City Council | ALXnow

City Council looks to continue funding Alexandria Health Department’s Healthy Homes Action Plan

Published June 30, 2025 at 10:15AM

Alexandria Health Department (staff photo by Vernon Miles)

The Alexandria Health Department lost dedicated federal COVID-19 grant funding earlier this year, and now the City Council will vote on a proposal for various health initiatives.

AHD is requesting one-time funding of $120,510 from the city to support the city’s Healthy Homes Action Plan for the current fiscal year, in addition to community health outreach, continued resource funding for immigrant and refugee programs, and expansion of the ALX Breathes program. The Healthy Homes program brings together dozens of city organizations to recommend home improvements.

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Alexandria Living Legend Gayle Reuter is retiring, and sticking around Del Ray

By James Cullum

Published June 26, 2025 at 7:40PM | Updated June 27, 2025 at 7:09PM

Del Ray's Gayle Reuter speaks at the mayoral campaign kickoff for Alexandria City Council Member Alyia Gaskins Jan. 28, 2024 (staff photo by James Cullum)

Gayle Reuter is retiring.

The news will travel fast around Del Ray, where the Alexandria Living Legend has lived and volunteered for decades. For the last five years, she’s also worked full-time as the accreditation manager for the Alexandria Sheriff’s Office (ASO).

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City staff want Alexandria City High School kids on DASH buses starting in fall 2026

By James Cullum

Published June 20, 2025 at 11:15AM

School buses on W. Braddock Road on Dec. 10, 2021 (staff photo by James Cullum)

City staff are recommending a phased transition to replace school buses for Alexandria City High School students with DASH buses.

The City Council asked staff in January to consider the transition for ACHS, Virginia’s largest high school with multiple campuses and over 4,500 students. Staff have returned with the recommendation for a three-phase approach that would kick off in the fall of the 2026-2027 school year.

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Development of Robinson Terminal North, the last open area on the waterfront, gets green light

By James Cullum

Published June 17, 2025 at 6:15PM | Updated June 17, 2025 at 7:01PM

Plans for Robinson Terminal North (via City of Alexandria)

Robinson Terminal North, the last untapped area of Alexandria’s waterfront, just got unanimous approval for redevelopment by the City Council.

Property owner Rooney Properties wants to convert the 3.2-acre, two-block site into two mixed-use buildings with 73 luxury apartments, three restaurants, and more than an acre of open space along the Potomac River at historic West’s Point.

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Alexandria Police request to access ACPS student records taken off the table

By James Cullum

Published June 17, 2025 at 12:30PM

Alexandria Police at Alexandria City High School’s Minnie Howard Campus (staff photo by James Cullum)

The Alexandria Police Department (APD) has removed from consideration a controversial request that would have granted school resource officers direct access to student records, according to Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS).

Following the grilling of Alexandria Police Chief Tarrick McGuire by the City Council, the School Board unanimously voted last Thursday to extend the soon-to-expire two-year memorandum of understanding (MOU) between ACPS and the police. The six-month extension means that Alexandria City High School and the city’s middle schools will continue with their assigned school resource officers as is, while the details of the draft MOU are ironed out.

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ARHA asks city to back loan for ‘Silver Fox’ senior housing complex

By James Cullum

Published June 11, 2025 at 7:45PM

Erik C. Johnson, former CEO of ARHA, asks City Council to back the Silver Fox plan, June 10, 2025 (staff photo by James Cullum)

The Alexandria City Council has mixed feelings about serving as a cosigner for the Alexandria Redevelopment and Housing Authority’s plan to keep its senior residents in the city.

Faced with a $40 million budget shortfall, ARHA abandoned plans to replace the aging 11-story, 170-unit Ladrey Senior High-Rise with a six-to-seven-story 270-unit L-shaped building. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development subsequently ended its operating support for building management and maintenance, issuing vouchers for the relocation of Ladrey’s residents by the end of the year.

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Alexandria City Council recognizes June as LGBTQ+ Pride Month

By James Cullum

Published June 11, 2025 at 2:30PM

City Council formally recognized June as LGBTQ+ Pride month in Alexandria on Tuesday night (June 10).

“It’s very real that there are people in this country, and even in this city, who, because of who they are, don’t know if they’re going to be welcomed or not,” City Council Member R. Kirk McPike said before reading a city proclamation. “This is a difficult time for many people in our community, LGBTQ+ communities across the country.”

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CEO of ARHA says deal to buy senior apartment building in Braddock neighborhood is ‘serendipity’

By James Cullum

Published June 10, 2025 at 1:20PM

Alate Old Town, 1112 First Street (via Facebook)

With 167 senior residents and a police officer being forced out of the Ladrey Senior High-Rise by the end of the year, Alexandria Redevelopment and Housing Authority CEO Erik C. Johnson says there’s actually an opportunity to capitalize on the situation.

“This comes down to whether or not the city is going to support seniors the way that we want to support seniors,” Johnson told ALXnow. “We’re not asking the city to finance it, nor is the city taking a first position loss in the event that something goes wrong.”

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FIREWORKS: Celebrate Alexandria’s birthday on the waterfront on July 12

By James Cullum

Published June 10, 2025 at 12:30PM

Alexandria's 275th birthday celebration along the waterfront in Old Town, July 13, 2024 (staff photo by James Cullum)

Get your lawn chairs ready, because Alexandria’s birthday celebration is right around the corner.

On Saturday, July 12, the city will celebrate its 276th and the U.S.’s 249th birthdays along the waterfront at Oronoco Bay Park (100 Madison Street). The free party includes food trucks, live performances by the Alexandria Symphony Orchestra, appearances by the town crier, poet laureate, and Mayor Alyia Gaskins, as well as cupcakes for thousands of attendees.

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Alexandria Soccer Association donating bench shelters worth $60K to these city parks

By James Cullum

Published June 6, 2025 at 2:45PM

Coach Fredy Martinez speaks to participants of the Community Youth Empowerment Program's summer soccer program at AlexRenew's Limerick Field, July 26, 2023 (staff photo by James Cullum)

Things are about to get a little cozier for Alexandria soccer players.

The Alexandria Soccer Association is providing the city with eight bench shelters (four sets of two), valued at $58,520, to be installed at the soccer fields at Ben Brenman Park (4800 Brenman Park Drive) and Limerick Field (1800 Limerick Street). On Tuesday (June 10), the City Council will consider accepting the KWIK Goal bench shelters and authorizing City Manager Jim Parajon to finalize the donation.

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Alexandria’s City Hall grows 26% in new development plans

By James Cullum

Published May 30, 2025 at 12:45PM

Alexandria City Hall preliminary site development plan (via City of Alexandria)

The preliminary development site plan for the renovation of Alexandria’s City Hall, Market Square Plaza, and underground parking garage is heading to the Planning Commission.

The city wants to increase the gross floor area at City Hall from an existing 122,171 square feet to 153,332 square feet (a 26% expansion), while maintaining the size of Market Square plaza at 2,975 square feet and the 234-space parking garage at 91,562 square feet.