New digital modernizations and a refreshed website are coming soon to Alex311, Alexandria’s customer service program.
Alex311 staff gave a presentation on the forthcoming redesign during last night’s City Council legislative meeting (Tuesday). The updates call for investment in tools like chatbots and virtual agents with multilingual capabilities.
Facing a decline in job growth, a struggling commercial real estate market and a climbing population, today (Friday) Alexandria released the draft of its first economic development strategy in nearly two decades.
The 63-page ALX Forward draft plan makes a number of recommends to reverse negative trends, including leveraging economic opportunities in Old Town North, Eisenhower East, the West End, and Potomac Yard; retaining local businesses and attracting high-growth industries like artificial intelligence firms; and strengthening support for the city’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.
Mayor Alyia Gaskins and the City Council are calling on the Alexandria Sheriff’s Office to stop transferring inmates to immigration enforcement unless required by law.
Following months of pressure from activists critical of Immigration and Customs Enforcement — including a protest during an Oct. 18 public hearing — Gaskins and the Council publicly asked Sheriff Sean Casey to stop transferring Alexandria inmates to ICE custody via the agency’s detainers and administrative warrants.
Alexandria won its nearly two-year battle in Circuit Court today (Wednesday) against residents fighting the city’s massive Zoning for Housing/Housing for All overhaul.
Judge H. Thomas Padrick, Jr. granted the city’s motion for summary judgement and dismissed the case against the plaintiffs, a group of Old Town residents who had been fighting to reverse the zoning changes since they were approved by City Council in Dec. 2023.
City Council will consider fare increases to its disability transit program and changes to food truck parking enforcement at a meeting tonight (Wednesday).
Up for vote is a resolution that would increase some paratransit fares by $1 and create a new $2 “peak-hour” surcharge for some trips. The Council will also complete a first read of an ordinance that would shift how the city enforces parking for food trucks.
The Alexandria City Council has canceled its town hall meeting previously scheduled for next Wednesday, Nov. 5.
No reason was provided for the cancellation, and the city said that the next meeting will be rescheduled for early 2026.
The Alexandria City Council will host a town hall meeting on Nov. 5 (Wednesday) at the Nannie J. Lee Memorial Recreation Center (1108 Jefferson Street) in Old Town.
“Members of the Alexandria City Council will be present to speak about the issues impacting you and your family. You can also get the latest news on upcoming projects and initiatives in Alexandria,” the city said in a release.
Alexandria’s Del Ray neighborhood was packed with art lovers for the 30th annual Art on the Avenue festival in Del Ray on Saturday (Oct. 4).
Hundreds of juried artists sold their work, live music was performed on four stages and the event and its founder Pat Miller were recognized by Alexandria Congressman Don Beyer (D-8th), Del. Elizabeth Bennett-Parker (D-5th) and Vice Mayor Sarah Bagley.
UPDATE (Sept. 24, 2025): Following this reporting, DASH has placed both registered sex offenders on administrative leave. The transit agency said it is now assessing “the rigor of our recruitment standards” and confirmed that one of the employees is a bus driver, contradicting its initial statement Tuesday that no drivers were on the registry. DASH places 2 registered sex offenders on leave following ALXnow reporting
Following a discussion on the Alexandria School Board’s safety concerns about the proposal to transport Alexandria City High School students on DASH buses, ALXnow investigated the transit agency’s background check policies and discovered that it does not “expressly prohibit” sex offenders from employment.
The Alexandria City Council, on Saturday (Sept. 14), will consider loosening its citywide mural requirements.
Following the Planning Commission’s unanimous approval on Sept. 4, the City Council will conduct a public hearing on whether to allow entire walls to be taken up by murals, provided that “distracting elements” such as “any text, numbers, symbols, logos, or trademarks” are limited to one per multi-unit property.
While its current CEO is on probation and under investigation for living in a public housing property under his management, the Alexandria Redevelopment and Housing Authority is being led by an interim CEO, ALXnow has confirmed.
Last month, ALXnow reported that ARHA CEO Erik Johnson was living in an ARHA property, prompting the Alexandria City Council to call for an independent investigation. ARHA has since confirmed that its Deputy Executive Director Rickie C. Maddox is currently working as the organization’s interim CEO.
