a public hearing on whether to allow entire walls to be taken up by murals, provided that “distracting elements” such as “any text, numbers, symbols, logos, or trademarks” are limited to one per multi-unit property.
Early voting for November’s general election starts on Friday, Sept. 19, across Virginia. Here’s what you need to know in Alexandria.
Early voting starts 45 days before election day, and the only contested elections voters can decide on in Alexandria are for the Virginia governor, lieutenant governor, and attorney general.
The Alexandria Department of Planning & Zoning will host a community meeting Sept. 22 to discuss potential updates to the city’s zoning ordinance affecting residential properties, commercial operations, and historic preservation.
The 7 p.m. meeting at City Hall, 301 King St., will take place in Sister Cities Conference Room 1101 on the first floor.
Alexandria will unveil redevelopment plans for Old Town Pool (1609 Cameron Street) at a community meeting next week.
On Tuesday, Sept. 16, the city’s Department of Recreation, Parks & Cultural Activities will present the plans at the Oswald Durant Center (1605 Cameron Street). The meeting will be held at 7 p.m.
