Alexandria’s City Hall renovation faced a major challenge this summer with the removal of additional asbestos, city staff told City Council on Tuesday (Sept. 22).
Contractors working on the massive renovation project spent 10 weeks and more than $3 million in reserve funds to demolish and safely remove an entire section of asbestos-contaminated wall facing King Street that was installed in the 1960s.
Alexandria’s mayor wants to keep the connection going with Croatia after the city hosted the Croatian National Football Team as its World Cup home base.
At Alexandria City Council’s meeting Tuesday (Sept. 22), Mayor Alyia Gaskins proposed a memo to establish a friendship city with Osijek, Croatia.
The Alexandria City Council on Tuesday night (Sept. 22) deferred a plan to restrict public behavior in Council Chambers.
City Council took the advice of City Attorney Cheran Ivery to defer the plan, which states that Mayor Alyia Gaskins can oust any public speaker who makes “personal attacks” against City Council members, makes “off-topic” comments or participates in political campaigning. Other amended rules limit the size of signs residents can bring to City Council meetings and ban selfie sticks.
As it weighs the city’s future with automatic license plate recognition (ALPR) technology, Alexandria City Council got an earful from residents on the subject at Saturday’s public hearing.
One speaker peered at City Council through binoculars and asked how they liked being watched.
It’s going to be a long public hearing with the Alexandria City Council on Saturday, Sept. 19.
New construction in the Parker-Gray Historic District, adding outdoor entertainment to a Del Ray business and increasing fines for writing bad checks to the city are just a few of the items the Alexandria City Council will consider. This is City Council’s first public hearing since returning from summer recess.
What a summer it’s been for tourism in Alexandria.
With tourism boosted by America’s 250th birthday celebration and Alexandria’s participation in a “once-in-a-generation opportunity” hosting a World Cup team, Visit Alexandria CEO Todd O’Leary and staff reported to City Council on Tuesday night (Sept. 8) that hotel stays are up, revenue per available room is up and so is the percentage of visitors staying overnight.
Mayor Alyia Gaskins told city leaders on Tuesday that she does not “see a role for Flock” cameras in Alexandria.
At Tuesday’s City Council meeting, two City Council members joined Gaskins in the sentiment after a presentation by Police Chief Tarrick McGuire on license plate reader (LPR) technology used in the city. The Alexandria Police Department has 61 license plate readers and other cameras along public roadways, according to Flock’s transparency portal.
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.
The Alexandria City Council will consider a measure to allow due date extensions for personal property tax payments from federal employees when furloughed by a government shutdown.
The item is on City Council’s Sept. 8 docket and would give federal employees impacted by a shutdown a 90-day extension to pay personal property taxes after the government reopens. The last government shutdown was from Oct. 1 to Nov. 12, 2025, making it the longest in history, and in Alexandria it coincided with the personal property tax deadline. The measure also comes as Congress recently passed a short-term funding bill to avoid a shutdown until Dec. 11.
A small property in the Parker-Gray Historic District used as a storage and garage space could soon be converted into a new townhome.
The owner of 911 B and C Pendleton Street is asking the city to approve converting the 1,445-square-foot property into a 35-foot-tall, three-story townhome with a rooftop garden.
Members of Alexandria City Council and the Alexandria City School Board appointed to a special committee found some common ground as they met for the first time Tuesday (Aug. 25) to discuss School Board election reforms.
On Tuesday, the committee shared some agreement on increasing term lengths from three to four years. While there wasn’t any initial consensus on staggering terms, members will continue discussions at the next meeting and will also start dialogue on board size.
