Hundreds rallied and marched against the Trump administration in Old Town on Thursday night (July 17).
The event at Judy Guse-Noritake Park (600 N. Henry Street) joined hundreds of Good Trouble Lives On rallies across the country, commemorating the fifth anniversary of the death of Congressman John Lewis (D-GA), with participants holding signs and speaking against the Trump administration. The civil rights icon was renowned for his legacy of nonviolent action in defense of democracy.
Alexandria celebrated its 276th and the U.S.’s 249th birthday in style along the Potomac River at Oronoco Bay Park on Saturday (July 12).
Thousands attended the annual event. For about four hours, the park was turned into a maze of beach blankets, lawn chairs, and barefoot kids with lightsabers and bubble guns. Flanked onstage by City Council and city staff, Mayor Alyia Gaskins and Poet Laureate Maria Cristina Donoso made brief remarks before the program was turned over to the Alexandria Symphony Orchestra, which wrapped up in time for a spectacular fireworks show (see video below).
The Alexandria City Council, this week, approved the three-year extension of an expired plan to build hundreds of residential units in Alexandria’s Landmark area.
The three-year development special use permit for the 8-acre Landmark Overlook project expired in February. Council initially approved the plan in 2022 by West End Development Associates to build 450 residential units in seven townhomes and two multifamily apartment buildings on the eight-acre site at 5901, 5951, and 5999 Stevenson Avenue and 2 South Whiting Street.
What is your hope for the future of Duke Street?
That’s one of the many questions the city is asking as it ramps up 18-24 months of planning for the Duke Street Land Use Plan, a document to guide city officials in the development of the Duke Street Corridor from the former Landmark Mall to Alexandria Union Station.
A sweeping redevelopment promises to bring fresh amenities and improved access to Eugene Simpson Stadium Park, but staff at the Alexandria YMCA say that the project will have a severe impact on the nonprofit.
Plans presented at a recent community meeting reveal that 53 city-owned parking spaces in front of the YMCA, located at 420 E. Monroe Avenue, have been designated as a construction area. The actual construction of the project, which was unanimously approved by the City Council in 2023, is scheduled to begin this month and is expected to be completed by September 2026, with a phased reopening of the park starting in August 2026.
Alexandria’s government offices will be closed on Friday, July 4, but that doesn’t mean you still can’t have a good time.
Here’s what you need to know about city services on Independence Day.
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.
It’s been another fast week in Alexandria! Here’s our recap of the most-read stories over the last several days.
Our Tuesday (June 24) story on the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development taking over the National Science Foundation’s headquarters (2415 Eisenhower Avenue) garnered more than 125,000 views, making it the most-read story of the year. While bringing in more than 2,700 HUD workers, the move will also displace about 1,800 NSF employees over the next two years.
Repairs to the overpass bridge linking Duke Street and Ben Brenman Park, near Cameron Station, are scheduled to begin this month, and the city is hosting a community meeting on the project.
The city estimates that the $2.5 million repair project will be completed by November, and it includes periodic lane closures on Breman Park Drive and Duke Street near the bridge during construction hours, according to the city. The project schedule is also contingent on the weather.
Shake Shack is cooking up plans to open in a former bank in Old Town.
The burger chain filed permit requests to open at the former Burke and Herbert Bank at 621 King Street last December. Shake Shack now seeks approval for new signage and has included a new rendering of the building exterior (see below) in their application heading to the Board of Architectural Review.
What a week it’s been in Alexandria. Here’s our recap of top stories.
ALXnow had its highest single-day visitor count ever on Thursday (June 12), with more than 53,000 views, following a report that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is preparing to deploy tactical units to Northern Virginia and four major cities across the country.
