News | ALXnow - Part 702

Morning Notes

Published January 25, 2022 at 5:00AM

Landmark Mall is no more. The site is being rebranded, and ‘Landmark’ is not part of it. — “Foulger-Pratt is moving on from Landmark Mall. Not the project, of course, just the name.” [Washington Business Journal]

Alexandria joins 6 other school boards in suit against Youngkin order calling masks ‘ineffective and impractical’ — “This morning the Alexandria School Board and six others in Virginia filed a joint lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of Executive Order Number Two, signed by new governor, Glenn Younkin, on Jan. 15.” [Zebra]

Minnie Howard overhaul approved, but getting students between campuses still a concern

By Vernon Miles

Published January 24, 2022 at 4:45PM

Students get on school buses lined along W. Braddock Road on Dec. 10, 2021 (staff photo by James Cullum)

Alexandria voted in 2019 to stick with one high school across two campuses, but how exactly students get from one location to the other remains a topic of some consternation.

The City Council was supportive of plans for the Minnie Howard campus of Alexandria City High School presented at the meeting on Saturday — with the Council voting unanimously in favor and Mayor Justin Wilson calling it an example of positive collaboration in an occasionally fraught relationship. But getting students from Minnie Howard to the King Street campus and vice-versa is still a nagging cause for concern.

Restaurant Depot plans expansion in Alexandria into neighboring open space

By Vernon Miles

Published January 24, 2022 at 2:45PM

Restaurant Depot in Alexandria, photo via Google Maps

Shopping center Restaurant Depot on Eisenhower Avenue (4600 Eisenhower Avenue), a big-box store that sells equipment to restaurants, is looking to purchase open space from the city for an expansion.

Jetro Cash & Carry, owners of Restaurant Depot, are headed through the city approval process for an offer to purchase 32,459 square feet of the public right of way adjacent to the property for additional warehouse space.

Turkish Coffee Lady opens in Old Town

By James Cullum

Published January 24, 2022 at 1:00PM

Mayor Justin Wilson (center) at the opening of Turkish Coffee Lady at 1001 King Street, Jan. 22, 2022. (Courtesy photo)

There’s a new coffee shop on King Street. Turkish Coffee Lady officially opened its doors at 1001 King Street in Old Town, joining a handful of neighboring coffee-inspired hangouts.

The space at the corner of Patrick Street (also Route 1) and King Streets is the former location of Blüprint Chocolatiers, and the second floor was notoriously once home to white nationalist Richard Spencer.

City Council approves controversial hotel project, but says labor conversation isn’t over

By Vernon Miles

Published January 24, 2022 at 11:15AM

Hotel Heron, a proposed development at 699 Prince Street, image via Monarch Urban

Alexandria’s City Council voted to approve a partially city-funded hotel project at 699 Prince Street despite opposition from community labor activists.

The project drew some attention for the city involvement in funding — 1% of the tax revenue generated by the project will be paid back to bond trustees — but at the City Council meeting on Saturday, the majority of the discussion centered around how the city should use its involvement to push for better labor practices.

Covid numbers receding in Alexandria, but January has been one of the worst months ever for infections

By James Cullum

Published January 24, 2022 at 10:00AM

Alexandria’s Covid numbers are still going down for the second straight week. The city has experienced 8,873 cases in January, making it one of the worst months since the beginning of the pandemic nearly two years ago.

There have been 27,353 total cases in Alexandria, an increase of 1,467 cases since this time last week. There have also been 8,873 cases reported in Alexandria so far this month, including 930 cases reported within Alexandria City Public Schools since Dec. 1, of which 288 are children and 620 are staff.

Morning Notes

By Vernon Miles

Published January 24, 2022 at 5:00AM

Police presence in Alexandria over suspicious death — “A suspicious death is being investigated by the Alexandria Police Department (APD).” [Local DMV]

AHDC seeks city go-ahead to build large affordable housing development in Arlandria — “The proposed affordable housing development near the intersection of West Glebe Road and Mount Vernon Avenue has evolved since Alexandria Housing Development Corporation (AHDC) requested City Council’s approval for a predevelopment loan back in September 2020.” [Alexandria Living Magazine]

ALXnow’s top stories this week in Alexandria

By Vernon Miles

Published January 21, 2022 at 3:45PM

It’s been a busy week for city leaders as Alexandria City Public Schools, the City Council, and even the Sheriff’s Office faced new problems.

Meanwhile, local leaders have been working to adapt in one way or another to the change in state leadership. ACPS is carefully eyeing Governor Glenn Youngkin’s budget plans to see how they’ll impact a proposed raise for staff. It’s been a week of new opportunities for others, with former City Council candidate Monique Miles nabbing a state-level attorney position.

ACPS Superintendent Hutchings co-writing a book, will teach at Georgetown University

By James Cullum

Published January 21, 2022 at 3:30PM | Updated January 24, 2022 at 1:43PM

Alexandria City Public Schools Superintendent Gregory Hutchings, Jr. is co-authoring a book on educational leadership and will start teaching as an adjunct professor next fall and spring at Georgetown University, according to a memo that was sent to the School Board last week.

Last fall, the Board approved Hutchings’ request to write the book on public school equity with Georgetown University professor Douglas Reed. The Board also approved Hutchings’ request to teach at Howard University and the University of Southern California, although those plans have changed. Hutchings will instead teach at Georgetown University this fall and next spring, and the change is what prompted the Board to reconsider (and unanimously approve) his updated request.

Local labor activists push back against city financing in proposed hotel project

By Vernon Miles

Published January 21, 2022 at 2:45PM

Hotel Heron, a proposed development at 699 Prince Street, image via Monarch Urban

Local labor representatives have come out in force against potential city funding in the development of the Hotel Heron in Old Town.

A proposal spearheaded by the Alexandria Economic Development Partnership (AEDP) would have the city take some of the tax revenue generated by the Hotel Heron project at 699 Prince Street to pay the project’s bond trustees.

School resource officers haven’t returned to Alexandria City High School since before winter break

By James Cullum

Published January 21, 2022 at 1:00PM

Alexandria Police at Alexandria City High School’s Minnie Howard Campus (staff photo by James Cullum)

It’s been more than a month after the school resource officers were placed on leave at Alexandria City High School, and police have yet to replace those officers.

The officers were placed on leave shortly before the winter break after a former student alleged having “sexually inappropriate conversations” while she attended ACHS, according to the Washington Post.