Alexandria is looking for ways to relieve businesses from the years-long renovation impacts of City Hall and Market Square in Old Town.
With parking temporarily halted on the streets next to the property at 301 King Street, sidewalks closed and the sound of continual construction, businesses in a one-block radius of the building are feeling the effects.
Major things are happening at Alexandria’s City Hall, as the city says that the last six months have been spent removing asbestos and other hazardous material from the building at 301 King Street.
In a release, the city also reported that the project has been pushed back 10 weeks due to unexpected areas needing asbestos abatement. Now with that part of the project complete, crews in September will start deconstruction of an addition to the building made in the 1960s.
With the closure of the parking garage underneath City Hall, Alexandria is working on several creative solutions for a growing problem — parking in the heart of Old Town.
A proposal for new bike lanes, enhancements to pedestrian crossings and shorter crossing distances at key intersections on Braddock Road are up for review this month by Alexandria’s Traffic and Parking Board.
A city-recommended design concept calls for several Braddock Road upgrades between Russell Road and West Street. The city has worked on the Braddock Road Trail Access and Corridor Improvements project since last year as a response to concerns from Alex311, the 2023 Safe Routes to School walk audit at George Washington Middle School and the Virginia Department of Transportation.
The Market Square Garage is closing next Monday, Feb. 9, to allow crews to begin renovations at City Hall and Market Square, according to a city announcement this afternoon (Monday).
Monthly pass holders “should have already been contacted” about new parking options, and a list of alternative locations in Old Town is available on the city’s website. The garage is closing as the project site will be secured with fencing this month, according to the announcement.
The Old Town Farmers’ Market is officially relocating this weekend in advance of construction on City Hall and Market Square.
The Saturday morning market is moving across the street from Market Square to the 100 block of N. Royal Street before construction is set to begin on Tuesday, Jan. 20.
The city of Alexandria will host a virtual meeting this Thursday covering the pre-construction phase of renovations at City Hall and Market Square.
Currently in its architectural and engineering design phase, the multimillion-dollar project includes renovations at City Hall, a redesign of Market Square and an underground parking garage. More than 300 city employees have already relocated to temporary swing spaces, and the rest are expected to do so by the end of the month, according to a city announcement.
The last moves of Alexandria’s City Council and staff have been announced, as the years-long renovation project at City Hall and Market Square is just around the corner.
The various arms of the city government will be operating from swing spaces until 2028, when the project is expected to be completed. With more than 300 city staffers already moved to temporary offices, the project will start construction this spring, according to the city.
The Old Town Farmers’ Market is relocating across the street from Market Square in January to accommodate upcoming renovations at City Hall.
The market is relocating just steps away at the 100 block of N. Royal Street and the courtyard at Tavern Square. The move will begin on an unannounced date in January and last throughout two to three years of City Hall construction.
Following hefty city pushback, the Board of Architectural Review unanimously advanced plans to renovate City Hall and Market Square with a new certificate of appropriateness at last night’s public hearing (Wednesday).
Board member Andrew Scott introduced a motion to approve a final design stipulating the inclusion of decorative chimneys, lifted archways and other 19th-century flourishes at the site of the 1871 building, garnering some dissent from Director of General Services Jeremy McPike.
The Alexandria Board of Architectural Review (BAR) is conducting a work session tonight (Oct. 22) to discuss the certificate of appropriateness for the City Hall, Market Square, and parking garage renovation project.
The BAR approved demolition plans for the project last week, although it deferred the design approvals. The work session was scheduled after last week’s meeting, and city planners are operating on a tight schedule, hoping to break ground in the second quarter of 2026 with a completion goal of 2028, according to the city.
