Around Town

Halloween festivities are starting to ramp up in Alexandria as October continues on.

This weekend, the “Thriller” Zombie Flash Mob descends upon Old Town, retailers will host the new Sticker Treat sticker crawl, and the Spooky Mad Science Expo returns for an 11th year at Patrick Henry Recreation Center. The Ethiopian Fall Festival has also been rescheduled for this weekend.


News

Even as Alexandria’s office vacancies improve, city officials learned about a missed opportunity with Potomac Yard’s 0% vacancy rate.

During City Council’s Tuesday (Oct. 13) legislative meeting, Alexandria Economic Development Partnership staff briefed officials on economic progress since City Council in January approved ALX Forward, a framework for the city’s economic future.


News

After nearly five years in executive leadership with Alexandria Restaurant Partners, Nazia Millwala has been named the company’s president.

Millwala’s ascension is part of a “planned evolution” for the company as ARP partners Dave Nicholas, David Clapp and Scott Shaw are moving away from day-to-day operations, the company announced. In Alexandria, ARP owns Vola’s Dockside Grill and Hi-Tide Lounge, Joe Theismann’s Restaurant, Ada’s on the River, Barca Pier and Wine Bar, Mia’s Italian Kitchen and Royal Restaurant. The company also owns Palette 22 in Arlington and a Mia’s Italian Kitchen and Café Tu Tu Tango in Orlando, Fla.


News

Michigan-based Acorp Services recently closed on a 1.3-acre office building in Old Town North, buying a property assessed at nearly $21 million in value for $9.05 million.

The sale of the 1970s-era Class A office building at 11 Canal Center Plaza marks Acorp’s first building acquisition in Northern Virginia.


News

In the latest of Alexandria’s office-to-residential conversions, a project in Old Town North is making progress.

A vacant 1980s building at 1201 E. Abingdon Drive is being developed into a 143-unit multifamily residential building. The conversion of the 95,000-square-foot building will provide seven junior one-bedroom, 100 one-bedroom and 29 two-bedroom apartments. The project, approved by City Council in February 2024, will yield seven affordable housing units and 160 parking spaces.


Around Town

Royal Restaurant has transformed into a horror fan’s paradise in time for Halloween season.

The restaurant at 730 N. St Asaph Street opened Royally Spooked Halloween Pop-up today (Oct. 1) on its patio. The pop-up with themed food and drink specials runs from 3 p.m. to closing.


News

The founder and the CEO of an Alexandria-based digital forensics software firm have been arrested after allegedly hiding that the company is owned and controlled by Russian nationals with Russian technology, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

Oxygen Forensics Inc. founder and co-owner Oleg Sergeyevich Davydov, 52, was arrested Sunday [Sept. 20] at London Heathrow Airport before getting on a flight to Istanbul, and CEO Lee Reiber, 55, was arrested in Idaho the same day. Both were charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and the U.S. is trying to extradite Davydov.


News

An Alexandria man is being held without bond on charges of abduction, robbery and violating a protective order against a woman he was dating.

The suspect has been held without bond since his arrest on Monday, May 18. On the previous evening, Sunday, May 17, the victim told police the suspect physically assaulted her and stole $1,500, her iPhone and her car, according to a recently unsealed search warrant affidavit.


Around Town

As September continues, more and more festivals and other events are happening around Alexandria.

Families will find events for all kinds of interests, from shopping and art to history. It’s a busy weekend between Alexandria Oktoberfest, The Lyceum’s Classic Car Show, Old Town Boutique Community’s Alexandria Days and Alexandria Library’s Black Family Reunion. Old Town North particularly has a lot going on — Chalk-A-Block, Alexandria Canal History Pub Crawl and Vintage Flea and Artisans Market.


News

Office vacancies are trending down in Alexandria, although Old Town and Old Town North are going against the trend.

That’s according to the Alexandria Economic Development Partnership’s Mid-Year Market Report released Tuesday (Sept. 8) looking at commercial real estate trends for the first half of the year through June 30, 2026.


News

Thousands of additional Dominion Energy customers are experiencing power outages Tuesday morning (Sept. 8) after an earlier outage tied to a transformer.

As of 11 a.m., more than 4,300 customers are without power in North Ridge, Fairlington/Bradlee, Seminary Hill, Taylor Run, Rosemont and Del Ray. Dominion Energy attributed the outage to a circuit being out and estimated that restoration would happen between 2-5 p.m.


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