At a community meeting earlier this week, police grappled with public concerns over last year’s spike in crime and addressed some of the causes behind it.
The elephant in the room was the shots fired call on April 6 that ended with a chase into D.C. and one of the suspects died after jumping off an overpass. On that topic, some seemed hopeful that Brown could shed more light on what happened.
“I will tell you right now, that investigation and several investigations are ongoing,” Brown said at Charles Houston Recreation Center in Old Town North on Monday. “Investigation of the incident is an ongoing thing and there are things we won’t talk about.”
Brown said some public discussion of what happened is limited by an ongoing death investigation in D.C., and six APD officers remain on administrative duties pending the outcome of an internal investigation.
Brown also worked to waylay some concerns by noting that last year’s spike in crime hasn’t carried over quite as much into 2021.
“Our shots fired cases thus far this year are where they are the year before last, which is a much lower number,” Brown said. “But that doesn’t make it any easier for those of you who have a bullet hole in your window.”
Brown said one of the biggest spikes last year was in larcenies, which started picking up in the summer. He also said there was an increase in thefts for supplies that were scarce early in the pandemic, like detergent products.
“We had two major companies that changed their posture on petit larceny,” Brown said. “So, we were getting called for a lot of those.”
One of the main concerns from nearby residents was a decline in local patrol officers over the last several months and repeated 911 calls that never resulted in a police investigation.
Captain Dennis Andreas, patrol division commander, said patrols were scaled back last year during the pandemic.
“We did reduce some of the calls we responded to and that was department-wide,” Andreas said. “Some of the calls you called in may have fallen into that criteria, and you may not have seen an officer. But that has been lifted as of a month ago.”
Brown said crimes against property were generally down, except for cars being broken into and a surge of calls about election posters put up on roads and private property over the summer, when the national election was heating up and protests were ongoing.
But Part 1 crimes — crimes against people, like murder and assault — increased 19% last year.
“I can’t explain the numbers,” Brown said. “I’ve been looking at those kinds of numbers for years and I haven’t seen those. Part of me thinks it’s the pandemic, some of it’s the national discussion of policing. Those numbers are what they are.”
Photo via Alexandria Police/YouTube
Alexandria health director reflects on sudden retirement, tenure with city — “When Dr. Stephen Haering, director of the Alexandria Health Department for the past 11 years, unexpectedly announced his retirement on April 9, he did so for what he called ‘deeply personal’ reasons. Haering, whose retirement was effective immediately according to a city news release, told the Times in an interview that his departure was ‘not associated with the pandemic response.'” [Alex Times]
Vaccination drive brings a dose of hope for restaurant workers — “More than 1,000 restaurant and small business employees have filed through the doors of the old Fireflies restaurant over the past few weeks with the same purpose: receiving COVID-19 vaccinations. The location’s current vacancy made this the perfect site to administer such a large number of shots, Bill Blackburn, restaurateur and co-owner of Homegrown Restaurant Group, said. Blackburn joined forces with community organizer Charlotte Hall and Scott Shaw of Alexandria Restaurant Partners – who donated the space – to orchestrate the Alexandria Restaurant Drive whereby restaurant workers could receive vaccinations in a streamlined way.” [Alex Times]
Bren Mar Park demolition project to begin — “Demolition work will begin at Bren Mar Park on Collier Lane and Edsall Road in Alexandria, Virginia, as the Fairfax County Park Authority (FCPA) removes a home on the property.” [Fairfax County]
Reimagined ‘Taste Of Old Town North’ to be held over 2 months — “The Reimagined Taste of Old Town North will start on April 21 and will continue through June 21. During the two-month period, residents can purchase a Taste Passport for $10 to use at participating businesses. These businesses will offer discounts to Passport holders.” [Patch]
Today’s weather — “Intervals of clouds and sunshine (during the day). High 63F. Winds WNW at 10 to 20 mph… A few clouds from time to time (in the evening). Low 44F. Winds NW at 10 to 20 mph.” [Weather.com]
New job: Taekwondo instructors and camp counselors — “Our growing company is currently seeking motivated and enthusiastic individuals who are GREAT with people to join our team at multiple locations. Our programs include martial arts classes for all ages, as well as After-school & Summer Camp programs for children 6-12 years old. Work hours tend to fall in the afternoons, evenings and Saturday mornings. This is a part-time position that can lead to a full-time position with excellent opportunity for advancement.” [Indeed]
It was a historic week in Alexandria. Here are some of the highlights.
President Joe Biden visited the Neighborhood Health COVID-19 vaccine site at Virginia Theological Seminary on Tuesday, just before announcing that the date for adults to get access to the vaccine has been moved to April 19.
