Outgoing Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin doesn’t have many regrets as he prepares to leave office. But he named the inability to get an Alexandria arena deal done in 2024 as one lost opportunity.
The Washington Capitals and Wizards arena would have gone in Potomac Yard as part of an entertainment district. But in March 2024, the City of Alexandria announced that the proposal wouldn’t be moving forward.
Pretty soon email inboxes won’t get those monthly newsletters from Alexandria Mayor Justin Wilson. It’s the end of an era in the city, as Wilson leaves office in January.
Wilson is looking forward to it.
Sarah Bagley says that Alexandria residents have invested time and energy into making her an effective member of the Alexandria City Council, and she says she’s running for reelection to honor that investment.
A lot has changed in the city since Bagley was first elected and then virtually sworn in in January 2022. Alexandria was on the tail end of the COVID-19 pandemic and has since gone through a crime surge, the introduction and the failure of the Potomac Yard arena deal, a number of key changes in departmental leadership (namely the police and fire chiefs) as well as the controversial upending of the city’s residential zoning policies.
Without the pandemic keeping James “Jimmy” Lewis and his campaign team from unleashing their ground game, he says that years of door-knocking experience will significantly improve his second Democratic primary bid for Alexandria’s City Council.
Lewis faces 10 opponents, including four incumbent Council Members, for the six Council seats in the June 18 Democrat primary. He placed eighth in the 2021 primary with 6,606 votes, and that was 730 votes behind Kevin Harris. Like Lewis, Harris is trying again this cycle to get in the top six spots to secure his nomination for the November election.
With less than two weeks until the June 18 primary, the city’s zoning overhaul, the failed Potomac Yard arena and residential taxes were among the top issues discussed by Alexandria’s mayoral candidates in the Chamber ALX‘s debate Tuesday night.
Vice Mayor Amy Jackson, Council Member Alyia Gaskins and former real estate developer Steven Peterson were cordial to each other as they were questioned by NBC4 Northern Virginia Bureau Chief Julie Carey at the George Washington National Masonic Memorial.
Sparks flew during Monday night’s City Council Democrat candidate debate in Del Ray.
While surrounded by nine of his opponents, candidate Jonathan Huskey said that City Council members should be voted out of office for their support of the citywide Zoning for Housing/Housing for All overhaul that eliminated single family zoning and allows developers to build homes with up to four units on any property.
After missing an important mayoral debate this week due to a “freak accident” while canvassing that led to his hospitalization, Steven Peterson says that he’s done sitting on the sidelines.
Peterson said that got 10 stitches in his nose and suffered a concussion after his 105-pound Golden Retriever chased a squirrel and he face-planted on a gravel path at the West End Farmer’s Market on Sunday. He said that the leash was wrapped around his legs and that he flipped over after the dog bolted.
Kevin Harris didn’t like the way the 2021 City Council primary went down and now he’s taking another shot.
Harris was edged out by just 750 votes, with Council Member Kirk McPike taking the sixth and last available Council spot. Now he faces 11 opponents in the upcoming June primary.
What a busy week in Alexandria.
This week’s top story was all about money, with a $1 million Powerball ticket getting sold in the Alexandria area of Fairfax County.
Steven Peterson is like no other Democrat running for office in Alexandria, and he wants to be the mayor.
From his opinions on racial undertones killing the Potomac Yard arena deal to wanting to reverse a slew of zoning reforms approved last year by City Council, one thing is crystal clear: Peterson is unfiltered.
The Potomac Yard arena’s demise has been met by mixed emotions from public officials, and even landowner JBG Smith.
Now that the Washington Wizards and Capitals are definitely not coming to Alexandria and will stay in D.C., a proverbial question mark looms over the 12-acre property.
