Eisenhower Valley | ALXnow

Morning Notes

Published April 17, 2020 at 9:00AM

View of the U.S. Capitol from Rivergate City Park along the Potomac River in Alexandria. (Staff photo by James Cullum)

Victory Center Property Sold to Townhouse Developer — “Winchester Homes plans to build 138 townhouses ranging from 1,700 SF to 2,600 SF on the site. Winchester has built over 20,000 residential units across the Mid-Atlantic, including six communities that have opened in the last year. The deal comes after the Alexandria City Council in May approved a rezoning of the site’s 7-acre eastern parking lot that allows for a mix of uses. Two weeks later, Stonebridge acquired the property from PGIM Real Estate for $43M.” [Bisnow]

Alexandria Woman Arrested for Breaking Quarantine in Hawaii — “Kauai police arrested 31-year-old Desiree Marvin of Alexandria and 36-year-old Hawaii resident Adam Schwarze after they ignored orders to immediately self-quarantine.” [Alex Times]

News

New Transit Plan Could Send King Street Trolley Down to Eisenhower

By Vernon Miles

Published March 2, 2020 at 2:00PM

The King Street Trolley (Staff Photo by Jay Westcott)

The King Street Trolley runs from the King Street Metro down to the waterfront, but a section of the new Transit Vision Plan could extend that path down to the Eisenhower Metro station.

“The 2030 and 2022 Vision Plan Networks include the King Street Trolley with a potential extension from the King Street Metro to the Eisenhower Metro Station via the Carlyle and Eisenhower East districts,” the plan said. “This could provide a frequent connection directly between the large and dense activity center around Eisenhower Avenue Metro and Old Town.”

News

Eisenhower Partnership Fights for Increased Bus Frequency

By Vernon Miles

Published February 24, 2020 at 4:30PM | Updated February 24, 2020 at 4:47PM

A DASH bus on King Street in Old Town Alexandria

The Eisenhower Partnership is making a last-minute push to try to salvage a 15-minute bus service plan for Eisenhower Avenue ahead of tomorrow’s City Council meeting.

Currently buses cycle along Eisenhower Avenue every 30 minutes, as they do in much of the rest of the city. A new plan would increase the frequency of service in densely populated corridors, while cutting down or eliminating service to some less-densely populated residential areas.

News

New Eisenhower Apartment Complex Starts Leasing, Opens Next Month

By Vernon Miles

Published February 24, 2020 at 10:35AM

Concept rendering for The Foundry (image via The Foundry)

The Foundry (2470 Mandeville Lane) isn’t open yet, but the new luxury complex in Hoffman Town Center has started leasing apartments.

According to a press release, apartments include studios as well as one, two and three-bedrooms. Studios start at around $1,900 per month and go up to three-bedroom units at $4,360. Rent specials are currently being offered, the press release said.

News

Portion of Holmes Run Trail Still Closed Following Last Year’s Floods with No Relief in Sight

By Vernon Miles

Published February 6, 2020 at 2:15PM

A trail entrance to Dora Kelley Nature Park after flood damage in 2018 (Staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Holmes Run Trail through Eisenhower’s West End was fragmented by last year’s flooding, and city staff said it could remain that way for years to come.

Under normal circumstances, the Holmes Run Trail runs continuously northwest from Eisenhower Avenue to Columbia Pike with few, if any, interruptions. Flash floods from last year’s July 8 storms changed that.

News

Fluffle of Bunnies Coming to Eisenhower Cidery for ‘Hoppy Hour’ and Meditation

By Vernon Miles

Published February 3, 2020 at 2:35PM | Updated March 15, 2024 at 2:37PM

Bunny yoga and meditation is returning to Alexandria this weekend, this time at Lost Boy Cider (317 Hooffs Run Drive), just off Eisenhower Ave.

News

City Unenthusiastically Approves Lackluster Eisenhower Project Because It’s Too Expensive to Cancel

By Vernon Miles

Published January 27, 2020 at 4:45PM | Updated January 29, 2021 at 3:17PM

Nobody on the City Council seemed particularly happy about transportation changes planned for Eisenhower Avenue, but at this point too much money has been invested to turn back, city staff argued.

The plan, which has been in the works since 2003, involves turning the traffic circle at the east end of Eisenhower Avenue into a T-intersection, adding turn lanes to the intersection with Mill Road, and widening Mill Road.

News

Eisenhower Roadway Improvements Face $2 Million Budget Gap

By Vernon Miles

Published January 21, 2020 at 10:35AM

Improvements planned for the east end of Eisenhower Avenue have come back significantly over budget and city staff are working to find a new funding source.

The Eisenhower Avenue Roadway Improvement Project would add a left turn lane onto westbound Eisenhower Avenue at Mill Road — a site of frequent congestion as Mill Road leads up to the Beltway — and Mill Road would be widened. At the other end of the improvements, the traffic circle at the end of Eisenhower Avenue to the east would be replaced with a T intersection.

News

New Affordable Rental Apartments Open Up in Eisenhower

By Vernon Miles

Published December 11, 2019 at 1:15PM

Concept rendering for The Foundry (image via The Foundry)

A new apartment community in the Eisenhower neighborhood is offering a “limited-number” of affordable units to income-eligible households, according to a press release.

The city’s housing site says only five affordable units are available at The Foundry (2470 Mandeville Lane), a new apartment building adjacent to the Hoffman Town Center slated to open next year.

News

Officials: ‘Snob Factor’ in City Zoning Makes Creating Affordable Housing in Eisenhower Harder

By Vernon Miles

Published December 5, 2019 at 11:45AM

The city is hoping to bring new affordable housing to the Eisenhower Valley, but some on the Planning Commission said the city is shooting itself in the foot with snobby development guidelines.

The plans to reshape Eisenhower — a topic that came up several times this week — went to the Planning Commission on Tuesday, Dec. 3. While the commission mostly praised the vision presented in the plans, Commissioner Mindy Lyle pointed out that efforts to create more affordable housing in the area are inadvertently hamstrung by the city’s own zoning and design practices.

News

Inside the Hidden Treasure Trove of Small Businesses in Eisenhower West

By Vernon Miles

Published December 4, 2019 at 3:30PM | Updated December 4, 2019 at 3:56PM

Rock climbing section in Sportrock (staff photo by Vernon Miles)

(Updated at 3:55 p.m.) In the shadow of the Covanta trash incinerator, just north of the Metro tracks, a small garden of unique, local businesses is blooming.

The West End Business Center (5308 Eisenhower Avenue) and Van Dorn Metro Business Center (5416 Eisenhower Avenue) look like average industrial uses, but several of the businesses inside this suite offer unique services that are relatively hidden from those who don’t already frequent the Eisenhower West area.