The Alexandria School Board, on Thursday night, voted to change the name of T.C. Williams High School to Alexandria City High School.
The School Board also voted unanimously to reduce the distancing requirement in ACPS schools from six feet to three feet, all the while community support is growing to expand in-person instruction to more than the current two days a week. Summer school is currently planned to begin in July and will be four days a week, and ACPS is planning on reopening to five days a week at the beginning of the next school year.
Our top story was on the T.C. Williams Titans junior varsity football team walking off the field after an incident with the Robinson Rams on Monday night. Robinson Rams players allegedly spit at and made a racial slur against T.C. players. The incident has prompted Fairfax County Public Schools to announce a “stand-down” meeting for all athletic teams and coaches to discuss “appropriate behaviors required to play sports in FCPS.”
Additionally, six Alexandria Police officers were placed on administrative duties after a chase suspect died while in custody. Police responded to a call for shots fired in the 800 block of North Patrick Street, and multiple buildings and vehicles were struck. The driver of the vehicle crashed on Interstate 295, and then jumped over an overpass barrier and fell more than 20 feet and was tased by police, arrested and later died.
Important Stories
- Alexandria aims to adjust vaccination efforts as city moves into next phase
- Alexandria Police employees give department mixed reviews
- Planning Commission approves controversial subdivision, plants potential loophole for future denial
- City says Taylor Run alternatives could cost far more than current estimates
- Crime increase prompts ARHA to install security cameras in Old Town
- City looks to Landmark Towers deal to save Arlandria
- ‘Beltway Bank Bandit’ sentenced 21 years for robbing Alexandria banks and area businesses
- Man arrested for threatening to burn down City Hall
- Wilson wins Alexandria Democratic Committee straw poll, Gaskins takes top spot over incumbents
Top Stories
- JUST IN: T.C. Williams JV football team walks off field after alleged racial slur, spitting incident
- BREAKING: Shots fired in Old Town leads to chase that ends in D.C.
- JUST IN: President Biden set to visit Alexandria vaccination site Tuesday
- National Park Service announces George Washington Parkway to go on a diet
- Neighborhood Health vaccinating thousands at sites in Alexandria, Arlington and Fairfax County
- JUST IN: Woman arrested after fight on King Street Metro station platform
- UPDATE: $8,500 reported stolen in terrifying West End robbery
- JUST IN: President Biden visits COVID-19 vaccine site at Virginia Theological Seminary
- COVID-19 update: Alexandria moves into vaccination phase 1C
- JUST IN: Six Alexandria Police officers put on administrative duties after chase suspect dies
- Fairfax County man arrested for three burglaries, released three days later
Have a safe weekend!
Private School, The Linder Academy, to Open in Old Town — “The Linder Academy, a private K-8 school, submitted a special use permit application to open a location at 601, 607 and 609 S. Washington St. and 710 Gibbon St. According to the application, the school will serve up to 105 students and 14-16 teachers and staff. There is a proposed outdoor play area in the courtyard between 601 and 607 S. Washington St.” [Alexandria Living]
Homegrown Restaurant Group vaccinates 300+ restaurant workers — “HGR volunteering today at the Alexandria Restaurant Vaccination Drive! 330 workers from 29 different restaurants will be vaccinated by the end of day. Many thanks to all the volunteers and to Alexandria Restaurant Partners for donating space to make this happen.” [Facebook]
City seeking artwork for Old Town North storm drain covers — “The City will commission up to three (3) artists to create up to two (2) original, site specific designs with a budget of $2,000 to design their artworks. The designs will be cast on approximately 24 stormwater covers throughout Old Town North, with a focus on Fairfax Street. Artists will be required to visit the area and create a design that is representative and inspired by Old Town North.” [Zebra]
Alexandria Wedding Showcase giving away a $15K elopement package — More info on the prizes page at alexandriaweddingshowcase.com. The showcase starts April 17!” [Facebook]
Today’s weather — “Partly cloudy skies (during the day). High around 70F. Winds ESE at 10 to 15 mph… Cloudy with light rain developing after midnight. Low 52F. Winds SE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 70%.” [Weather.com]
New job: Barca Pier offering $250 bonus for bussers, food runners and hosts — “Are you searching for a SEASONAL POSITION? We would love to have you on our team!! We are offering a $250-dollar WELCOME bonus along with the ability to make serious money, we have full and part time openings for HOSTS, SERVER ASSISTANTS and RUNNERS (PERFECT FOR COLLEGE STUDENTS!) to join a growing Restaurant Company. We would love to meet you this week!! Please come prepared to Interview with a resume A MASK is required for Entrance, we are hiring on the SPOT with Positions starting ASAP!” [Indeed]
The Alexandria City Council on Tuesday will honor residents lost to the COVID-19 pandemic.
