Alexandria City Council learned Tuesday (May 12) that the city received just one proposal for a potential operator of the Torpedo Factory Art Center during its procurement process.
Earlier this year, City Council allowed a procurement process to advance to select a new operator for the Torpedo Factory Art Center at 105 N. Union Street. Bids were due April. 27.
Alexandria posted a significant year-over-year increase in the number of residents counted as homeless, with major upticks in the number of Black residents and children experiencing homelessness, according to new data.
A total of 189 people across the city were tabulated as experiencing homelessness in the 2026 Point-in-Time Survey, conducted in early February across the Washington region.
State Sen. Bennett-Parker Pushes for More Diaper Changing Tables — “Virginia’s Board of Housing and Community Development voted Monday to approve Bennett-Parker’s proposal to require diaper changing tables in new buildings that are open to the public. The policy would apply to each floor containing public restrooms in new assembly, business, educational, and mercantile occupancy buildings, Group R-1 hotels and motels, and highway rest stops.” [ARLnow]
9-Year-Old Leukemia Patient Inspires Blood Drive — “It was all smiles as 9-year-old Taylor McLeod arrived at the blood drive she organized through Children’s National Hospital, surrounded by her parents, grandmother, and younger brothers, all wearing matching hot pink lightning-bolt T-shirts emblazoned with the phrase: ‘Tough Like Taylor.'” [The Zebra]
Good Thursday evening, Alexandria. Let’s take a look back at today’s stories and a look forward to tomorrow’s event calendar.
The following articles were published earlier today — May 14, 2026.
Here are today’s most-read articles:
Here is what’s going on Friday in Alexandria, from our event calendar.
The weather will be sunny with a high of around 71°F and northwest winds blowing at 10 to 13 mph, with gusts up to 20 mph. Friday night will be mostly clear with a low near 53°F and calm winds. See more from Weather.gov.
“Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.”
– Confucius
Thanks for reading!
The Alexandria Planning Commission has deferred a plan to implement citywide beekeeping policies, finding that city staff needed to conduct more outreach and research.
On May 5, city staff told the Planning Commission that its community outreach was limited to a consultation with a member of the Northern Virginia Beekeepers Association. There are no existing provisions regulating beekeeping in Alexandria. The city’s plan would have allowed two hives on lots smaller than 5,000 square feet, with an additional hive for every additional 2,500 square feet of property, and 5-to-10-foot setbacks for those hives.
No injuries were reported after a fire at a townhouse on Prince Street in Old Town this afternoon (Thursday).
Alexandria Fire Department crews responded at around 1 p.m. and found a fire on the second floor of a three-and-a-half-story townhouse in the 100 block of Prince Street, near the intersection with S. Union Street. The fire was extinguished around 1:20 p.m., according to radio dispatches. AFD reported on social media at 1:40 p.m. that the fire was out, that no one was injured and asked the public to avoid the area.
Despite multiple failed attempts over the past decade, two Alexandria City Council members advocated Thursday (May 14) for bringing a Business Improvement District to Old Town.
Under a challenging economic outlook, City Council Members Sandy Marks and John Taylor Chapman said that Old Town’s business community needs an organized push to attract visitors. The council members made the remarks during the Chamber ALX’s annual City Council Breakfast, which was held at the Hilton Alexandria Old Town (1767 King Street).
The appeal of the Traffic and Parking Board’s February decision on the Braddock Road redesign in the Rosemont and Del Ray neighborhoods is heading to City Council Saturday (May 16).
Four petitions against the redesign came from residents living along the Braddock Road corridor, as well as Good Shepherd Lutheran Church and Community Praise Church on W. Braddock Road. Appellants are hoping City Council will overturn the board’s decision, which would remove parking on Braddock Road between Mount Vernon Avenue and Russell Road to add new bike lanes. According to a city memo, appellants are concerned that the loss of parking will affect access to homes and places of worship.
Fairlington Presbyterian Church has created a memorial on its front lawn to remember people who have died in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody since 2025.
The church, located at 3846 King Street in the West End, dedicated the memorial Sunday (May 10). The memorial features posts representing each of 32 people who died in ICE custody from January 2025 to early January 2026. Another 18 names of people who died in ICE custody leading up to May 2026 are included in a brochure being distributed at the memorial. Some official causes of death are pending or disputed.
On This Day in Alexandria History — “On May 14, 1859, van Amburgh & Company’s Grand Zoological & Equestrian Company performed two shows in Alexandria. Founded by Isaac van Amburgh, who was the first American animal trainer to develop wild animals acts for entertainment, the former cage cleaner at the Zoological Society of New York had developed one of the most successful 19th century traveling menagerie shows. Fearless, cunning, and merciless in his treatment of animals, van Amburgh’s mobile exposition featured trained elephants, tigers, lions, leopards, horses, trick dogs, riding monkeys and educated ponies within his repertoire. Nicknamed “The Lion King” van Amburgh was well-known for placing his bloodied arms or entire head within the mouths of growling lions, then having the animal lick his boots at the end of the act. His performance so impressed Queen Victoria and Prince Albert when it was presented to them in London in 1844, that Her Excellency commissioned Sir Edwin Henry Landseer to paint a portrait of van Amburgh and his animals to be exhibited at the Royal Academy.” [Historic Alexandria]
Collective Bargaining Legislation Not Moving Forward — “Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger intends to veto a bill that would expand collective bargaining powers for public employees after the proposed law received bipartisan pushback, according to lawmakers.” [WJLA]
Good Wednesday evening, Alexandria. Let’s take a look back at today’s stories and a look forward to tomorrow’s event calendar.
The following articles were published earlier today — May 13, 2026.
Here are today’s most-read articles:
Here is what’s going on Thursday in Alexandria, from our event calendar.
Expect mostly sunny skies today with a high near 65°F and northwest winds at 11 to 14 mph, gusting up to 23 mph. Tonight will be partly cloudy with a low around 51°F, featuring northwest winds around 11 mph and gusts up to 18 mph. See more from Weather.gov.
“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life.”
– Steve Jobs
Thanks for reading!
