The PT Blooms LLC development at 805 Columbus Street is returning to the Board of Architectural Review for a certificate of appropriateness after having its hand slapped earlier this year for being too Old Towny.
The proposed development — designed by the Penney Design Group — is a five-story building with 78 residential units built on what is currently a vacant lot in the heart of the Braddock/Parker-Gray neighborhood. While the building would tower over some of the nearby two-story homes, the application notes that it’s tapered at the upper levels of the building to shift the height away from the street. Even so, several pending five-story developments for the area indicate that this sort of building could be the norm in the area within a few years.
The new application also included a page with comparisons to the current building design and the old Parker-Gray School that had been a centerpiece of the neighborhood until it closed in 1979.
An earlier special use permit (DSUP) indicated that PT Blooms LLC was looking for slight increases in allowable density for the project and a reduction in parking. The DSUP and site rezoning were approved last month.
Images via PT Blooms Development.
There were no injuries after a shooting in Old Town Saturday night.
There have also been no arrests, according to the Alexandria Police Department.
The incident occurred in the 700 block of N. Fayette Street at around 6:20 p.m., police Tweeted, adding that evidence was recovered at the scene.
The area is a few blocks from the Braddock Road Metro station.
The last shooting in Old Town occurred in September, and in August five Alexandria men were arrested after a shots fired incident in Old Town North on July 21.
NOTIFICATION:: Officers are in the 700 block of N. Fayette St. for a shots fired investigation. It happened around 6:20pm. Evidence was recovered. No injuries were reported. Anyone with information should call 703.746.4444. pic.twitter.com/BbokReY3vm
— Alexandria Police (@AlexandriaVAPD) November 6, 2021
A 43-year-old Orange County man was arrested in the Braddock area earlier this month for selling drug paraphernalia and providing a false statement to police after a concerned resident reported people passed out in a car.
On October 7, Alexandria Police found a black Acura TL parked in the 900 block of North Fayette Street. The man was asleep in the driver’s seat, and provided police with the false name of Thomas Sprow, police said in a search warrant affidavit.
Next to him in the passenger seat sat a 28-year-old woman drifting in and out of consciousness, with her door left open. Both the man and the woman were found to have outstanding warrants, and the woman (who had a failure to appear warrant) allegedly ran from police in her handcuffs before being apprehended a short distance away.
Police found more than 100 different types of pills on the male suspect, including Oxycontin, cough medicine, antidepressants, antipsychotics and antihistamines.
The man and woman complained of suffering from medical issues and were then transported to Inova Alexandria Hospital. While en route to the hospital, the woman told police that she took five one milligram “meth pills” an hour before in an effort to commit suicide, according to the affidavit.
The woman was not arrested or charged with any offense. The man was booked into the Alexandria Jail on October 10 and transferred to another facility on October 12, according to the Sheriff’s Office. He goes to court for both offenses on November 11.
A new boxing/fitness studio franchise run by champion Floyd Mayweather Jr. is coming to the Parker-Gray neighborhood, with doors opening scheduled for next week.
Mayweather Boxing + Fitness, a group boxing and fitness gym, is scheduled to have a grand opening at 528 N. Henry Street on Saturday, Oct. 16. the gym will be the first Mayweather franchise location in Virginia, according to a press release.
Boxing already has a strong legacy in Alexandria, with the Alexandria Boxing Club just a few blocks away and local boxer Troy Isley competing in the Olympics earlier this year.
The new studio, as the press release calls it, is a 3,500 square feet space with boxing and exercise equipment along with trained instructors.
“We are beyond thrilled to bring Floyd’s methods and this incredible brand to Old Town Alexandria,” said Jeff Pienta, one of the franchisees along with Allison Pienta. “It’s really something you have to see and experience to believe, and it’s for literally everyone regardless of the fitness starting point.”
The grand opening celebration is planned to include a ribbon-cutting, live DJ, and vendor giveaways.
Photo via Mayweather Boxing + Fitness Old Town West/Facebook
Credit Union cuts ribbon on HQ in Alexandria — “United States Senate Federal Credit Union celebrated the opening of its flagship HQ branch in Alexandria with a ribbon-cutting Wednesday.” [Alexandria Living]
Weekend single tracking to impact Metro travelers in Alexandria — “Single tracking between the Braddock Road and National Airport (stations) will happen this weekend due to Potomac Yard Metro construction.” [Patch]
Shop and stroll with the Old Town Boutique District — “Pick up a passport at an Old Town Boutique District (OTBD) shop, then visit six stores to be entered to win a $500 gift card to an OTBD store of your choice, or visit twelve stores to be entered to win $1,000 gift card to an OTBD store of your choice. Stop by Hummingbird and Fontaine for a signature cocktail or mocktail during the stroll. Turn in your passport to the last store you visit. Winners will be selected on Monday, September 27. No purchase necessary to participate.” [Visit Alexandria]
Today’s weather — “A mainly sunny sky. High 74F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph… Clear skies. Low 54F. Winds light and variable.” [Weather.com]
New job: Entry-level personal fitness trainer — “We are looking for coachable, enthusiastic, and dependable people who want to enter the field of personal training. No prior fitness experience or fitness education is required! We will hire and teach you everything you need to know to become a Certified Personal Trainer with The Perfect Workout!” [Indeed]
What an unexpectedly busy summer week in Alexandria. Here’s the rundown.