To date, 128 city residents have died from the virus. Council will also vote on a memorial at Rivergate City Park along the Potomac River in Old Town North. The memorial will be sponsored by the North Old Town Independent Citizens’ Association, the Old Town North Community Partnership and private donors.
Council will decide on the memorial at a legislative meeting on Tuesday, April 6.
“The memorial will be composed of small white flags, each representing an Alexandria resident who has died of COVID-19, that will be displayed from April 16 through June 21, 2021,” notes the Council resolution.
The memorial will be similar to the effort by Christ Church in Old Town. Small white flags were recently planted for the victims on the church grounds.
“(T)he COVID-19 pandemic has upended life as we know it, with its devastating effect on our physical and mental health, and on our social and economic wellbeing,” the city said in the resolution. “(I)n the City of Alexandria, we have lost approximately 128 beautiful souls to the COVID-19 pandemic.”
The vast majority of deaths have been senior citizens, with 53 fatal victims in their 80s, 33 in their 70s, 20 in their 60s, 15 in their 50s, three in their 40s, three in their thirties and one resident in their 20s, according to the Virginia Department of Health.
It was a cold and snowy week in Alexandria.
Our top story this week was on plans to redevelop the GenOn power plant in Old Town North. It looks like deconstruction of the plant will start in 2023 and developers are looking at converting it into an urban, mixed-use property with housing.
The short work week started with news that Alexandria reached 10,000 cases of COVID-19. The latest figures show that there are 10,113 cases and 104 total deaths in the city, according to the Virginia Department of Health. The city’s seven-day moving average is now 35.1 cases.
A 49-year-old homeless woman was found dead in Arlandria on Tuesday morning, and the mayor told us that homelessness is on the rise in the city. ALXnow is following up with the city on the issue.
Tuesday morning also brought news that Alexandria City Councilman Mo Seifeldein abandoned his run for mayor and will not seek reelection to council. Seifeldein was hired as a trial lawyer by the U.S. Department of Labor in Jan. 2020, and while he can finish out his term on council, he can not run unless he files as an independent candidate.
In other election news, the race for city council is starting to get crowded, as Bill Rossello, a co-founder of the Bring Integrity Back to Alexandria Facebook Group, just threw his hat into the ring.
On the vaccine front, the waiting list has surpassed 45,000 and it may be until late summer that the vaccine is widely available in the city. On Thursday, Mayor Justin Wilson also asked the governor to open vaccine eligibility for restaurant, personal care and retail workers.
More than 200 people responded to this week’s poll on power outages. There have been a number of outages over tha last year, and 73% of respondents reported experiencing an outage, while 26% report that their homes haven’t been impacted.
In case you missed them, here are some other important stories this week:
- BREAKING: Alexandria Police Investigate Second Car Stolen While Owner Pumps Gas
- Reduced Real Estate Tax Rate Proposed in Upcoming City Budget
- Staff Proposes Overhaul of George Washington Masonic Temple Intersection
- Six Displaced After Bathroom Exhaust Fan Fire in Parkfairfax Rowhouse
- Photos: Snow in Alexandria
Here are our top stories of the week in Alexandria:
- Developers Lay Out Multi-Year Timeline for GenOn Plant Redevelopment
- BREAKING: Homeless Woman Found Dead on Mount Vernon Avenue
- Alexandria Boxer Troy Isley Goes Pro With Big Fight Next Week
- Seifeldein Not Running for Mayor, Leaving Alexandria City Council
- ALXnow’s Top Stories this Week in Alexandria
- Director of Finance: Alexandria’s Real Estate Assessments Are a ‘Tale of Two Markets’
- Local Business Owner Robbed of Car While Pumping Gas at Old Town Gas Station
- Torpedo Factory Overhaul Heads to City Council Next Month
- Snow: Up to 6 Inches of Snow and Ice Expected in Alexandria
- BREAKING: Alexandria Police Investigate Second Car Stolen While Owner Pumps Gas
- Local Facebook Watchdog Group Founder Bill Rossello Announces Run for City Council
Have a safe weekend!
Beloved local Del Ray coffee shop St. Elmo’s Coffee Pub has opened a new North Old Town location (529 Montgomery Street) to help anchor a budding new community.
