Fresh from her recent Democratic firehouse primary win, City Council candidate Sandy Marks says there’s a lot on the line in the upcoming special election.
Marks is facing independent candidates Frank Fannon and Alison O’Connell in the race, which is slated to coincide with a proposed constitutional amendment to redraw Virginia’s congressional districts.
With today’s 5 p.m. deadline fast approaching, Alison O’Connell is working to submit 125 signatures needed to file an independent candidacy to run for Alexandria City Council.
O’Connell, a founding member of Alexandria for Palestinian Human Rights, is hoping to run for City Council with platform issues that include affordable housing, ethical investment and anti-immigration enforcement measures. She and her team have been collecting signatures and turning them in throughout the day to the city’s registrar’s office, she told ALXnow this afternoon (Friday).
The plaintiffs in Alexandria’s Zoning for Housing/Housing for All lawsuit say they have raised the $28,000 required to pay for attorneys in their appeal against the Circuit Court’s November dismissal.
The plaintiff group, the Coalition for a Livable Alexandria, announced this morning (Friday) that it raised the funds for a fee agreement to move forward with attorneys at Dunn, Craig and Francuzenko. Last month, members of the group asked for donations in their continuing effort to reverse the city’s 2023 zoning overhaul, setting a Feb. 27 deadline.
The gap between Alexandria’s residential and commercial tax bases continues to grow, with residents shouldering more of the city’s tax burden, according to the city’s released real estate tax assessments.
As of Jan. 1, Alexandria’s overall tax base increased by 3.4% in value, or nearly $1.7 billion, to reach $51.4 billion in 2026. The city’s residential tax base increased by 4.4% in value, or $1.4 billion, while the commercial tax base gained $334.8 million in value, up 1.9%, and the non-locally assessed tax base declined by $20.5 million, dropping 2.8%.
Officials kicked off the residential conversion of the long-vacant Victory Center yesterday (Wednesday) with a symbolic wall demolition, as the site is expected to welcome hundreds of housing units along Eisenhower Avenue.
The project at 5001 Eisenhower Avenue by property owner Stonebridge, the City of Alexandria and Amazon’s Housing Fund promises to bring 377 housing units to the 9.73-acre Victory Center property, including committed affordable and workforce units.
Alexandria City Manager Jim Parajon unveiled his proposed $977.3 million Fiscal Year 2027 budget last night (Tuesday).
While the budget is a 2.2% increase from the current FY 2026 budget, Parajon’s proposal keeps the real estate tax rate of $1.135 per $100 of assessed value, and does not change the city’s refuse rate. He was able to achieve the feat through $9 million “in efficiency reductions, cost cutting savings, and vacant position reductions to balance the budget.”
The National Park Service has denied approval to build a pump station at Waterfront Park, the City of Alexandria has confirmed today (Wednesday).
The Alexandria Times was the first outlet to confirm the news. NPS sent the city a letter on Feb. 20 “indicating a reversal of their previous position on the City’s Deed Modification request for the Waterfront Flood Mitigation Pump Station,” according to the city website.
A plan to convert a two-story office complex into a residential community with 37 townhomes on Eisenhower Avenue is headed to the Planning Commission in April.
D.C.-area homebuilder Tri Pointe Homes is asking for permission to convert property at 4701 and 4801 Eisenhower Avenue into a residential development with 80 back-to-back units and 24% ground-level open space. The proposal, considered “phase 2” of the existing Eisenhower Pointe housing development, is expected to go before the commission on Tuesday, April 7.
Republican Gerry Chandler intends to enter the April 21 race for City Council, the Alexandria Republican City Committee has announced.
Chandler is slated to run against Democrat Sandy Marks and independent candidate Frank Fannon in the upcoming special election to replace former Councilman-turned-Delegate R. Kirk McPike. Candidates have until 5 p.m. Friday to submit paperwork to the General Registrar to appear on the ballot.
Alexandria’s draft plan to address city housing needs between through 2040 will be available for public review at an open house this Saturday.
The Office of Housing is hosting the free open house to discuss the Housing 2040 draft recommendations and strategies at the Nannie J. Lee Recreation Center (1108 Jefferson Street), with interactive stations and breakout sessions from 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
The Alexandria Police Department has extended the deadline to apply to its spring Community Police Academy to tomorrow (Friday).
The free nine-week program gives the public a chance to get a behind-the-scenes look at APD’s operations. The deadline was previously scheduled on Monday this week.
