West End | ALXnow

Published September 25, 2026 at 2:45PM

Dunkin’ at 504-D S. Van Dorn Street in Alexandria’s West End (via Google Maps)

The first 100 customers at the recently renovated Dunkin’ in the Van Dorn Station Shopping Center this Saturday (Sept. 26) will get free coffee for a year, the franchise announced.

The 2,000-square-foot doughnut shop at 504-D S. Van Dorn Street closed last month, and just got its interior remodeled and parking lot repaved. The shop will host its grand reopening on Saturday from 9-11 a.m. The ribbon cutting will be held at 9:45 a.m. and feature an appearance by Dunkin’s mascot Sprinkles. Free giveaways and samples will also be provided to customers.

News

March starting in Alexandria to rally for Virginia data center moratorium

By Emily Leayman

Published September 23, 2026 at 1:45PM

A commercial building at Plaza 500 (via Google Maps)

Organizations and residents opposed to planned data center development just outside city limits are leading a march starting in Alexandria’s West End.

At 12 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 10, the march will run from Aslin Beer Company (950 S. Pickett Street) to the Plaza 500 center (6295 Edsall Road in Lincolnia) where data centers and a proposed substation are planned.

News

Alexandria man held without bond after alleged abduction, robbery of girlfriend

By James Cullum

Published September 22, 2026 at 1:45PM

The Franklin P. Backus Courthouse in Old Town, Alexandria (staff photo by James Cullum)

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.

News

Carlyle House and Winkler Nature Preserve set for upgrades under new NOVA Parks budget

By Emily Leayman

Published September 21, 2026 at 3:45PM

Winkler Botanical Preserve (staff photo by Vernon Miles)

Plans for upgrades at two NOVA Parks-owned Alexandria properties are getting a boost under the regional park system’s latest capital budget.

The fiscal years 2027-2031 budget adopted by the NOVA Parks Board of Directors on Sept. 17 allocates $1.5 million for building renovations at Carlyle House Historic Park (121 N. Fairfax Street) and $1 million for Winkler Botanical Preserve (5400 Roanoke Avenue) entrance improvements.

News

Mayor urges support for West End businesses disrupted by water main break

By Emily Leayman

Published September 21, 2026 at 10:00AM

The water main break Saturday, Sept. 19 near the S. Van Dorn and Pickett Streets intersection (via Alexandria Police/Facebook)

A water main break over the weekend in the West End didn’t just cause disruptions for drivers.

Virginia American Water responded to a water main break on a 12-inch main near the 700 block of S. Pickett Street on the afternoon of Saturday (Sept. 19).

Around Town

New Olympic weightlifting gym to open Sept. 26 in West End

By James Cullum

Published September 18, 2026 at 1:45PM | Updated September 18, 2026 at 7:01PM

Monument Weightlifting is coming to Alexandria's West End on Saturday, Sept. 26, 2026 (via Monument Weightlifting/Instagram)

A new Olympic weightlifting gym is opening its doors in Alexandria’s West End on Saturday, Sept. 26.

Gym owner Brian Leung is opening Monument Weightlifting at 614 S. Pickett Street. The 6,800-square-foot gym will teach clients that want to learn Olympic lifts, or to continue developing their training.

News

Two restaurants at Shoppes at Foxchase remain closed after Aug. 25 truck fire

By James Cullum

Published September 17, 2026 at 2:45PM | Updated September 17, 2026 at 3:01PM

Fire behind the Shoppes at Foxchase in Alexandria’s West End on Aug. 25, 2026 (via AFD/Facebook)

Two restaurants are still temporarily closed and without power since a delivery truck driver hit a power line behind the Shoppes at Foxchase on Tuesday night, Aug. 25.

That’s more than three weeks ago. The fire that destroyed a pickup truck, two dumpsters and fencing has also shuttered La Casa Restaurant (4551 Duke Street) and Hong Kong Express (4545 Duke Street).

News

Hundreds of near-misses prompt push for stop sign cameras, more measures in Alexandria

By Emily Leayman

Published September 15, 2026 at 3:45PM

The roundabout at Hickory and Kennedy Streets in Alexandria's Potomac West neighborhood, November 2024 (staff photo by James Cullum)

After collecting reports on hundreds of near-miss crashes over the last year and a half, Northern Virginia Families for Safe Streets is calling on Alexandria to deploy new authority over stop sign cameras and other measures to address driver behaviors.

Northern Virginia Families for Safe Streets, which includes an Alexandria chapter, collected 241 near-miss reports in the city between January 2025 and June 2026. While crashes are recorded on the city’s dashboard, the organization takes resident reports of near-misses by text and online survey.

News

Cocaine, guns and codeine seized from Alexandria apartment in multi-county probe

By James Cullum

Published September 15, 2026 at 11:45AM

Alexandria police cruiser (staff photo by James Jarvis)

A 29-year-old Alexandria man is being held without bond after being arrested last month for drug and firearm possession outside of his West End apartment.

After being tracked traveling from New York, the suspect was arrested in a vehicle outside his apartment building in the 2000 block of N. Beauregard Street on Wednesday, Aug. 26. Earlier in the month, an investigator with the Arlington County Police Department alerted the Alexandria Police Department that it was investigating claims that the suspect was pressing and selling kilograms of cocaine from apartments in Arlington and Alexandria, according to a recently released search warrant affidavit.

News

Federal leases and housing conversion push down Alexandria office vacancy rate

By Emily Leayman

Published September 9, 2026 at 1:45PM

The new U.S. Housing and Urban Development building, pictured with an America 250 flag, in the Carlyle neighborhood (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

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

Suspect in Holmes Run Parkway fatal shooting arrested in North Carolina

By James Cullum

Published August 31, 2026 at 2:15PM

A man was shot in the 5300 block of Holmes Run Parkway in Alexandria’s West End, July 15, 2026 (staff photo by James Cullum)

A 37-year-old Alexandria man is being held without bond in North Carolina after being arrested in connection to the fatal shooting of Charles Talley in the city’s West End last month.

Corey Stubblefield was arrested in an operation coordinated by Sampson County Sheriff’s Deputies and the Alexandria Police Department, according to multiple outlets. He was arrested on Thursday, Aug. 27, while walking from a residence to U.S. Highway 421. He is being held without bond, according to a media report.