Before unanimously voting on financing the massive WestEnd Alexandria project at the former Landmark Mall site, a majority of Alexandria City Council members said that they still dislike the name.
Council unanimously approved a number of proposals on the 52-acre development, which will be devoted to the new Alexandria Hospital, and a multi-block town center with apartment buildings, pavilions, restaurants, and rooftop open space.
But Foulger-Pratt’s WestEnd project is located within the larger West End neighborhood; akin to naming a development DelRay or OldTown.
One of those approved measures is a wayfinding sign program throughout the development, which Council members said will only confuse residents.
Vice Mayor Amy Jackson said that the wayfinding signs will be confusing.
“When you are putting in wayfinding signs saying ‘2.5 miles to the West End,’ and people saying, ‘Hey, aren’t we in the West End?’ What West End is that?” Jackson said. “That’s what’s going to start happening.”
City Councilman Canek Aguirre said that he feels dismayed by the name.
“I wasn’t happy with the name, but we can’t tell people what to name things,” Aguirre said. “They’re going to name it what they want. But what this body can do is signal some of our displeasure behind what the name is. We are still fully behind the project, we still want to see everything happen… but the name is problematic.”
Council Member Alyia Gaskins said that WestEnd signage will be confusing, since the neighborhood nickname is tied to a geographic area.
“The West End for so long in this city has meant a geographic area, not a specific development,” Gaskins said. “That is something that we need to be thinking about.”
Council Member Kirk McPike said that the name hurts other organizations with “West End” in their name, such as the West End Business Association.
“All of that gets destroyed for them by this development, which is going to take the name of half our city and apply it to one piece of land,” McPike said. “We would never allow a development on the east side of the city call itself Old Town. We would never allow a development in the middle of the city to call itself Del Ray, but we’re allowing this development to take the name of half the city and apply it to themselves. I know the horse left the barn, the ship has sailed, but it was wrong and I’m really disappointed that we allowed that to happen.”
Councilman John Taylor Chapman said that the issue will be problematic for the city.
“We are now going to have to focus on this,” Chapman said. “We are going to have community members and folks who have grown up in the region and have gotten to know what the West End does, and signage is going to be an issue for us. We need to be very clear with them about the problems that creates for staff and the city.”
Council also approved the creation of the Landmark Community Development Authority, which will set a special tax rate for the development in order to pay the city back for $141 million in financing.
Council approved the following:
- A development special use permit to build a central plaza (on blocks F and N), a paseo (on block R) and a terrace park (on block P)
- Plans to build two retail/restaurant pavilions with outdoor dining, a playground, seasonal ice-skating rink, and areas for passive recreation
- Plans to extend commercial space and add new rooftop open space to block E
- Plans to modify the layout of the block E residential building by infilling the ground floor courtyard with a one-story commercial space
- Development of 4.4 acres of open space on four blocks, including a tennis/pickleball court, basketball court
The first pavilion, a two-story 4,610-square-foot structure, will be located in a central plaza on block F. The second pavilion, a two-story 978-square-foot building on block N, would include a 270-square-foot seasonal ice-skating shop and a public restroom.
There were no injuries or arrests after gunfire was reported in the West End early Friday morning — a separate incident from the other West End shooting this morning where one victim was injured.
Multiple callers reported four shots were fired at around 12:30 a.m. in the 4300 block of King Street near Park Center Drive, according to the police scanner.
No one was injured in the incident and no arrests were made. Witnesses reported to police that the shots were fired from a gray-colored GMC, which fled the scene in the area of Interstate 395, according to the police scanner.
Police found shell casings near Park Center Drive and King Street, according to the police scanner.
Anyone with information on this incident can call the APD non-emergency number at 703-746-4444. Callers can remain anonymous.
Notification:: In response to a shots fired incident, there is a moderate police presence near and around the 4300 block of King Street. No injuries were reported in connection with this incident. APD is on scene and investigating. pic.twitter.com/XCUyyzkmqX
— Alexandria Police (@AlexandriaVAPD) September 22, 2023
(Updated 6:50 p.m.) One male victim, age 21, was seriously injured in an armed robbery just before 9:30 this morning, and as of 10 a.m. the suspects are still at large.
The Alexandria Police Department is investigating a shooting incident that occurred in the 5500 block of Holmes Run Parkway. There is a heavy police presence in the area and no suspects have been arrested yet.
Alexandria Police spokesman Marcel Bassett said one man was seriously injured but in stable condition after being shot in an armed robbery. Scanner traffic indicated the man was shot in the shoulder and the back of the neck and his phone was stolen. Two suspects were seen in the area on foot running toward Van Dorn Street, according to scanner traffic.
