Metro’s Blue Line track running through Alexandria will reopen on Sunday (Nov. 6) after being shut down for nearly two months.
That’s the good news, sort of.
News
The “West End” project is a lumbering titan, one of the most enormous of the development projects in progress. While projects of that scale can move slowly — this one first reared its head in late 2020 — the Landmark Mall redevelopment is building momentum as it moves toward Planning Commission review next month.
Four blocks of the sprawling development, Blocks E, G, I and K, are scheduled for review at the Planning Commission on Tuesday, Dec. 6. The blocks consist of a mix of multifamily residential, ground floor commercial space, and medical offices.
The Virginia Railway Express (VRE) said in a report that the fare-free ride program created a noticeable bump in ridership during September, though it’s unknown how much that will linger post-promotion.
In a report (page 60) prepared for the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission (NVTC), the VRE said the commuter rail service offering free rides in September caused a 21% increase in ridership. The promotion continued into October for Alexandria and areas further south during the ongoing Metro shutdown.
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An Alexandria resident, who is a Pentagon Force Protection Agency police officer, was arrested for allegedly selling cocaine in Arlington County on Friday, October 28.
The 33-year-old officer was off duty and was arrested and charged with possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance and possession to distribute a controlled substance while armed. He was arrested in the afternoon in the 1300 block of S. Scott Street ”
Tempo Restaurant in Alexandria is Closing After 32 Years — “After 32 years, Wendy and Serge Albert are hanging up their chef aprons at Tempo Restaurant, the business they built in the remains of an old gas station located at 4231 Duke Street in the West End of Alexandria.” [Zebra]
Alexandria Star Athlete Balances Volleyball, Food Pantry Volunteering — “A Bishop Ireton student on the varsity volleyball team also volunteers at a local food pantry. Help us recognize more athletes who shine.” [Patch]
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(Updated 4:10 p.m.) Fewer crashes, reduced traffic volumes and more bike riders — a new report shows that the Seminary Road Diet is working.
The information comes from a Post-Project Implementation Evaluation by the Department of Transportation and Environmental Services. The evaluation shows has been a 41% reduction in crashes along the one-mile stretch of Seminary Road between North Howard Street and Quaker Lane since the road diet went into effect in 2019, according to a report released Tuesday (Nov. 1) by the city’s Department of Transportation & Environmental services.
For years, local first responders have been dispatched for worrying signs of decay at the CSX bridges over King Street and Commonwealth Avenue. Streets have been closed for emergency fixes and rail debris can regularly be found on the nearby streets and sidewalks. Finally, Mayor Justin Wilson said a new organization could help Alexandria address this problem.
In a newsletter where Wilson also addressed Holmes Run issues, Wilson also said there may be a way of getting the bridges back on track.
Alexandria leaders push more equity for minority-owned businesses and stronger business associations
As the Alexandria Economic Development Partnership works through programs aimed at helping to strengthen the city’s business communities post-Covid, some in the organization and partnering groups are working to ensure there’s a greater diversity of voices in the new order.
A new grant program, the ALX B2B Business Association Grant Program, aims to help prop up business associations across the city to make them more active and helpful for their communities. The city-funded grant program is in the process of distributing $535,000 in grant funding across eight associations.
No one was injured after two separate incidents of gunfire in the West End of Alexandria over the weekend.
Alexandria police say that no suspects have been arrested, and that the incidents remain under investigation.
Heroes, villains, and all in-between showed up for an epic Halloween experience on S. Lee Street on Monday night, October 31.
Halloween on South Lee Street is one of the city’s many Halloween traditions, along with the Halloween Parade in Del Ray.
The Holmes Run Trail has been incomplete and partially inaccessible since floods in 2018 and 2019 badly damaged it, and in a recent update Mayor Justin Wilson said some of the final pieces of that recovery might not be finished until the summer or fall of 2024.
That’s not to say there isn’t progress being made on trail recovery, with other phases completed earlier this year and a bridge replacement planned for later this winter.