city government | ALXnow

ACPS seeks former proposed arena space in Potomac Yard for school bus parking lot

Published April 29, 2026 at 3:45PM

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

Alexandria City Public Schools is asking the city for permission to use a temporary parking lot in Potomac Yard — once part of the former arena proposal — for school buses this summer.

ACPS filed a special use permit application with the city asking to temporarily use a 45,000-square-foot lot for three months at 3331 Exchange Avenue in the Potomac Yard neighborhood. The property was pitched in 2023 as a new $2 billion home for the Washington Wizards and Capitals before losing support in Alexandria and fizzling out with lawmakers in Richmond.

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Office of Historic Alexandria proposes fee changes for museums and services

By James Cullum

Published April 28, 2026 at 11:15AM

The Alexandria Lyceum (staff photo by Airey)

The Office of Historic Alexandria is proposing a host of fee changes to offset the rising cost of running museums, maintaining historic sites and providing programming.

City Council will consider the proposal at its meeting Wednesday (April 29), the same night the city’s Fiscal Year 2027 budget will receive final approval.

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City Council axes Sunday paid parking proposal, increases other parking fees

By James Cullum

Published April 23, 2026 at 2:15PM

Parking meter in Old Town (staff photo by Emily Leayman)

Alexandria City Council torpedoed City Manager Jim Parajon’s plan for paid metered parking on Sundays, but balanced a $726,000 shortfall by raising parking meter fees from $1.75 to $2.75 and parking ticket fines from $40 to $55.

Last week, City Council directed Parajon to consider a number of alternatives to his Sunday parking plan. After deliberation, a majority of members endorsed Option E at Tuesday night’s add/delete work session, as the final touches are being put on the city’s $977 million Fiscal Year 2027 Budget. The move will generate $1.1 million in funding — covering an approximately $726,000 shortfall from removing the Sunday parking fee proposal and adding about $329,000 to the city’s general fund.

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Alexandria School Board members push City Council for staggered term reforms

By James Cullum

Published April 20, 2026 at 12:15PM | Updated April 20, 2026 at 5:29PM

Alexandria School Board meeting in 2025 (staff photo by James Cullum)

Alexandria City School Board members are asking the public to help push for reforms to the nine-member board, including staggered elections, higher salaries and more.

The clock is ticking, School Board Members Ashley Simpson Baird and Kelly Carmichael Booz wrote in a recent blog post. The pair wrote that City Council must act this year by beginning a process to amend the City Charter — a change that would need to go to the Virginia General Assembly’s 2027 session for approval.

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City Council to hold public hearings on Sunday parking fees, more budget decisions

By James Cullum

Published April 17, 2026 at 3:45PM

An Alexandria parking enforcement vehicle (staff photo by James Cullum)

Alexandria City Council has a full docket at its upcoming meeting Saturday as final budgetary decisions approach.

City Council will conduct a number of public hearings, including setting the real estate and personal property tax rates for the next fiscal year, additions and deletions to City Manager Jim Parajon’s proposed $977 million Fiscal Year 2027 budget, an increase to the stormwater utility fee, new parking fees and the addition of paid metered parking on Sundays.

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Sunday paid parking proposal opposed by majority of Alexandria City Council

By James Cullum

Published April 15, 2026 at 1:45PM

An Alexandria parking enforcement vehicle (staff photo by James Cullum)

A majority of Alexandria’s City Council won’t support City Manager Jim Parajon’s proposal for paid parking on Sundays, but the door to increasing parking meter rates and fines is still open.

City Council had first reading on a number of parking-related ordinances yesterday (Tuesday), which, if approved later this month, would increase parking meter rates and parking ticket fines and add paid parking to metered spots on Sundays.

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Alexandria City Council moves forward with stormwater utility fee increase

By James Cullum

Published April 15, 2026 at 11:45AM

A truck drives through a flooded area of Union Street in Old Town, October 29, 2021. (staff photo by James Cullum)

Alexandria City Council unanimously approved moving forward with an increase to the city’s stormwater utility fee yesterday (Tuesday).

City Manager Jim Parajon’s proposal increases the city’s stormwater utility fee rate from $340.30 to $357.40 per billing unit, equating to a roughly $26 addition to tax bills. City Council’s first reading vote sets the ordinance to go before a public hearing on Saturday, April 18, followed by a second reading before Council at its budget adoption meeting on Wednesday, April 29.

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Community meeting lined up for power plant site’s mixed-use plan in Old Town North

By James Cullum

Published April 14, 2026 at 1:45PM

The overall view of Block B looking west along the Potomac River, at the former Potomac River Generating Station (via City of Alexandria)

The owner of the dilapidated former Potomac River Generating Station in Old Town is hosting a community meeting next month on mixed-use redevelopment plans for part of the site.

HRP Group‘s virtual community meeting will be held via Zoom on Monday, May 4 from 6-7 p.m. Under discussion will be the special use permits for Block B and Block C (both submitted in July 2025), as well as open space along the waterfront and Norfolk Southern rail corridor.

Around Town

McDonald’s closes Van Dorn Street location to build second drive-thru lane

By James Cullum

Published April 9, 2026 at 2:45PM

McDonald's at 505 S. Van Dorn Street closed for repairs on April 7, 2026 (staff photo by James Cullum)

The McDonald’s at 505 S. Van Dorn Street in the Landmark/Van Dorn corridor closed this week to build a second drive-thru lane.

The second drive-thru lane was approved unanimously by the Planning Commission and City Council last year and will replace an existing loading area, which will be moved to the front of the building, according to a presentation from McDonald’s.

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Alexandria city manager pushes for paid parking on Sundays, parking fee increase

By James Cullum

Published April 9, 2026 at 1:45PM | Updated April 9, 2026 at 10:14PM

Alexandria City Manager Jim Parajon, June 10, 2025 (staff photo by James Cullum)

Alexandria City Manager Jim Parajon is asking City Council to approve paid parking on Sundays and an increase in parking meter rates.

The initiatives are included in Parajon’s proposed $977.3 million Fiscal Year 2027 budget and have gotten mixed reviews. If approved by City Council, the measure would make Alexandria the only locality in the region with parking meter enforcement on Sundays. Additionally, Parajon is proposing to increase parking violation fines from $40 to $50.

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Alexandria asks NVTA for nearly $37M to fund transportation projects

By James Cullum

Published April 2, 2026 at 1:45PM

Traffic backup heading eastbound along Duke Street (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Alexandria is seeking more than $36 million to fund two transportation projects as part of the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority‘s six-year program.

The total funding amount in NVTA’s proposed Fiscal Year 2026-2031 Six Year Program is $1.265 billion. Alexandria’s share includes $15 million for bus rapid transit improvements in the second phase of the Duke Street Transitway, and $21.86 million for pedestrian and bicycle improvements at Eisenhower Avenue and S. Van Dorn Street. NVTA adopts its six-year program every two years, allocating regional tax revenues to multimodal transportation projects.