City Council | ALXnow

City Council says practical considerations of renaming Confederate-honoring streets needs to be addressed

Published March 15, 2023 at 3:45PM

Forrest Street, named for Nathan Bedford Forrest (image via Google Maps)

For some Alexandrians, the question of renaming streets that currently honor Confederate leaders isn’t “should it change” but “what happens to my address?”

As Alexandria moves through a new renaming process, City Council member Sarah Bagley said the City Council Naming Committee heard from residents at a recent meeting who have practical concerns about how renaming will impact everything from paying bills to getting friends to their house. At a City Council meeting last night, Bagley and other members of the Council provided an update on the street renaming discussion.

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Alexandria’s City Council and School Board clash in intense budget battle

By Vernon Miles

Published March 14, 2023 at 3:55PM | Updated March 14, 2023 at 4:55PM

ACPS headquarters and clock (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

The tense discussions between Alexandria’s City Council and School Board came to a head over Alexandria City High School’s Chance for Change Academy.

The joint work sessions are a chance for the school and city leaders to close the $7.5 million gap between the School Board’s $58.7 million request and the City Manager’s proposed $51.3 funding to the schools in the fiscal year 2024 Capital Improvement Program (CIP). But while both sides agreed relations between the two bodies are better than they’ve been in the past, the conversation still reopened old wounds between the two leadership teams.

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Grammy winners and other stars send in letters supporting The Birchmere’s new electric sign

By James Cullum

Published March 8, 2023 at 3:30PM | Updated March 8, 2023 at 4:12PM

New sign at The Birchmere (image via City of Alexandria)

Chris Issak, John Waters and Judy Collins are just a few of the dozens of famous artists who petitioned the Alexandria Planning Commission and City Council to approve The Birchmere‘s Special Use Permit request to keep up its flashy new 5-foot-by-2.5-foot digital sign along Mount Vernon Avenue in Arlandria.

The Planning Commission approved the request 7-0 on Tuesday, and it now goes to City Council. Planning Commission Chair Nathan Macek said that the letters with all of the supporting signatures would be “an excellent auction item.”

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Inova Hospital at Landmark project sails through Alexandria Planning Commission

By James Cullum

Published March 8, 2023 at 1:15PM

The proposed Inova Alexandria Hospital building on the former Landmark Mall site (via City of Alexandria)

The former home of Landmark Mall is likely to soon get a new tenant. The 1.1 million-square-foot Inova at Landmark Project sailed through the Alexandria Planning Commission last night, with just one hurdle left before getting the green light to start construction.

With the 6-0 (Chair Nathan Macek recused himself) approval further bolstering Inova’s plan to move Alexandria Hospital to the West End site, the matter will now be presented to City Council at its public hearing on Saturday, March 18.

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PHOTOS: The 2023 St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Old Town

By James Cullum

Published March 6, 2023 at 3:30PM | Updated March 6, 2023 at 4:43PM

Handing out flags at the St. Patrick's Day Parade in Old Town, March 3, 2023 (staff photo by James Cullum)

Old Town was packed on Saturday morning for Alexandria’s 40th annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade.

Thousands of visitors lined King Street to watch a procession of more than 2,000 participants, including Irish dancers, historic reenactors and the City of Alexandria Pipes and Drums. The festivities also included a car show and a dog show at Market Square outside City Hall.

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Inova wants 250-foot height allowance for its Hospital at Landmark project

By James Cullum

Published March 2, 2023 at 3:45PM

The proposed Inova Alexandria Hospital campus on the former Landmark Mall site (via City of Alexandria)

The 1.1 million-square-foot Inova at Landmark project is headed to the Alexandria Planning Commission on Tuesday, signaling the beginning of an official public approval process. If all goes according to schedule, construction of the four-building medical campus could wrap in the second quarter of 2028, according to site development partner Foulger-Pratt.

The hospital building is designed to face Interstate 395, and is proposed to have a two-story glass atrium at its entrance, above which would be a six-story Z-shaped inpatient tower. Inova anticipates that the building will be 184 feet tall (nearly 17 stories) to hide hospital mechanical equipment, although the hospital system is asking for a maximum height allowance of 250 feet, or 23 stories.

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Police and Firefighters getting big raises in Alexandria City Manager’s $881 million budget proposal

By James Cullum

Published March 1, 2023 at 3:50PM

Alexandria City Hall lit up (staff photo by James Cullum)

Alexandria City Manager Jim Parajon released his proposed $881.1 million fiscal year 2024 budget at City Hall on Tuesday night, and it includes an option to raise taxes by 1 cent.

The budget also reflects $8.1 million in collective bargaining agreement funds that will go to the Fire and Police Departments.

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Mini-mart on S. Patrick Street in Old Town up for City Council consideration

By James Cullum

Published February 23, 2023 at 1:30PM

The proposed mini-mart at the Liberty service station property at 700 S. Patrick Street in Old Town (via City of Alexandria)

A main roadway into Alexandria will likely soon have a new mini-mart. On Saturday, City Council will vote on an addition to the Liberty service station at 700 S. Patrick Street (Route 1), and the owner says that construction could be wrapped by the beginning of the summer.

Per the plan, the 1,136-square-foot service station would be expanded by the addition of a 24-hour mini-mart. The 438-square-foot structure would include two restrooms, and the two existing service bays would be completely removed and remodeled into a retail shop with food and household supplies.

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ARHA requesting $1 million loan and tax credit help after cost increases for Braddock project

By Vernon Miles

Published February 21, 2023 at 3:55PM

The proposed North Building of the Samuel Madden redevelopment (via City of Alexandria)

The Alexandria Redevelopment and Housing Authority (ARHA) is requesting a $1 million loan after unexpected development costs and a new designation that could give it a tax credit boost.

Both the loan and the tax credits would go toward the Samuel Madden Redevelopment Project. The project involves the demolition of the existing 66-unit Samuel Madden Homes and replacing them with two multifamily buildings at 899 and 999 N. Henry Streets.

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PHOTOS: The 2023 George Washington Birthday Parade in Old Town

By James Cullum

Published February 21, 2023 at 10:45AM | Updated February 21, 2023 at 12:12PM

Martha and George Washington (Brian Hilton) at the George Washington Birthday Parade in Old Town, Feb. 20, 2023 (staff photo by James Cullum)

Old Town was packed on Monday, as thousands of revelers and marchers celebrated the George Washington Birthday Parade.

More than 2,000 freemasons from all over the country marched in the 100th annual parade, which is the largest annual celebration of Washington in the world.

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DASH leadership says bus service has work to do to improve accessibility

By Vernon Miles

Published February 16, 2023 at 1:45PM

A DASH bus at Southern Towers (staff photo by Vernon Miles)

Nearly half of Alexandria’s bus stops do not meet federal accessibility standards.

It’s been a good couple years for Alexandria bus service DASH, but a new report presented to the City Council at a meeting this week by Chairman David Kaplan highlighted areas where there’s still room to improve.