The Garden at 1503 Mount Vernon Avenue in Del Ray (staff photo by James Cullum)
The owners of The Garden (1503 Mount Vernon Avenue) in Del Ray have filed a lawsuit in the Alexandria Circuit Court against their landlord, who recently listed the property available for rent on Labor Day, Sept. 1.
The Garden owners Jeremy Barber and Justus Frank say in their lawsuit that their landlord, Twenty-Third Street Corridor LLC, will not honor the five-year renewal option on their lease, which expires in November. In a recent interview with ALXnow, the pair contend that after a deal fell through to buy the 5,300-square-foot property, the landlord spent the next seven months trying to evict them with default notices on property repair issues.
National Science Foundation at 2415 Eisenhower Avenue in Alexandria's Carlyle neighborhood (via NSF)
It’s been quite a week in Alexandria. Here’s a rundown of our most-read stories.
Our top story is on the General Services Administration launching an official search for office space in Alexandria to relocate the National Science Foundation after the agency was displaced from its Eisenhower Avenue headquarters. In a presolicitation notice, GSA announced it needs between 240,000 and 280,000 square feet of Class A office space for a 48-month lease, with occupancy required by the end of November.
Gabrielle Berg, Northern Virginia Tennis for Fun Chapter Founder, 2026 Youth Leader of the Year Awardee
Khoi Truong, Lake Braddock Boys Tennis Coach, 2026 Coach of the Year Awardee
Vice Admiral Sean S. Buck, U.S. Navy (ret.), 2026 Tennis Creates Impact Honoree
Game, set, Gala! On Saturday, Nov. 14, the USTA Mid-Atlantic Foundation’s annual Tennis Creates Gala, presented by QTS, comes to The Ritz-Carlton, Tysons Corner, celebrating the transformative power of tennis.
The evening raises critical funds to make the sport accessible to all across Washington, D.C., Maryland, Virginia and eastern/southern West Virginia.
Every dollar goes back into local communities through programs like Girls Rule the Court™, which has served more than 2,000 girls, along with Junior Player Scholarships and Tennis in Schools. Gala funds also help restore public courts. Over the last three years, the Foundation has invested $505,000 across 17 public facilities.
Emceeing the evening is Emmy Award-winning ESPN journalist Malika Andrews, host of NBA Today and NBA Countdown, who joined ESPN’s tennis coverage this year for the Australian Open, Wimbledon and the US Open.
Andrews has pointed to the electric moment American tennis is having, with stars like the DMV’s own Frances Tiafoe reaching the 2026 US Open men’s semifinals, and says she’s grateful for the chance to support the sport at the local level.
Joining the celebration is new USTA CEO Craig Tiley, who took the helm of the national governing body in July after over 20 years at Tennis Australia. As he leads the USTA toward its goal of 35 million players by 2035, the USTA Mid-Atlantic Foundation drives the grassroots work to grow the sport right here in the region.
The Foundation will present its Tennis Creates Impact Award to Vice Admiral Sean S. Buck, U.S. Navy (ret.), 63rd Superintendent of the U.S. Naval Academy, recognizing his leadership in fostering character, community, and well-being through tennis.
The heart of the night is the 2026 Tennis Creates Awards, honoring local changemakers. Alexandria’s Leigh Ann Jackson receives the Adult Leader Award for coaching Girls Rule the Court at Groveton Elementary, where she has served 130 students over five seasons and championed the program’s expansion to Hybla Valley.
Arlington’s Gabrielle Berg earns the Youth Leader Award for founding a Northern Virginia chapter of Tennis For Fun, which runs free year-round clinics for people with special needs in partnership with the Arlington YMCA. Burke’s Khoi Truong, head coach at Lake Braddock Secondary School, is the 2026 Coach of the Year.
They’ll be joined by fellow honorees Dr. Ellen Markowitz (Community Champion), James Skinner (Provider Champion), and Janelle Nichols (Tennis in the Classroom Awardee).
Tickets and tables are now available. Can’t make it? Make a gift to USTA Mid-Atlantic Foundation or bid in the silent auction to help put a racquet in the hands of the next generation of players.
