Santa Claus will ride into Old Town on the King Street Trolley this Saturday night (Nov. 19) for the annual holiday tree lighting ceremony in front of City Hall.
The party starts at 6 p.m. at Market Square (301 King Street), where Santa and Mayor Justin Wilson will do their part to reduce seasonal darkness by lighting the 40,000 lights on the city’s 40-foot-tall holiday tree.
At a rally outside Southern Towers (4901 Seminary Road), residents and community activists shared stories of rent increases and poor living conditions, shouting slogans against property owner CIM Group.
CIM Group purchased the buildings in 2020. Relations between tenants and owners were already fraught after the pandemic left many residents in Southern Towers — one of the last bastions of market-rate affordable housing in Alexandria — without work. Since then, community activists have raced to try and support residents facing eviction after pandemic-related protections expired.
Alexandria could be on the verge of some of its biggest steps yet in the fight to make housing affordable in a city where housing prices continue to outpace wages.
At a meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 22, the City Council could jump-start a process set to run through next year that could dramatically reshape pieces of the city’s zoning code in an effort to make land use more equitable and inclusive. The “Comprehensive Zoning for Housing and Housing for All Package” involves a full sweep of large swaths of city zoning to look for ways to rewrite them from the ground up with a new emphasis on affordable housing and equity.
Alexandria Police are investigating two early evening robberies in residential areas near Holmes Run last Thursday (Nov. 10) and Saturday (Nov. 12).
On Thursday at around 5 p.m., a 24-year-old man told police that he was hit by a male suspect and robbed of cash in the 5300 block of Holmes Run Parkway. The victim told police that he was taking a walk when he was attacked. He did not go to the hospital.
Duke Street Changes: Survey Results Mixed — “Several important groups were underrepresented in feedback on proposed changes to Duke Street.” [Alexandria Living Magazine]
Family of Bijan Ghaisar Marks Five Years Since Fatal Shooting with Vigil — “Ghaisar died in a hospital on Nov. 27, 2017 — 10 days after two Park Police officers shot him nine times, concluding an extended chase from George Washington Parkway to the Fort Hunt Road and Alexandria Avenue intersection.” [FFXnow]
(Updated 4:20 p.m.) Del Ray will soon have its own underground record shop, as Crooked Beat Records expects to reopen in a basement on Mount Vernon Avenue in February.
Owner Bill Daly has been looking for a new location for his new and used record store for more than a year, and found it in the basement of the same building that houses Cheesetique at 2411 Mount Vernon Avenue. The building is also home to to the Del Ray School Of Music and Piece Out Del Ray.
A local nonprofit will leave a locked white “ghost scooter” at the corner of Sanger Avenue and North Beauregard Street this Sunday in memory of a 16-year-old killed at the intersection in August.
Miguel Ángel Rivera was riding an electric scooter when he was struck on August 27. He died four days later.
Adam has puppy dog eyes that are out of sight.
The five-year-old Lab mix is up for adoption with the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria.
The City of Alexandria will select nine locals via lottery for a chance to buy one of the handful of affordable condos built near the new Potomac Yard Metro station.
The units are committed affordable units — part of a trade for extra density from new development — in the Dylan Condominiums development at 701 and 737 Swann Avenue.
Redella “Del” Pepper finished a historic 36-year term on Alexandria’s City Council earlier this year, but the former City Council member is back and will be at helm of this year’s Alexandria Scottish Christmas Walk Parade.
The parade is set to make its return the first weekend in December.
Alexandria Karate Instructor Promoted to Grand Master 9th Degree — “After more than 50 years of continuous practice and teaching, Alexandria karate instructor Robert Roberto Curtis was promoted to Grand Master 9th Degree” [Zebra]
It’s Thursday — Clear throughout the day. High of 47 and low of 33. Sunrise at 6:55 am and sunset at 4:55 pm. [Weather.gov]