Our top story was on an Alexandria woman who claims she was roofied at a restaurant on the waterfront on the evening of July 9. A police report has been filed, and no charges have been made.
This week we sat down with acting Police Chief Don Hayes, who said that he’s thrown his hat in the ring with City Manager Mark Jinks to keep the top job. Hayes, a 40-year veteran of the Alexandria Police Department took over after the sudden departure of Chief Michael Brown last month, and will have to contend against candidates in a national search.
The Tokyo Olympics also start this week, and the games will include three T.C. Williams High School graduates — sprinter Noah Lyles, high-jumper Tynita Butts-Townsend and boxer Troy Isley. In fact, Lyles just had a comic book biography published in the Washington Post. If you’re a fan of the Olympic games, check out this list of local restaurants celebrating with special events and meals.
Important stories
- Pot enthusiasts quiet in early days of legalization in Alexandria
- Alexandria sees 90 COVID cases in July, another death
- Local historians profile former slave in Alexandria who struggled to rescue his family
- Alexandria man caught with gun at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport checkpoint
- New Potomac Yard luxury condo community sells 30% of properties before construction starts
- Testing for Alexandria’s controversial stream restoration work starts next week
- Two years after massive flooding, city moves forward with Holmes Run trail restoration
- Del Ray licensed family counselor completely booked since launching in May
- Alexandria businesses advised to sharpen e-commerce as consumer patterns evolve
- Alexandria swimming pools operating with reduced hours, residents signing waitlists with capacity overload
- Without annual music festival, Del Ray is celebrating with a bar crawl
- Del Ray affordable housing completes long-awaited overhaul
Top stories
- Woman claims she was roofied at Old Town restaurant
- Residents protest against conditions at West End apartment complex
- Developers eye Beauregard redevelopment with West End upgrades on the horizon
- Former chef at ‘The Alexandrian’ opening new restaurant in Arlandria on Monday
- No injuries after shots fired in Braddock area on Wednesday
- DASH takes lessons from D.C., Baltimore and Oregon in eliminating bus fares
- ‘Call Your Mother Deli’ signs lease in Old Town
- After last month’s Democratic primary, Republican Darryl Nirenberg tops campaign donation leaderboard
- New city health improvement plan aims to fix inequities
- Poll: Have you been to the Winkler Botanical Preserve?
- Lee-Fendall House to throw speakeasy party to finance building repairs
Have a safe weekend!
A D.C. man was booked into jail and released on bond for malicious wounding and domestic-related offenses after a harrowing incident against the mother of his children and her boyfriend in Old Town North.
Devin Denny, 31, was booked and released on bond on June 14, after allegedly breaking into the Alexandria Redevelopment and Housing Authority apartment at 905 N. Patrick Street on the evening of May 29.
The mother of Denny’s child was with her boyfriend when Denny and another male suspect, who has not been arrested, allegedly broke into the apartment and then kicked in the bedroom door. The victims told police that Denny then fished around his pants as if he had a firearm, but that the other suspect told him, “We are not here for that,” according to a search warrant affidavit.
The suspects then allegedly beat up the woman’s boyfriend, and the woman was then hit by blows as she tried to intervene. Denny then allegedly went into the kitchen and got a large knife, began swinging it at her and told her that he was going to stab her, according to police.
The woman told police that Denny swung the knife several times, but missed her, and then went back to punching her. She said that she was able to escape, but that both suspects then chased her around the hallways of her building.
Both victims escaped with scratches and bruises. Denny’s court date is June 29.
Courtesy Google Maps
A 25-year-old Prince George’s County woman was arrested on May 18 for allegedly attacking the father of her child with pepper spray and a knife in the Braddock area of Old Town.
Mishawanda Blount was arrested and released on a personal recognizance bond after the incident in the 800 block of N. Patrick Street. She was charged with domestic assault and battery, attempted injury by caustic substance and destruction of property.
The home is located on Alexandria Redevelopment and Housing Authority property, and police found video footage supporting the victim’s claims that he was attacked by Blount and that she also damaged his car.
