In a presolicitation notice posted to the federal contracting website SAM.gov on Thursday, GSA is seeking between 240,000 and 280,000 square feet of Class A office space for a 48-month lease term, with occupancy required by the end of November. The notice (ID 5VA0785) was first reported by Bisnow and then by the Washington Business Journal.
The Art League is hosting a grand opening for a new studio and block party in Old Town North on Sept. 6, 2025 (via Eventbrite)
After years in development, The Art League will celebrate the opening of two new locations for art classes in Old Town North with a block party.
The free, family-friendly event will be held at the new Slaters Lane Annex (800 Slaters Lane) at 5 p.m. on Saturday, September 6, featuring art demonstrations, food, and ice cream bowls created by local artists, among other activities.
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 Toyota Corolla overturned after striking a parked vehicle in the 5400 block of Richenbacher Avenue, Aug. 26, 2025 (staff photo by James Cullum)
The Alexandria Police Department is investigating a hit-and-run involving an overturned vehicle and a parked car in a parking lot in the 5400 block of Richenbacher Avenue.
The incident was called in at around 2:15 p.m., according to the police scanner. A Toyota Corolla with Virginia plates overturned after crashing into a parked Lexus IS 250 in the parking lot of an apartment complex. The caller told police that they saw two people running from the overturned Corolla. Police later said via dispatch that three occupants of the vehicle fled on foot.
Virginia Theological Seminary (staff photo by James Cullum)
A groundbreaking ceremony will be held next month for the construction of a memorial recognizing slave laborers who built Virginia Theological Seminary (VTS).
Black slave laborers built the seminary in the early 19th century, and for the last five years, the VTS Reparations Program has awarded millions to direct descendants of those workers. At 6 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 5, VTS will host a free gala at Coffield Refectory (3720 Bishop Walker Circle) celebrating the descendants with dinner, dancing, and a display of genealogical research compiled to date. The memorial groundbreaking ceremony will be held the following day, Sept. 6, at 12:30 p.m.
When there’s a chill in the air, nothing satisfies like a rich Cabernet, a velvety Merlot, a smoky Syrah, or a brambly Shiraz. So put down your garden rake (the leaves can wait) and head to Arrowine to sample 20 of the Best Bargains in Big, Bold Reds from California, Washington State, and beyond.
We have spent the last two months tasting well over 200 wines and selected the top 20 for you to enjoy during this event. All of these wines overperformed and have exceptional price-to-quality value ratios. We know you will be impressed with our selections.
BryceTech Awarded $70 Million in Prime Contracts to Advance CBRN Capabilities for the U.S. Department of Defense
(Credit: BryceTech)
Alexandria-based BryceTech has been awarded three prime contracts worth approximately $70 million over five years to advance chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear defense capabilities for the U.S. Department of Defense, the company announced Tuesday.
The multi-year contracts support the Joint Program Executive Office for Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear Defense and will see BryceTech deploy about 50 full-time professionals with acquisition, scientific, technical, and programmatic expertise.
DCSA Director David Cattler speaks to insider threat and security professionals from military, government, industry and academia at the National Insider Threat Awareness Month (NITAM) conference held at the U.S. Patent and Trade Office on Aug. 18. (Photo By Sgt. Marcel Bassett)
The head of a major federal security agency warned Aug. 18 that a “perfect storm” of global threats is targeting the region’s defense contractors and classified government work.
David Cattler, director of the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency, told security professionals that adversaries are increasingly viewing Northern Virginia’s intellectual property and defense workforce as “strategic terrain, as valuable as any battlefield,” according to a DCSA press release.
Bloom Tea is open at 425 S. Washington Street in Old Town (via Facebook)
There’s a new Vietnamese coffee and bubble tea shop in Old Town.
Last month, Bloom Tea formally opened its doors to the public at 425 S. Washington Street. Getting city approval, renovating the space, and opening took more than two years.
A plea agreement is expected for Jeffrey Gary, the former Federal Communications Commission employee charged with sexually assaulting and attempting to abduct two women near Alexandria Metro stations in May.
Gary, 35, waived his right to a preliminary hearing Monday in Alexandria court, allowing three of the four charges against him to move forward to a grand jury, according to NBC4 Washington.
