development

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Del Ray residents converge over Preservation Virginia’s ‘endangered’ designation

By James Cullum
Residents hear about Preservation Virginia's declaration of Del Ray in its annual list of endangered communities, May 18, 2023 (staff photo by James Cullum)

About 50 people gathered in Del Ray early Thursday evening to decry increased development and to hear about a recent “endangered” designation within the neighborhood.

Preservation Virginia recently designated The Town of Potomac — once an independent and racist town and now a sub-neighborhood within Del Ray — in its annual list of endangered historic sites. The Town of Potomac was created in 1908 as a white-only community in Arlington County. It was annexed into the Alexandria in 1930, after which it “ceased to exist,” according to the city.

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Alexandria City Council asks: How long should new developments pay for their local impact?

By Vernon Miles
A DASH bus at Southern Towers (staff photo by Vernon Miles)

City Council says developers should be financially on the hook for the traffic impacts of their projects — but they disagree over how long payments should last.

Alexandria currently relies on developers to pay for the impact their projects have on local roads and transportation networks. When it comes to follow-through, however, the city has no meaningful mechanisms to hold accountable developers who don’t make good on the promises they made during the application process.

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Del Ray residents want deferral of controversial zoning plan to desegregate Alexandria

By James Cullum
What two additional stories looks like on a 45-foot-tall structure. (Via City of Alexandria)

A controversial proposal to expand Alexandria’s housing availability is running into opposition in Del Ray.

The Del Ray Citizens Association (DRCA), on Wednesday, will vote on asking the city to extend the timeline for its Zoning For Housing/Housing For All initiative. City leaders say that the massive plan essentially desegregates Alexandria, and includes an incentive for developers to build affordable housing up to 70 feet in height in areas where height limits are 45 feet or more.

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Massive Montgomery Center redevelopment heads to City Council this month

By James Cullum
Bird's eye view of the Montgomery Center proposal (via City of Alexandria)

A massive plan to demolish the Montgomery Center in Old Town North unanimously passed through the Alexandria Planning Commission on Thursday night.

The two-acre project would demolish the 1970s-era shopping center and replace it with an eight-story 350,000-square-foot apartment building with 327 residential units, more than 25,000 square feet of retail and a 13,300-square-foot performance venue for up to 600 patrons.

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City of Alexandria lays out power plant demolition plans and uncertainties

By Vernon Miles
Exercising near the closed GenOn power plant in Alexandria near the Potomac River. (staff photo by James Cullum)

As plans for what will replace the Potomac River Generating Station in Old Town North gradually take shape, the city is still working through the specifics of how exactly to tear down the building.

Deputy Director for Infrastructure and Environmental Quality Bill Skrabak said in a presentation yesterday to the Alexandria Local Emergency Planning Committee — full disclosure, this reporter is a member of that committee — that rather than one big demolition the building will most likely be taken apart piece by piece.

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Housing Alexandria breaking ground on new Arlandria affordable housing development this summer

By Vernon Miles
Concept rendering of Sansé and Naja development in Arlandria (courtesy of Housing Alexandria)

Local nonprofit Housing Alexandria said it will break ground on a new 474-unit affordable housing project in Arlandria this summer at the intersection of Mount Vernon Avenue and Glebe Road.

The project — a pair of buildings the nonprofit announced will be called Sansé and Naja — will create 474 units of affordable housing, 36,000 square feet of commercial space and a two-level underground parking garage. All of the units will be affordable for households making up to 80% of the Area Median Income (AMI) with 105 units set aside as deeply affordable — available to those making 40% AMI.

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Walgreens redevelopment in Old Town headed to city review

By Vernon Miles

The proposed redevelopment of a pair of blue and white buildings, a former Burke & Herbert Bank and a former Walgreens, is heading back to city review next month.

The plan is to combine the two buildings into a single mixed-use development called The Mansley with ground-floor retail and three stories of residential space above.

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News

Inova at Landmark project unanimously approved by Alexandria City Council

By James Cullum
The proposed Inova Alexandria Hospital cancer center building on the former Landmark Mall site (via City of Alexandria)

The 1.1 million-square-foot Inova at Landmark project got unanimous approval by the Alexandria City Council on Saturday, giving the hospital system the green light to build the future home of Alexandria Hospital.

Inova wants to start construction on the former Landmark Mall site in 2024 and have the four-building hospital campus finished by 2028. The hospital building is designed to face I-395, making it a gateway for drivers traveling north.

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West End neighborhood associations band together against new residential development

By James Cullum
The proposed apartment building at 1900 N. Beauregard Street (via City of Alexandria)

Three West End neighborhood associations say that a proposed residential development at 1900 N. Beauregard Street will create too much density.

The Seminary West Civic Association (SWCA), Seminary Heights Condominium Association and the Seminary Park Home Owners Association wrote City Council discouraging the proposal by Monday Properties.

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Waterfront warehouse and Civil War mess hall to become new tavern

By Vernon Miles
Rendering for proposed Cooper Mill development at 10 Duke Street (courtesy image)

One of Alexandria’s last waterfront warehouses is becoming a tavern.

According to a press release, the squat brick warehouse at 10 Duke Street is going to be converted into a market, tavern and event space called Cooper Mill, a throwback to the site’s history of making barrels for the Alexandria Flower Company.

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Massive housing reform process for Alexandria kicks off this month

By Vernon Miles
The Eisenhower Square townhouse development (staff photo by Brandi Bottalico)

Alexandria is preparing to launch a massive overhaul of its housing zoning with a kickoff event later this month.

The Zoning for Housing/Housing for All initiative was announced late last year but has been in the works since 2020. The initiative is essentially a top-t0-bottom review of the city code to rewrite the city’s zoning code to emphasize affordability and equity.

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