Police ended up contacting Blount by getting her phone number from the victim.
“Despite physical evidence and video footage, Ms. Blount denied committing the offense and being in the state of Virginia at the time of the offense,” according to a search warrant affidavit.
Within the rather obscure confines of the Board and Architectural Review staff report this week resurfaced a long-simmering discussion: what is the cultural identity of the Parker-Gray neighborhood in 2021.
For years a historically Black neighborhood, Parker-Gray draws its name from the the Parker-Gray School that educated the city’s Black children when the the city’s school system was still divided by segregation.
But another identity for the area has slipped into colloquial use over the last few decades: the Braddock neighborhood, or sometimes the Braddock Metro neighborhood after the nearby Metro station and the adjacent, eponymous road. With the Metro station as a common point of reference, rather than a school over 40-years demolished, Braddock has also become a more popular name for the area for developers.
But as noted in the Board of Architectural Review report, there’s a risk that new development can erase more than just the name Parker-Gray, but the distinct cultural legacy of the neighborhood, particularly with developments capitalizing on the more common red brick appeal of Old Town to the south. “Braddock” is increasingly worked into the names of local developments, like the controversial (for other, non-name reasons) Braddock West development.
While much of the district is still listed as Parker-Gray in city documents — officially called the Parker-Gray Historic District — city records also refer to the area as the Braddock Metro neighborhood, specifically in regards to the Braddock Metro Neighborhood Plan. Outlets like the Washington Post have referred to the area as both the Braddock neighborhood and Parker-Gray neighborhood as well. ALXnow is likewise guilty of using both.
Are the names interchangeable to you or do they refer to different places/contexts within the area? Vote below and sound off in the comments.
What a week in Alexandria. Here are some of the highlights.
The Alexandria City Council on Wednesday approved its Fiscal Year 2022 $770.7 million budget on Wednesday, and it includes a 2 cent real estate tax reduction. It’s the first time that’s happened in 15 years, and the budget also fully funds Alexandria City Public Schools’ request and includes a 1% raise for city and state employees.
But perhaps the biggest news of the week came with City Councilman Mo Seifeldein’s proposal to eliminate School Resource Officer funding from the budget. The effort was supported along by Vice Mayor Elizabeth Bennett-Parker, Councilman Canek Aguirre and Councilman John Taylor Chapman, who voted along with the group after failing to save the program in a last-minute effort.
Crime stories dominated many headlines, and Police Chief Michael Brown spoke with us this week about his department’s efforts to reduce destructive elements throughout the city. More from that interview will be published next week.
In this week’s poll, we asked about the importance of political endorsements for local candidates. Out of 222 responses, 48% (107 votes) don’t consider endorsements while voting; 39% (86 votes) said endorsements influence their decision; and 14% (29 votes) feel that endorsements hold a lot of sway.
Election stories
- City Council candidates clash on critical local issues, Part 1
- City Council candidates clash on critical local issues, Part 2
- NEW: Alexandria School Board shakeup looms as few incumbents have filed to run for reelection
- Election: Northam endorses Wilson for reelection
- Here’s which City Council candidates signed the new ‘Alexandria Constituents’ Bill of Rights’ pledge
Important stories
- COVID-19 update: 40% of residents got first vaccine shot, 29% got second shot
- Old Town dominated the city in 2020 business grant funding
- NEW: Man sentenced 41 months for targeting Alfred Street Baptist Church, journalists and others in ‘swatting’ conspiracy
- Developer JBG Smith joins J.P. Morgan Global Alternatives to own and manage 2 million square feet of Potomac Yard
- ACPS could adjust grades in recognition of COVID challenges
- West End man with history of violent behavior taken into custody
- Appeal to save North Ridge home takes fight to City Council
- Girlfriend of murder suspect arrested for breaking into home and beating up witness
Top stories
- Parking issues plague Potomac Yard, city looks to create residential parking district
- Knife pulled on woman who chases would-be thieves in Old Town
- D.C. man arrested after 130 mph chase leads to crash on Interstate 495
- Police: Armed robberies occur minutes apart in Del Ray and Arlandria
- Two injured in hit-and-run in Old Town, driver leaves car and flees on foot
- Too noisy? City Council is considering revising Alexandria’s noise ordinance
- Alexandria City Council to end School Resource Officer program at Alexandria City Public Schools
- Alexandria man arrested for firing gun at 7-Eleven door near Braddock Road Metro station
- Here’s the order that City Council candidates will appear on the ballot for the June 8 democratic primary
- JUST IN: Power outages across Alexandria as strong winds hit the city
- What’s next for GenOn and the rest of Old Town North?
Have a safe weekend!
