(Updated 9/27/23) Before unanimously voting on financing the massive WestEnd Alexandria project at the former Landmark Mall site, a majority of Alexandria City Council members said that they still dislike the name.
Council unanimously approved a number of proposals on the 52-acre development, which will be devoted to the new Alexandria Hospital, and a multi-block town center with apartment buildings, pavilions, restaurants, and rooftop open space.
Like one of the many oversized trucks stuck there over the years, a regional partnership will impact the long-troubled Virginia Railway Express (VRE) bridge over King Street and other nearby infrastructure projects.
At an open house next week, the City of Alexandria, the VRE and Virginia Passenger Rail Authority (VPRA) are planning to discuss the broad range of projects around the area where the rail lines cross over King Street and Commonwealth Avenue.
An update to the city’s special events policy intended to make the process simpler wound up creating some confusion at the City Council this weekend.
At a meeting on Saturday, Diane Ruggiero, deputy director of the Alexandria Department of Recreation, Parks and Cultural Activities, talked the City Council through some of the changes. Among the changes to the special events policy are allowing large events (500+ people) on consecutive weekends and a requirement to file a notice of intent with the City Special Events Committee at least 180 days prior to the event.
Attention Del Ray dog owners: The Eugene Simpson Park will reopen to the public in the beginning of next year at the end of more than a year of redevelopment.
The formerly dusty, not-grassy park at 521 E. Monroe Avenue will be closed for the last three months of the year to allow for a “sod establishment period,” according to the city.
Good Monday morning, Alexandria!
🌧️ Today’s weather: On Monday, there is a slight chance of showers after 3pm, with cloudy conditions and a high temperature of around 67°F. The north wind is expected to be between 7 and 9 mph, and the chance of precipitation is 20%. For Monday night, expect a chance of showers mainly after 9pm, accompanied by areas of fog and cloudy skies. Temperatures will reach a low of about 59°F, with a northeast wind around 10 mph, and a precipitation chance of 40%.
It’s been another week bookended with violence in Alexandria’s West End.
On Saturday, a man was shot in the Landmark area during a suspected carjacking. The victim suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
Alexandrians should brace for a stormy weekend.
Rain is likely to kick off tonight after 11 p.m. and there’s a good chance it will continue through the weekend as a tropical storm approaches Saturday night, according to the National Weather Service.
There were no injuries or arrests after gunfire was reported in the West End early Friday morning — a separate incident from the other West End shooting this morning where one victim was injured.
Multiple callers reported four shots were fired at around 12:30 a.m. in the 4300 block of King Street near Park Center Drive, according to the police scanner.
(Updated 6:50 p.m.) One male victim, age 21, was seriously injured in an armed robbery just before 9:30 this morning, and as of 10 a.m. the suspects are still at large.
The Alexandria Police Department is investigating a shooting incident that occurred in the 5500 block of Holmes Run Parkway. There is a heavy police presence in the area and no suspects have been arrested yet.
New parking meters are being installed in Alexandria to ditch the old pay-and-display system.
Earlier this year, the city started moving away from pay and display systems with new pay-by-plate meters installed in the Carlyle and Potomac Yard neighborhoods. But now, those meters are starting to get a citywide expansion to replace the older systems.
Good Friday morning, Alexandria!
🌤️ Today’s weather: The weather will be partly sunny with a high of 74°F and a 6-14 mph northeast wind, gusting up to 18 mph. On Friday night, expect rain, mainly after 3am, and cloudy conditions with a low of 60°F. The wind will blow northeast at 11-15 mph, with gusts up to 22 mph. There’s a 70% chance of precipitation, with new amounts ranging from a tenth to a quarter of an inch.
