development

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Off-site parking and shuttles are being considered for the new arena at Potomac Yard

By James Cullum
Monumental Sports & Entertainment and JBG Smith conducted a roundtable discussion with Alexandria business leaders at Pork Barrel BBQ in Del Ray on Monday, Jan. 22, 2024 (staff photo by James Cullum)

Officials planning the $2 billion arena at Potomac Yard say that there will be multiple ways to park around and access the site, from accessing parking garages in nearby Crystal City and at Metro stations, with fans getting carted around in shuttles running up and down Potomac Avenue.

Transportation issues were the most frequently mentioned in a roundtable discussion on Monday with local business owners and representatives at Pork Barrel BBQ in Del Ray. The dozen or so business leaders otherwise expressed support for the project.

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Del Ray’s Junction Bakery & Bistro wants a patio in the parking lot

By James Cullum
A patio area is being proposed for Junction Bakery & Bistro (1508 Mount Vernon Avenue) in Del Ray (via City of Alexandria)

A Del Ray restaurant is planning on expanding its footprint with a 750-square foot patio addition.

Noe Landini, owner of Junction Bakery & Bistro (1508 Mount Vernon Avenue), wants to build on the northern end of the restaurant on a repurposed area of the parking lot used for outdoor seating the last several years.

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High vacancy prompts office-to-apartment conversion proposal in Old Town North

By James Cullum
1201 E. Abingdon Drive in Old Town North (via Google Maps)

(Updated 5:25 p.m.) The owner of an aging office building in Old Town North wants it converted into a 136-unit apartment building, and credits the decision to the “ongoing and diminished office market and current high vacancy rate.”

The five-story, 112,000-square-foot office building was built in 1983. It’s owned by Principal Life Insurance Co. of Des Moines, Iowa, and managed by PF III Abingdon LLC, an affiliate of the D.C.-based real estate investment firm the Pinkard Group.

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Inova Landmark development will have fewer beds than the current hospital

By Vernon Miles
The proposed Inova Alexandria Hospital building on the former Landmark Mall site (via City of Alexandria)

Inova Alexandria Hospital is currently a 318-bed community hospital. Once it opens its new hospital in Landmark in 2028, it’ll be a 192-bed hospital.

At a City Council meeting last week, Councilwoman Alyia Gaskins raised concerns from the community about the loss of beds in the new development. Dr. Rina Bansal, president of Inova Alexandria Hospital, said the decrease in beds is part of making services more efficient.

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New petition calls for halt of Potomac Yard arena before ‘ruining our communities’

By James Cullum
Rendering of aerial view of Monumental Arena development (image courtesy of JBG SMITH)

A new Change.org petition opposing the new Washington Wizards/Capitals arena at Potomac Yard is slowly gaining steam.

Last week, Ted Leonsis, the CEO of Monumental Sports & Entertainment and owner of both teams, announced the move alongside Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin and Alexandria Mayor Justin Wilson. The $2 billion proposal would mean a new entertainment district for the area, which critics say will worsen traffic and decrease property values.

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Poster lampooning Potomac Yard development calls on Washington Commanders to move to the area

By James Cullum
A new poster in Potomac Yard lampooning development by calling for the Washington Commanders football team to come to the area (courtesy photo)

Updated at 2:45 p.m. New posters are lampooning the recent announcement that the Washington Capitals and Wizards are moving to Potomac Yard by demanding one more thing — for the Washington Commanders to also move to the neighborhood.

“BUILD THE STADIUM COMPLEX,” headlines the five posters, which say, “We must act fast! This mega complex will be suitable for (football, basketball and hockey stick emojis) and T Swift concerts. The streets of Del Ray will become sanctuary for riotous celebrations of multiple championships. We must not lose out to suburban Maryland!! Let’s make our suburb great again!”

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Alexandria Mayor: Potomac Yard arena will have minimal parking, but Metro station currently inadequate

By Vernon Miles
Alexandria Mayor Justin Wilson speaks at the announcement of a new arena for the Washington Wizards and Capitals in Potomac Yard in Alexandria, Dec. 13, 2023 (staff photo by James Cullum)

Yesterday’s announcement of the possible new arena at Potomac Yard turned a previously scheduled conversation with Mayor Justin Wilson into one of the first public discussions of the contentious project.

The Del Ray Citizens Association was packed with 375 participants on a Zoom call to ask Wilson questions about the new project. Across social media — and at a small protest outside the announcement — concerns focused on the secrecy around the project, car congestion at the site, and the Potomac Yard Metro’s ability to handle the amount of traffic.

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BREAKING: Washington Capitals and Wizards are officially moving to Potomac Yard

By ALXnow.com
Rendering of aerial view of Monumental Arena development (image courtesy of JBG SMITH)

Updated 3/27/2024 — The Washington Capitals and Washington Wizards are not, in fact, coming to Potomac Yard

It’s official: the Washington Capitals and the Washington Wizards are moving to Alexandria’s Potomac Yard neighborhood.

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Old Town development sparks Planning Commission debate over Alexandria’s broader planning process

By Vernon Miles
A rendering for 301 N. Fairfax Street in Old Town (via City of Alexandria)

Alexandria’s Planning Commission endorsed a plan to rezone 301 N. Fairfax Street, despite concerns from the divided Commission that rezoning without prior planning represents bad civic practice.

The plan is to replace the empty three-story office building with a four-story apartment building with underground parking and a rooftop terrace.

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Alexandria’s Smoot Lumber yard closing today after 200 years in business

By James Cullum
Ed King has worked at Smoot Lumber for 27 years and is being laid off (staff photo by James Cullum)

(Updated at 11:45 a.m.) After more than 200 years in business, Alexandria’s Smoot Lumber yard is shutting down today.

The Alexandria-area supplier of mouldings, doors and windows has been a staple for local builders since it was founded in 1822, and now its owner Builders FirstSource says that customers should visit its lumber yards in Manassas, Manassas Park, Springfield and in Waldorf, Maryland.

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