Further details are awaited as APD continues its investigation.
The nearby Samuel W. Tucker Elementary School and William Ramsay Elementary School were both put in “secure the building” mode around 10 a.m. in response to the nearby police activity.
Notification:: In response to a shooting, there is a heavy police presence in and around the 5500 block of Holmes Run Parkway. One serious injury reported. APD is on scene and investigating. pic.twitter.com/vfywQKzFDj
— Alexandria Police (@AlexandriaVAPD) September 22, 2023
James Cullum and Vernon Miles contributed to this story
Arlington calls for aid, and Alexandria will answer.
Alexandria’s City Council is scheduled to vote at a meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 26, to support neighboring Arlington’s funding application for an expanded Shirlington Transit Center.
Arlington County is applying for funding from the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority to expand the transit center in Shirlington, a major hub for bus traffic.
“Arlington County has requested $11.6 million to fund the Shirlington Bus Station Expansion,” Director of Transportation and Environmental Services Adriana Castaneda wrote in a memo. “This station is the principal transfer point for Arlington Transit (ART) bus service, Washington Area Metropolitan Transit Authority (WMATA) Metrobus service, and bus service (Routes 36A and 36B) in South Arlington.”
While the project is outside of Alexandria, Castaneda said Alexandria would benefit from the project as some of those added bus bays would serve the West End Transitway, which will stop at the Shirlington Bus Station.
“This capital project focuses on adding bus bays at the Shirlington Bus Station to meet future demand, including the space needed for future West End Transitway buses and any service improvements from Alexandria’s Transit Vision Plan, as well as expansion plans of Arlington Transit and WMATA,” Castaneda wrote.
The West End Transitway is a project that will connect transit facilities along the West End, from the Van Dorn Metro station up to Shirlington, passing through the redeveloped Landmark Mall site. The project is in the design phase, with construction scheduled for 2025-2026, opening sometime in late 2026.
Image via Google Maps
The Alexandria Police Department says it is investigating multiple weapons violations over the weekend, including a man who was shot in the shoulder in a suspected carjacking in the West End.
The first incident occurred on Saturday, Sept. 17, around midnight in the 2000 block of N. Beauregard Street. The victim reported to police that her Airbnb guest pulled a handgun on her and fled the area in a black Kia Forte, according to the police scanner.
The suspect was later arrested on I-395 south near the exit for Edsall Road, according to the police scanner. The suspect reportedly provided police with a fake identification, and three handguns were found in the vehicle, according to the police scanner.
The second incident occurred on Saturday around 10:15 p.m. in the 300 block of S. Reynolds Street in the Landmark area. A man was shot in the shoulder and reported to police that he was the victim of an attempted carjacking.
The third incident occurred in the 12oo block of Quaker Hill Drive. Four gunshots were reported by multiple callers to police, although no suspects were seen and no arrests were made, according to the police scanner.
Anyone with information on these incidents can call the APD non-emergency number at 703-746-4444. Callers can remain anonymous.
City leaders hope to make good use of the new government hub in the West End with a multi-language town hall event this weekend.
The event is scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 24, from 1-3 p.m. in the Del Peper Community Resource Center (4850 Mark Center Drive) — colloquially called West End City Hall during development.
While other meetings are held for specific issues — like the Zoning for Housing/Housing for All discussion recently moved to Thursday, Sept. 28 — this town hall is focused more generally on issues around Alexandria.
“Mayor Justin Wilson, Vice Mayor Amy Jackson, and all members of City Council will be present to speak about the issues impacting you and your family,” the city said in a release. “You can also get the latest news on upcoming projects and initiatives in Alexandria. Spanish, Amharic, and Arabic interpretation services will be available at the event.”
Do you have questions regarding your City? We want to hear them!
Join us for our City Council Town Hall on Sunday, Sept. 24 from 1-3 p.m. at the Del Pepper Community Resource Center.
RSVP here: https://t.co/U0pugFFOe3 pic.twitter.com/EpD6UcpMaE
— AlexandriaVAGov (@AlexandriaVAGov) September 18, 2023
Alexandria police are investigating the shooting of a man in a suspected carjacking in the parking lot of a Landmark-area apartment complex.
Multiple callers reported hearing two-to-three shots at around 10:15 p.m. in the 300 block of S. Reynolds Street, according to the police scanner.
Police found the victim in his car in a parking lot outside an apartment building, and he told them he’d been shot in the shoulder in an attempted carjacking, according to the police scanner.