The Tennis Creates Gala takes place Saturday, Nov. 14, 2026, from 6:00 – 11:00 p.m. at The Ritz-Carlton, Tysons Corner, 1700 Tysons Blvd., McLean, VA 22102.
A rendering of the office-to-residential conversion for 601 Wythe Street in Old Town (via City of Alexandria)
A proposal for an office-to-residential conversion in Old Town is heading to the Alexandria Planning Commission.
The two-building offices at 601 Wythe Street is home to the American Water Federation, which bought the property in 1985, according to city records. Now AWF wants to convert the five-story commercial complex into a mixed-use property residential apartments. The proposal will go to the Planning Commission on Oct. 9 (Thursday).
Alexandria Police Chief Tarrick McGuire speaks at a press conference upon the release of body worn camera footage from the Aug. 15 in-custody death of Allan Tucker II (via APD/YouTube)
Alexandria Police Chief Tarrick McGuire told reporters that it’s been a hard week for the department, and asked the community to pray for Tucker’s family and the officers involved in his detainment. The 32-year-old Tucker was arrested for public intoxication after screaming and banging on the doors of neighboring apartments at 2875 N. Beauregard Street on Aug. 15. He was transported to the Alexandria Jail, and during the 10-12 minute ride repeatedly asked to be taken to Alexandria Hospital. He died in a police cruiser after waiting 35-to-40 minutes in the sally port at the jail. While officers at the scene administered NARCAN to Tucker to reverse the effects of a suspected opioid overdose, according to the video released, McGuire did not comment on the official cause of his death and said it needs to be determined by the Office of the Medical Examiner.
High school students from across the Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia (DMV) region are invited to participate in Dialogue for Democracy at George Mason University!
Hosted by the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution, this event offers high school students an opportunity to engage in meaningful conversations about democracy, civic engagement, and the importance of understanding different perspectives.
A conceptual drawing of the proposed expansion of 107 N. Fairfax Street in Old Town (via City of Alexandria)
The owners of a historic townhouse in Old Town with ground floor retail want to expand the property with a 700-square-foot addition and use it as their primary residence.
Plans to redevelop 107 N. Fairfax Street will head to the Planning Commission on Thursday, Oct. 9. The four-story townhouse was built in 1800, and is located in the city’s Old and Historic District. It’s located directly across from City Hall (301 King Street), and the first floor is home to dessert and coffee shop Dolci Gelati.
☀️ Today’s weather: Expect sunshine and a high around 81 degrees with a northwest wind at 5-10 mph. Friday night will be partly cloudy, with temperatures dropping to a low of around 57 degrees and a north wind at approximately 6 mph.
Taste of Old Town North (Credit: Old Town North Community Partnership)
The annual Taste of Old Town North will return Thursday, Sept. 18, from 4 to 8 p.m. in Montgomery Park, featuring local restaurant tastings, live music and family-friendly activities.
The free event at 901 North Royal Street will showcase neighborhood restaurants, including Jula’s on the Potomac, Hank’s Oyster Bar, MacMillan Spirit and Ale House, Hank’s Pasta Bar, Hotel AKA Alexandria’s a.lounge+bar, and St. Elmo’s Old Town North Coffee Pub.
Leasing has launched for a 199-unit luxury office-to-residential conversion development at 1101 King Street in Old Town.
Plans to convert the seven-story 1980s-era office building were unveiled in 2023 and approved last year, after which property owner American Real Estate Partners (AREP) announced that leasing would start in summer 2025. Now, the 200,000-square-foot property known as CityHouse Old Town is offering a range of 525-square-foot studios-to-three-bedroom apartments with dens and private wraparound terraces.
The second Saturday Del Ray Vintage and Flea Market returns on Sept. 13, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. (via Facebook)
More than 70 vendors have signed up to sell their vintage goods at the upcoming Del Ray Vintage and Flea Market on Saturday, Sept. 13.
The outdoor event is held every second Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.in the parking lots of Del Ray Psych & Wellness (1900 Mount Vernon Avenue), the Salvation Army (1804 Mount Vernon Avenue) and at the Corner of Mount Vernon and E. Custis Avenues. If the weather holds up, organizer Amy Eggers says she expects a big turnout. She also says that more than 2,000 people attended the market in August.
