A proposal to convert an office building in Alexandria’s Carlyle neighborhood into a 187-unit apartment building with four new stories and a mechanical penthouse is heading to the Planning Commission.
Red Fox Development LLC is requesting that the city approve the conversion of the office building located at 2051 Jamieson Avenue. The proposal is scheduled to be presented to the Planning Commission on Thursday, November 6.
A proposal to build a seven-story residential multi-unit building with 402 units in Alexandria’s West End is scheduled to be heard by the Planning Commission on Thursday, Nov. 6.
Maryland-based Bozzuto Development Company is presenting the plan to redevelop the vacant four-acre lot at 4880 Mark Center Drive, which is bounded by the Winkler Botanical Preserve and near the Seminary Road exit to Interstate 395.
The Chinquapin Park Recreation Center and Aquatics Facility will reopen Monday, Sept. 22, after being closed for renovation for more than a month.
The recreation center closed for the $1.2 million project on Aug. 9. The city estimates the project to wrap up Jan. 31, 2026, and said that visitors may “notice some construction activity, including occasional noise and dust.”
Alexandria will conduct a pre-construction meeting for the Fort Ward Park playground later this month.
The city will conduct the virtual meeting on Monday, Sept. 29, at 7 p.m. and provide information on the project construction and archaeological monitoring. Construction is expected to start this fall and be finished next summer, according to the city.
The Alexandria Planning Commission will review a three-year extension in October for a controversial 180-unit apartment building near the Braddock Road Metro station that has faced years of delays and community opposition.
In June, the city council deferred a decision to extend the DSUP for the one-acre project at 727 N. West St. until its city council public hearing on October 18. The deferral gave developer West Street Acquisitions several months to discuss stormwater issues with the city and conduct more community conversations with neighbors. The plan will first go to the Planning Commission for review on Oct. 9.
Alo Yoga started construction at 814 King Street in Old Town.
The California-based yoga chain has gutted the interior of the space that was previously home to the Random Harvest furniture store. According to contractors working on site, the renovation should be completed within a month.
Here’s a rundown of our top stories.
Our top story this week is on the Thursday, Sept. 11, announcement that Systems Planning and Analysis (SPA) will expand its Alexandria headquarters and create 1,200 new jobs over the next five years as part of a $46.9 million investment across Northern Virginia. The defense contractor bought, and will renovate, a 239,000-square-foot office building at 2001 N. Beauregard Street. Attendees at the announcement included Gov. Glenn Youngkin, Alexandria Mayor Alyia Gaskins and Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay.
Leaders running the Northern Virginia Juvenile Detention Center (200 S. Whiting Street) are poised to release an Invitation For Bids (IFB) to renovate the cells housing dozens of children.
NVJDC Commission Chair John Lawrence tells ALXnow that the body will vote Sept. 15 to allow the jail’s executive director, Johnitha McNair, to put out the IFB to demolish 60 concrete slabs inside the cells that are used for bedding and tables, as well as repainting walls and replacing flooring with a budget not to exceed $250,000.
Interior demolition work started last week at a new French cafe in Old Town.
Aug. 28 was the last day for public comments on Maman Coffee Baking Kitchen’s special use permit application (SUP) to operate a cafe, bakery, restaurant, and accessory event space at 701 King Street. The building is located at the corner of King and N. Washington Streets, and is the former home to Foxtrot, which closed in 2024.
Alexandria will eliminate requirements for third-party green building certifications under a new policy aimed at reducing development costs while maintaining environmental standards.
The City Council is expected to consider the updated Green Building Policy later this year after review by the Planning Commission and Environmental Policy Commission. The changes would take effect Jan. 1, replacing the current 2019 policy.
A proposal to build a 275-unit workforce housing multifamily apartment building on the southwest portion of the sprawling WestEnd development is heading to the Alexandria Planning Commission.
Plans for the seven-story development from landowner Foulger Pratt and its partner Landmark Holdings LLC call for a seven-story structure with 210 parking spaces (a reduction from the 327 required spaces), with 80% of the units available for between 80% and 120% area median income. The proposal heads to the Planning Commission on Thursday, Oct. 9.