The new coffee house opened on Saturday, Jan. 9. St. Elmo’s Coffee Pub joins Wooboi Hot Chicken and Hinata Sushi Bar and Grill on the ground floor of Gables Old Town North, a new residential development at the north end of Old Town.
According to the website, the North Old Town branch of St. Elmo’s Coffee Pub offers fresh baked goods, soups and sandwiches — with an ABC permit pending for craft beer and wine.
“We really like being in neighborhoods,” Larry Ponzi, owner of the pub, said on the website. “We love to get visitors from out of town, and we do, but we really want the base of customers to be from the neighborhood.”
Photo via St. Elmo’s Coffee Pub/Facebook
No injuries have been reported after another shooting in Old Town North, this time on Monday night (Dec. 28) near the intersection of North Henry and Montgomery Streets.
“There were multiple shell casings recovered,” Alexandria Police spokesperson Amanda Paga told ALXnow. “A building was hit, but no injuries were reported. It is an ongoing investigation at this time.”
No suspect information was available. The shots were reported at around 6 p.m.
The incident comes on the heels of a Dec. 20 shooting in the area of North Patrick and Montgomery Streets, which is one block away. The earlier shooting also took place at around 6 p.m.
The area where the shots were fired is near the Braddock Road Metro Station, Alexandria Redevelopment and Housing Authority properties and the Charles Houston Recreation Center. It is also less than a half mile from a police shootout in October that left one man dead.
Police have asked for the public’s help and increased their presence after an uptick in shootings, many of which have occurred in Old Town North and the West End.
NOTIFICATION :: The Alexandria Police Department is investigating a “shots fired” call for service in the area of North Henry Street and Montgomery Street. Expect police activity in the area.
— Alexandria Police (@AlexandriaVAPD) December 28, 2020
The old Robinson Terminal North, once the abrupt northern end to the Old Town waterfront, is no more.
Demolition was mostly wrapped up this weekend after a quick tear-down, and the plan is to make the location part of the broader effort to reform Old Town’s sewer system called the RiverRenew program.
“Behind me is the Robinson Terminal North warehouse,” said Kelvin Coles, deputy design manager for the RiverRenew program, in a video. “Many residents and visitors will recognize this large steel building as the dividing landmark between Oronoco Bay park and Founders Park.”
The property a coal storage facility, along with other industrial uses, and ultimately a Washington Post shipping hub before it was decommissioned in 2013.
The property is adjacent to outfall 1, one of four sewer outfalls in Old Town that is the subject of the combined sewer system overhaul. On average, there are around 30 overflow events at outfall 1 alone. The plan is to build a diversion facility to direct the outflow into a tunnel.
Scene from my Sunday Morning Run: One less warehouse on Alexandria’s waterfront.
Robinson Terminal North is no more. pic.twitter.com/O28vdFjwPk
— Justin Wilson (@justindotnet) November 22, 2020
Construction on the new project is expected to begin in spring 2021 and continue through winter 2024. The facility will be mainly below ground once complete.
Above ground, the plan is to extend Pendleton Street into a promenade. The program is planned to feature benches and potential space for programming.
Pendleton Street Extension image via RiverRenew
Eight years after the GenOn power plant closed, a developer has purchased the property and is planning to redevelop the site.
Hilco Redevelopment Partners, based out of Illinois, announced the purchase of the 20-acre site today, the Washington Business Journal first reported.
“We’re excited for the opportunity to redevelop the old Potomac River Generating Station site,” said Roberto Perez, Chief Executive Officer of Hilco Redevelopment Partners, in a press release. “Hilco Redevelopment Partners is committed to remediating this extraordinary site to the most current environmental standards and transforming it into a new and exciting development that will best serve the community and create economic growth and opportunity for all stakeholders.”
The site has been a large part of the city’s Old Town North ambitions, included a plan earlier this year that involved splitting the lot into three smaller parcels. The city hopes to have the site converted into a pedestrian-friendly neighborhood.
“For two decades, we’ve been seeking to change use of that site,” said Mayor Justin Wilson. “[We’ve been] trying to move away from antiquated coal fire to productive use. It was dogged community activism that we were able to get that plant closed. Now, we have a new owner who is ready to achieve that vision. I think we’re pretty excited to see that all come to fruition.”
Wilson emphasized that a significant portion of the lot will remain open space alongside new mixed-use development.
“This is a great step forward for the city,” said Wilson. “Unused power plants are better than operating ones, but neither are particularly good uses. We envision this to be a sustainable area, with some cutting edge sustainability practices.”
Wilson also noted that Hilco Redevelopment Partners has a background in working with industrial sites.
