Alexandria is looking for ways to relieve businesses from the years-long renovation impacts of City Hall and Market Square in Old Town.
With parking temporarily halted on the streets next to the property at 301 King Street, sidewalks closed and the sound of continual construction, businesses in a one-block radius of the building are feeling the effects.
Office vacancies are trending down in Alexandria, although Old Town and Old Town North are going against the trend.
That’s according to the Alexandria Economic Development Partnership’s Mid-Year Market Report released Tuesday (Sept. 8) looking at commercial real estate trends for the first half of the year through June 30, 2026.
Incredibly excited to wrap up an awesome first summer. I’ve learned a lot, and I thought I’d share some of those lessons with you.
1. Hiring a JMU intern is a great idea.
This summer we were lucky enough to hire a young man from Woodbridge named Owen, who is a rising senior at JMU. He was exactly the spark we needed to help us push through our first busy summer season. We’ve already made him a job offer for next summer when he graduates, and we’re hopeful he’ll join us full-time.
2. People are generally helpful and want to see you succeed when you’re first starting out.
Over the summer, I was amazed by how many people wanted to help me get a strong start in my business. There were definitely times when I knew folks might not need a new roof, but they were still kind enough to let me come by, take a look, and give them a free estimate just in case. It was inspiring and motivating to know that there are strangers out there who don’t even know me but still want to see me win.
3. Hard work solves most problems.
From the beginning, I’ve been honest about having a lot to learn in this industry. What I’ve come to find is that even when I don’t know exactly what I’m doing, hard work will still often get me to the right result. When in doubt, just keep pushing. This is something I’ll remember as more hard times come and as we get ready to go through the cold winter season.
4. Working with property managers and realtors can be a win-win for everyone.
This year, we’ve built some great relationships with property managers and realtors. These folks are hardworking and busy, and the last thing they have time to worry about is a roof for their clients. We’ve worked with them to install new roofs, windows, gutters, doors, and siding on multiple occasions.
5. Some folks will slam the door in your face without thinking twice.
Things aren’t always easy in this game, and I don’t want to paint an overly rosy picture without talking about some of the hard stuff too. As a new person working hard to get your name out there, it can definitely be a little daunting when someone yells at you or slams the door in your face. Luckily, most people are warm and will at least talk to you, and we’ve appreciated that as we navigate these bumps along the way.
6. Most homeowners just want transparency and great customer service.
It’s wild how many contractors out there really can’t be trusted. We’ve come to learn quickly that homeowners just want fantastic customer service and transparency throughout the process. If you can honestly show someone how the process is going to take place and hold their hand a little along the way, you can make almost all of your customers pretty happy.
7. Homeowners taught me more than any training could have.
An Alexandria juvenile was arrested for allegedly robbing the batting cages concession stand at Cameron Run Regional Park on Eisenhower Avenue.
Around 9:40 p.m. on Aug. 1, an employee at the concession stand heard a knock at the door, and when he opened it saw two people wearing all black clothing and black face masks, according to a recently unsealed search warrant affidavit. One suspect allegedly grabbed the cashier from behind to restrain him, while the second suspect went to the cash drawer and stole more than $200.
For homeschooling families, finding activities that fit a non-traditional school day can be a challenge. EvolveAll, the martial arts and fitness studio that’s served the local community for more than 15 years, is addressing that gap with a new Homeschool Youth Martial Arts (YMA) program.
The program runs Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1:15 to 2:00 PM and follows EvolveAll’s established YMA curriculum, which focuses on discipline, focus, coordination, and self-defense fundamentals for kids ages 5 to 10. Classes are led by EvolveAll’s head YMA Instructor Mr. Christian, who has over a decade of instructing experience. The class size is capped to keep the student-to-instructor ratio low.
Alexandria City Public Schools carried out the third of four facility namings Tuesday (Sept. 8) — this time in honor of a longtime educator.
The Jean B. Reid Media Center at Naomi L. Brooks Elementary School was dedicated in honor of the educator who worked for the school system for 30 years. Reid was a reading specialist from 1971 until her 2001 retirement and held leadership positions at various schools.
Local artists Aidan Leclaire band will perform songs from their new album, DIVING, in a rare appearance at the Songbyrd Music House.
On This Day in Alexandria History — “On September 9, 1891, a large fire erupted at the southeast corner of Wythe and St. Asaph Streets, in one of the buildings operated as part of Portner’s Brewery, a massive beer and ale bottling and storage complex extending across several blocks bound by Washington, Pitt, Wythe and Pendleton Streets. The brewery was started in 1864 from humble beginnings out of the small grocery store operated by Robert Portner, a German-born immigrant who rose to become one of Alexandria’s most prominent citizens. By 1890, Portner’s business produced over 60,000 barrels of his special brews named Vienna Cabinet and Tivoli and was one of Northern Virginia’s largest employers.” [Historic Alexandria]
Goats Descend on All Veterans Park — “The City’s new four-legged landscaping crew has arrived! This hard-working crew of goats and sheep will be on site at All Veterans Park for a 5-to-10-day pilot project. They will be snacking on invasive kudzu, garlic mustard, and multiflora rose along Holmes Run.” [City of Alexandria/Facebook]
Good Tuesday evening, Alexandria. Let’s take a look back at today’s stories and a look forward to tomorrow’s event calendar.
The following articles were published earlier today — Sep 8, 2026.
Here are today’s most-read articles:
Here is what’s going on Wednesday in Alexandria, from our event calendar.
Expect sunny weather with a high near 88 degrees and a south wind blowing at 7 to 11 mph. Wednesday night will be mostly clear, with temperatures dropping to around 72 degrees. A southwest wind will continue at about 11 mph, with gusts reaching up to 20 mph. See more from Weather.gov.
“Efforts and courage are not enough without purpose and direction.”
– John F. Kennedy
Thanks for reading!
State legislators representing Alexandria called on constituents today (Sept. 8) to support a referendum to restore voting rights to former felons.
In the city’s Arlandria neighborhood, state Sen. Elizabeth Bennett-Parker (D-39) was flanked by Del. R. Kirk McPike (D-5) and nonprofit leaders joining Virginians for the Right to Vote in asking for support for her constitutional amendment to automatically restore voting rights for former felons without having to make a request to the governor.
Old Town neighbors say a pending townhouse development application exemplifies why the city needs to better align the Board of Architectural Review process with development special use permit reviews.
The BAR continues to consider a concept review of Merion Row at 330 N. Washington Street, where the property owner seeks to build six three-story townhomes with rear-loading parking garages and rooftop terraces. The homes would take the place of two of the three drive-thru banking aisles at the Wells Fargo bank.
After selling out last year, Halloweddings are returning to Alexandria.
On Halloween (Saturday, Oct. 31), Greg Parks, Alexandria’s Clerk of the Circuit Court, and his staff will don 18th century costumes to officiate the 20-minute ceremonies. Couples will need to make reservations using the QR code below and pay $75. They can show up in a costume of their choosing — Ken and Barbie, Batman and Catwoman, you name it.
The Virginia Hurricanes Girls Basketball program is holding tryouts for its 3rd Grade and 5th Grade travel teams, competing in a full schedule this Fall and Winter season. Join a competitive, supportive program built to develop skilled, confident players on and off the court.
Registration is required at: https://www.virginiahurricanes.net/basketball/aau-teams