APD tweeted that the man suffered non-life threatening injuries and to expect a heavy police presence in the area.
Police reported to dispatch that the victim said he was approached by four individuals with ski masks and that one the suspects shot him in the shoulder. The suspects then reportedly fled on foot.
One of the suspects wore a reflective green vest, according to the police scanner.
The block around the 300 block of S. Reynolds Street has been blocked off by police, and K-9 officers have been deployed, as well as a Fairfax County Police helicopter, according to the scanner.
Anyone with information on this incident can call the APD non-emergency number at 703-746-4444. Callers can remain anonymous.
Notification:: In response to a shooting, there is a heavy police presence in the 300 block of South Reynolds Street. One person suffered non-life-threatening injuries. APD is on the scene and investigating. pic.twitter.com/S4RZDet8EV
— Alexandria Police (@AlexandriaVAPD) September 17, 2023
(Updated 12:30 p.m.) The massive WestEnd Alexandria project is taking shape, as the Planning Commission tonight will weigh in on a number of proposals by site development partner Foulger-Pratt.
Nearly half the 52-acre West End Alexandria development is devoted to the Inova at Landmark (the eventual home of Alexandria Hospital), and the rest of the property has been divvied into a multi-block town center. The redevelopment will include new apartment buildings, pavilions, restaurants, rooftop open space and more.
In December, City Council approved Foulger-Pratt’s plan to build three new apartment buildings with 1,117 total units, and tonight’s meeting will focus on the following proposals:
- A development special use permit to build a central plaza (on blocks F and N), a paseo (on block R) and a terrace park (on block P)
- Plans to build two retail/restaurant pavilions with outdoor dining, a playground, seasonal ice-skating rink, and areas for passive recreation
- Plans to extend commercial space and add new rooftop open space to block E
- Plans to modify the layout of the block E residential building by infilling the ground floor courtyard with a one-story commercial space
- Development of 4.4 acres of open space on four blocks, including a tennis/pickleball court, basketball court
The first pavilion, a two-story 4,610-square-foot structure, would be located in a central plaza on block F. The second pavilion, a two-story 978-square-foot building on block N, would include a 270-square-foot seasonal ice-skating shop and a public restroom.
The Planning Commission meeting starts at 7 p.m.
Alexandria police are investigating a residential burglary in the 5400 block of Taney Avenue that led to a car being stolen and a dangerous police chase.
No arrest has been made since the incident occurred on July 24. The victim told police that her window screen and a kitchen window were broken and her purse and Land Rover were stolen, according to a recently released search warrant affidavit. The woman reportedly said she bought the vehicle a few days before and last saw it that morning before going to sleep at 3 a.m.
At around 9 a.m., the “InControl” service inside the Land Rover tracked it to Capitol Heights, Maryland and then at 12:45 p.m. it was tracked less than two miles from where it was stolen — to the area of S. Van Dorn Street and Eisenhower Avenue, according to the search warrant affidavit.
Police found that the Land Rover had a temporary Virginia license plate registered to a black Ford and tried to pull it over, but the driver allegedly eluded police.
“The (police) units tried to conduct a traffic stop on the Land Rover, but the unknown driver of the Land Rover dangerously eluded the officers that attempted to stop the vehicle,” police said in the search warrant affidavit. “The vehicle fled to Interstate 95.495 North, commonly known as the Capital Beltway.”
Police later tracked and recovered the abandoned Land Rover in Clinton, Maryland.
Anyone with information on this incident can call the APD non-emergency number at 703-746-4444. Callers can remain anonymous.
The front entrance to El Texano Bar & Grill is boarded up after a driver crashed their Mercedes-Benz into the building this morning.
The incident occurred around 11 a.m. today (Wednesday) at the bar in the Van Dorn Plaza shopping center (514 S Van Dorn Street).
The only person assessed for injuries at the time was the car’s driver. Alexandria Fire Department (AFD) spokesperson Raytevia Evans said AFD inspeced the building for structural damage and found it was limited to the glass window, with no compromise to the utilities or structural integrity.
“Units evaluated the driver and confirmed no injuries,” Evans said.
El Texano Bar & Grill could not be reached for comment.
This happened this morning after 11 AM in Alexandria. El Texano Bar and Grill on Van Dorn St. in Van Dorn plaza.
No injuries as known, Hat tip to my stringer in northern Virginia ha ha@STATter911 @alanhenney pic.twitter.com/24VtDlWvoB— I am abnormal and I like others who are abnormal (@shockingguy) August 23, 2023
