In case you missed it, the Truth Conductor was recently in Old Town.
Sitting in his conductor’s uniform behind a donation bucket, Don Folden sat on a recent workday in the 100 block of King Street collecting donations under a sign reading, “STOP HATING EACH OTHER BECAUSE YOU DISAGREE.”
Alexandria Police are investigating the theft of credit cards and other items belonging to employees at a number of shops in Old Town.
Red Barn Mercantile (1117 King Street), the AR Workshop Alexandria (1212 King Street) and Ms. Moxie’s Moon Shop (102 N. Fayette Street) were hit with theft over the weekend.
The former Hank’s Oyster Bar location at 1024 King Street could become a new location for Thompson Italian, an Italian restaurant in Falls Church.
According to a new special use permit filing by “King Street Italian, LLC”, the Italian restaurant could be taking over the spot vacated by Hank’s in March when the restaurant moved to Old Town North.
Bauer’s Optical at 4680 King Street is permanently closed.
The shop was broken into in January — one of many eyewear sellers that have been broken into this year across the region. About $17,000 in glasses was stolen from the store, which is located in the Shoppes at Summit Centre, a shopping center in the northwest corner of Alexandria.
There’s a new reason to go to the Hyatt Centric Old Town.
Indo-Chinese restaurant Indochen is now open at the hotel (1625 King Street) serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. This is the second Indochen in Alexandria, after its location at 4906 Brenman Park Drive in Cameron Station.
After few months after purchasing 515 King Street — the big brutalist building in Old Town with a big clock on the side — Douglas Development is pitching a building overhaul to the city’s Board of Architectural Review (BAR).
The purchase of 515 King Street is just one of many recent acquisitions along King Street by Douglas Development.
Alexandria’s King Street pedestrian zone initiative is getting a boost this weekend as the zone’s size will double for the next few months.
The pilot was approved by the City Council in April and will run from this Friday, May 27, through Monday Sept. 5 — Memorial Day Weekend through Labor Day weekend.
Some changes could be coming to the King Street pedestrian zone to make the block’s change a little more permanent.
The Board of Architectural Review is scheduled to review a certificate of appropriateness for new bollards at either end of 100 block of King Street at the Board’s Thursday (May 5) meeting. The use of bollards was already approved in January, but the type approved in January was not rated for withstanding vehicle crashes, so a new type needs to be approved for locations like the 100 block where they’re designed to block vehicles.
Update 3:50 p.m. — The PR firm representing Douglas Development said the transaction hasn’t been closed yet. While the original closing date was today, the PR firm said it is being delayed until tomorrow (Friday).
Earlier: The distinctive quasi-brutalist building at 515 King Street is the latest acquisition by Douglas Development, which has been snatching up several buildings along King Street in Old Town.
Updated 7:45 p.m. — Christopher Ziemann, division chief for Department of Transportation & Environmental Services, said in an email:
What City Council approved last night was not the pedestrian zone directly. This requires an ordinance change, which requires a public hearing. That Council approved last night was the first reading of the item and to set it for public hearing on April 23. On the 23rd, there will be a public hearing on the topic, which will most likely involve a presentation, discussion, questions and public comments.
The demolition and redevelopment of 628 King Street, formerly Banana Republic, is headed to review at the Board of Architectural Review (BAR) as the developer hopes to make some changes to the upper part of the building.
Currently, the building’s second floor is an almost entirely windowless brick facade. Jemal’s Gap Corner King, LLC, part of Douglas Development, is applying to demolish part of the north and west parts of the building to add windows to the second floor.
