development | ALXnow

Changes to Old Town Marquee Sign Headed to City Review Tonight

Published July 15, 2020 at 10:30AM

The Old Town Theater in Alexandria (Staff photo by Jay Westcott)

After some back and forth about the “Old Town” letters, plans to revive the marquee above the former Old Town Theater are headed to the Alexandria Board of Architectural Review tonight (Wednesday).

The site at 815 1/2 King Street is undergoing renovation to turn into a Patagonia — an outdoors clothing and equipment store. The location was build as the Richmond Theater in 1914, according to a staff report, with a permit for “moving pictures, bowling alleys and billiards.” In 1929, a metal marquee was added, which may have been replaced or updated in the 1950s.

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Developers Outline Flexible Open Space Vision for New Potomac Yard

By Vernon Miles

Published July 14, 2020 at 2:00PM

Design for campus green at Potomac Yard (image via City of Alexandria)

If the vision presented to the Parks and Recreation Commission last Thursday remains through the development, Potomac Yard could be rife with flexible open space.

At the commission meeting, representatives of developer JBG SMITH and Virginia Tech outlined plans for flexibles spaces that could be used equally for casual strolls or busy markets.

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King Street Buildings from Early 1800s to Get Modern Touchup with Redevelopment

By Vernon Miles

Published July 14, 2020 at 10:30AM

The former Pines of Florence and Aftertime Comics buildings at 1300 and 1304 King Street may not stand out much to the casual Old Town visitor, but faded brick buildings have a historic legacy that a new development hopes to bring out again.

The property at 1300 King Street is being redeveloped with an L-shaped building that will have 33 multifamily units over ground-floor retail, Washington Business Journal reported. Though it’s just one building, the project’s design is aimed to appear like two: with a red brick building facing King Street and a grey brick one facing S. Payne Street.

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ALXnow Weekend Discussion

By Vernon Miles

Published July 10, 2020 at 5:15PM

Abyssinia Market and Coffee House (photo via Abyssinia Market and Coffee House/Facebook)

A pair of incidents — racist threats at a local martial arts champion and a man spitting at a local coffee house owner — were the prevailing stories Alexandria.

Alexandria Police told ALXnow that a suspect in the incident was found and taken into custody, but ultimately was not identified and “received services.”

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New Mixed-Use Development Sparks Frustration With Density in Parker-Gray Neighborhood

By Vernon Miles

Published July 8, 2020 at 5:00PM

Concept rendering of 701 N. Henry Street project (photo via City of Alexandria)

There were public concerns about the massing, height, and construction hours for the newly approved development at 701 N. Henry Street. Behind those criticisms though was a recurring theme: many residents of the city’s historic Parker-Gray neighborhood are unhappy with the new density coming to their neighborhood.

Before it was part of the trendy Braddock neighborhood, with Metro adjacent coffee shops and bars, the Parker-Gray neighborhood was a historic black community formed as a haven for former slaves after the Civil War and solidified into a distinct center of Black life in Alexandria during segregation, according to the Washington Post.

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Alexandria Weekend Discussion

By James Cullum

Published July 2, 2020 at 5:15PM

The July 4 holiday weekend is here, and it’s hard to believe that 2020 is more than halfway over. Not only has the year flown by, but so has the last week.

Alexandria joined the rest of Virginia in entering into the third phase of its reopening, the oldest resident in the city turned 109, a police officer was charged with assault and battery for a January arrest

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Morning Notes

By James Cullum

Published July 2, 2020 at 9:00AM

Del Ray First Thursday Porch Party Today — “The Del Ray Business Association presents First Thursday Porch Party: Red, White, and Blue from 6 p.m. to dusk on Thursday, July 2. In the spirit of Del Ray’s summer street festivals, the event features a wide range of activities that promote community while maintaining social distancing standards.” [Facebook]

Major Residential Development Breaks Ground — “About 300 residences and a large parking garage are replacing an old office building in Alexandria’s West End.” [Alexandria Living]

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Old Town Garden-Style Apartments to Be Replaced by Multifamily Apartment Complex

By James Cullum

Published July 1, 2020 at 10:20AM | Updated July 1, 2020 at 10:51AM

A rendering of the proposed development of The Heritage apartment complex in Old Town. (Image via City of Alexandria)

The owners of an Old Town apartment complex want to demolish four 1970s-era rental properties and redevelop them into two multifamily apartment buildings with 474 new apartments.

The Board of Architectural Review will discuss the matter on July 15 before moving their recommendation to the City Council.

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Alexandria Weekend Discussion

By James Cullum

Published June 26, 2020 at 5:15PM

It was a busy week in Alexandria, and there is plenty to talk about.

The city is moving forward with phase three of reopening its economy on July 1, and the news comes as the death toll from the coronavirus moved up to 50 and the number of cases steadily rise.

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Large Residential Development in Braddock Goes to Planning Commission Tomorrow

By Vernon Miles

Published June 24, 2020 at 3:30PM

Concept rendering of 701 N. Henry Street project (photo via City of Alexandria)

After securing an endorsement at the Board of Architectural Review last month, the plan to turn 701 N. Henry Street into a 94 unit residential complex is headed to the Planning Commission tomorrow (Thursday).

The project will replace Alexandria Lighting and Supply with 94 unit residential building, 87 of which would be market-rate housing and 7 committed as affordable units.

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Developers Take Another Crack at Converting North Old Town Office to Housing

By Vernon Miles

Published June 23, 2020 at 11:30AM

After years of inaction, a new applicant is hoping to take a crack at converting the vacant Waterfront Center office building in Old Town at 801 N. Fairfax Street into a residential development.

“Interest in converting the nearly 50-year-old office building dates back to at least 2015, when the property owner for both office buildings approached the City about converting the 801 N. Fairfax Street building to residential,” said the applicant, A & A Limited Partnership. “The property owner demonstrated that floor area ratio (FAR), setbacks, parking and open space requirements could be satisfied in a ‘by-right’ conversion from office to multifamily residential.”