It was another busy week in Alexandria.
This week’s top stories focused on development projects all over the city, from Old Town North to Carlyle and in the West End. News of the mixed-use projects comes as affordable housing advocates are protesting against being priced out and are asking for greater assistance from the city.
Good Wednesday morning, Alexandria!
🌧️ Today’s weather: Expect showers between 9am and 3pm, with increasing clouds and a high near 72°F. South wind will be 6-8 mph and a 40% chance of precipitation. On Wednesday night, showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 11pm, with a low around 59°F. Southeast wind around 6mph will become northwest after midnight, with a 60% chance of precipitation. New rainfall of less than a tenth of an inch is expected, while higher amounts are possible in thunderstorms.
After a three-month renovation, Royal Restauraunt reopened to the public on Wednesday with an expanded menu and hours.
The favorite brunch spot was bought by Alexandria Restaurant Partners and Sloan Hospitality last fall, and after being up and running for three months closed in January. ARP refurbished the 123-year-old restaurant, added a 56-seat patio with a retractable awning, reupholstered the booths, built an inside bar and expanded its menu to include dinner.
Italian restaurant L’Italiano Vero is coming to Old Town North, the Washington Business Journal first reported.
The new restaurant is moving into a 4,695 square-foot space at 682 N. St Asaph Street, the same block as Trader Joe’s and formerly Sunday In Saigon, which closed last November.
The TideLock project (1033 N. Fairfax Street) in Old Town North snagged a $96 million construction loan and is moving forward, the Washington Business Journal first reported.
The project was approved by Alexandria’s City Council back in 2022 along with various other Old Town North developments, including the GenOn power station redevelopment.
Local nonprofit Alexandria Celebrates Women (ACW) is hosting an informal gathering this weekend to give local women a chance to meet some of the women in leadership roles in Alexandria.
The meeting is described as an informal salon conversation with ‘leading women thinkers and changemakers’ in Alexandria. The event is free and open to all women.
At a meeting this weekend, Alexandria’s City Council unanimously approved an affordable housing redevelopment for seniors despite pushback from neighbors.
While many projects in Old Town come under fire from neighbors for being too tall, the Ladrey redevelopment is creating a shorter building but one more spread out across 600 N. Fairfax Street.
Four intersections along N. Saint Asaph Street, near the Trader Joes and Harris Teeter, could have new ‘no turn on red restrictions’.
A report (page 12) to the Traffic and Parking Board — ahead of a meeting tonight (Monday) — said the intersections along N. Saint Asaph Street can be a dangerous combination of pedestrian traffic around the grocery stores coming into conflict with traffic spilling off Washington Street.
Royal Restaurant (730 N. St Asaph Street) in Old Town North could swap some parking spots for 90 new outdoor seats.
In an application filed to the City of Alexandria, applicant ARP Royal OPCO LLC said the plan is to convert 10 parking spaces to the west and south of the building into 60 outdoor seats, with another 30 added to an alley on the west side of the building.
The Alexandria Redevelopment and Housing Authority is asking the city to approve new height limits for its proposed redevelopment of Ladrey High Rise in Old Town North.
ARHA has plans to demolish the existing 11-story, 170-unit affordable apartment building at 300 Wythe Street, which houses seniors and residents with disabilities, as well as its former headquarters at 600 N. Fairfax Street.
A makeover has been proposed for a 53-year-old office building in Old Town North.
The owners of the former home of the Alexandria Community Services Board at 720 North St. Asaph Street want the building converted into a 12-unit multifamily apartment building with ground floor commercial space.
