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Alexandria’s presumptive Mayor Alyia Gaskins putting together a transition team

By James Cullum
Alyia Gaskins after winning the Democratic nomination for Alexandria mayor, June 18, 2024 (staff photo by James Cullum)

Fresh from her primary win on June 18, Alexandria’s presumptive mayor says she is starting to form a transition team and will continue campaigning until the Nov. 5 election to get the Democratic slate of six candidates elected to Alexandria’s City Council.

City Council Member Alyia Gaskins took a few days off after defeating Vice Mayor Amy Jackson and retired real estate developer Steven Peterson on June 18. She and her husband and two kids went back home to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, for four days.

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City Council upholds certificate of appropriateness for controversial Old Town development

By James Cullum
A rendering for 301 N. Fairfax Street in Old Town (via City of Alexandria)

The Alexandria City Council upheld the certificate of appropriateness for a contentious development in Old Town after an appeal was filed by residents claiming that it will be an eyesore that destroys the historic nature of the area.

Council voted 6-1 upholding the certificate of appropriateness approved by the Board of Architectural Review in May, with small conditions.

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Major Robinson Terminal North project scheduled for City Council review this winter

By Vernon Miles
Plans for Robinson Terminal North (via City of Alexandria)

Robinson Terminal North, a major piece of waterfront development in Old Town, could heat to City Council review by the end of this year or early next year.

Robinson Terminal North is the last of the large industrial sites in the city’s Waterfront Plan and one of the final pieces of a long-held aim of the city to have a fully walkable waterfront.

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City Council to consider allowing private non-emergency ambulance service in Alexandria

By James Cullum
Alexandria City Hall sign (staff Photo by Jay Westcott)

A new ambulance service is likely heading to Alexandria, though it won’t be able to respond to medical emergencies in the city.

City Council will consider a resolution tomorrow on allowing RIDE24 LLC, a new private ambulance service located at 2121 Eisenhower Avenue, to provide non-emergency related services within Alexandria.

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Alexandria Mayor says short-term rentals now comprise over a quarter of the city’s ‘hotel tax’ revenue

By Vernon Miles
An Airbnb rental in Old Town, Alexandria. (Photo via Boyd Walker)

Alexandria is still working out the kinks in its short-term rentals policies, but rentals on sites like Airbnb have already taken over a considerable amount of the city’s transient lodging market.

In a newsletter, Mayor Justin Wilson said there are over 700 short-term rentals in Alexandria, comprising less than 1% of the city’s housing stock, but that those rentals account for over a quarter of the city’s transient lodging tax revenue — a market traditionally defined by hotels.

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News

Former Waterfront Park artwork being moved to permanent home at Braddock Road Metro station

By Vernon Miles
New public art at Waterfront Park (Photo by James Cullum)

Artwork formerly located at Waterfront Park and exploring the complex relationship between Alexandria’s economy and slavery is making a return: this time to a new permanent home at the Braddock Road Metro Station.

The artwork “Wrought, Knit, Labors, Legacies” by artist Olalekan Jeyifous opened in Waterfront Park in March 2020 and is inspired by “Alexandria’s rich and complicated industrial and merchant history.” The artwork was relocated to the Old Town Pool at 1609 Cameron Street, but the location was temporary until a more permanent location could be found, in part due to 2-5 years of construction planned at the Old Town Pool.

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News

Outgoing members say Alexandria’s Independent Community Policing Review Board is still not functioning

By James Cullum
Police at shooting scene near 5563 Holmes Run Parkway (staff photo by James Cullum)

Three years after being established by City Council, Alexandria’s Independent Community Policing Review Board is still not up and running. Now after another delay, the board will have to postpone investigating hundreds of allegations of police misconduct until at least the fall.

It’s been more than four years since the murder of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis Police officer Derek Chauvin. The event sparked international outrage, also resulting in protests in Alexandria where Mayor Justin Wilson and city leaders called for police accountability.

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Council to consider moving dozens of city staff to AlexRenew headquarters

By James Cullum
AlexRenew headquarters (via Alexandria Renew Enterprises/Facebook)

City Council will consider a lease agreement tonight to move a portion of the Department of Transportation and Environmental Services to a 5,600-square-foot office space at AlexRenew Headquarters.

The city’s wastewater authority at 1800 Limerick Street finished construction of its headquarters in 2016, and was designed for expansion on the fifth floor.

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City manager asking Council for $900K to solve Alexandria’s mental health staff shortage

By James Cullum
Alexandria City Hall sign (staff Photo by Jay Westcott)

Alexandria is experiencing a shortage of mental health staff, and City Manager Jim Parajon is asking City Council for $900,000 to solve the problem.

Tonight Council will consider releasing the funds from contingent reserves to pay for strategies to hire and retain the city’s mental health staff.

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Alexandria no longer wants to sell this tiny parcel of land on the waterfront

By James Cullum
Alexandria is rethinking selling 2 King Street on the Alexandria waterfront. (Via City of Alexandria)

Alexandria City Manager Jim Parajon is recommending that City Council not sell a tiny parcel of land at 2 King Street on the Alexandria waterfront.

Last year, the city issued a request for proposals (RFP) for the 1,825-square-foot property between Waterfront Park and The Strand Street. The city received two responses from the RFP, and since then Parajon’s office and the city’s Real Estate Committee came to the conclusion that it should cancel solicitation of the project until the waterfront mitigation project is completed.

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BREAKING: Incumbents prevail in Democratic City Council primary

By ALXnow.com
The Democratic slate for City Council after the primary is (left to right) Canek Aguirre, Abdel Elnoubi, Kirk McPike, Jacinta Greene, Alyia Gaskins, John Taylor Chapman and Sarah Bagley (staff photo by James Cullum)

The Alexandria City Council incumbents have held onto their nominations in the Democratic primary.

While incumbents John Chapman, Sarah Bagley, Kirk McPike and Canek Aguirre have secured their spots as the Democratic candidates, along with newcomer School Board Member Abdel Elnoubi and School Board Member Jacinta Greene.

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