Thursday, March 21, 2013
How do you feel about a national retailer setting up shop on Mount Vernon Avenue?
News of Walgreens potentially displacing five businesses and setting up shop in the 1500 block of Mount Vernon Avenue has inspired many emotions from Del Ray residents. • See: Walgreens in Del Ray: 'I Don't Think Anything is Going to Stop This' After learning of Walgreens' plans, the Land Use Committee of the Del Ray Citizens Association opened an online petition opposing national retailers coming to Mount Vernon Avenue and encouraging the city to work to “preserve, protect and promote the independent spirit of Del Ray community.” As of Thursday afternoon, the petition had garnered nearly 600 signatures. Mayor Bill Euille, a Del Ray resident, weighed in on Saturday, saying he would use his influence to encourage Walgreens to look …
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
Del Ray Citizens Association President Bill Hendrickson says it's time to renew the neighborhood's commitment to small, independently owned businesses.
- OPINION
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Wednesday, March 20
To the editor, Last weekend, the Land Use Committee of the Del Ray Citizens Association launched an online petition drive that opposes the opening of a Walgreens pharmacy in the 1500 block of Mount Vernon Avenue. More than 550 people had signed the petition as of the morning of March 20. Although the DRCA board and membership have not formally taken a position on the Walgreens store, I support the committee’s effort, as do other members of the DRCA board. As president of the DRCA, I want to offer a perspective on this issue. The reason why the prospect of a large national retailer such as Walgreens is disconcerting is because we in Del Ray have worked so hard to promote and support small, independent businesses. Indeed, one of the guiding …
Saturday, March 16, 2013
Country's largest drug store chain sets its sights on Mount Vernon Avenue shopping center.
Walgreens, the largest drug retail chain in the United States, is looking to set up shop at the busy corner of Mount Vernon and East Monroe avenues. The 112-year-old company has a contract to purchase the entire retail strip at 1509-1517 Mount Vernon Ave. Walgreens has hired a firm to perform $800,000 worth of renovations to the interior of the shopping center. Walgreens could displace five businesses at the retail strip—Norge Laundry and Dry Cleaning, J&M Electronics, Universal Market, Not Too Shabby Antiques and Potomac West Interiors and Antique Gallery. Alexandria’s Department of Planning and Zoning is currently examining permit issues related to the sale. • Interested in getting Del Ray Patch directly into your inbox each morning? …
38.819709
-77.057475
1509 Mount Vernon Ave, Alexandria, VA
/articles/walgreens-in-del-ray-i-don-t-think-anything-is-going-to-stop-this-from-happening
/locations/9028669
Sunday, March 10, 2013
Director of the Office of Historic Alexandria to discuss significance of mail-order churches.
The Del Ray Citizens Association is holding its March membership meeting at 7 p.m. Monday night at a special location—Emmanuel Temple Seventh-Day Adventist Church on Dewitt Avenue. The DRCA usually hosts its membership meetings at Mount Vernon Community School, but this month the event will be held Emmanuel Temple to highlight its significance as a rare mail-order chapel. Lance Mallamo, director of the Office of Historic Alexandria, will speak on the importance of such chapels, including the one on Dewitt. Also on the agenda Monday, Del. Rob Krupicka (D-45th) will discuss his first General Assembly session and address the school-takeover bill that is expected to significantly impact Jefferson-Houston School, the state’s transportation …
38.83017
-77.05695
Emmanuel Temple Seventh-Day Adventist Church
2707 Dewitt Ave, Alexandria, VA
/articles/drca-to-hold-special-meeting-at-emmanuel-temple
1236834
/locations/8982107
Thursday, March 7, 2013
Del Ray Citizens Association President Bill Hendrickson believes Busboys and Poets would be a good fit on East Monroe Avenue.
- OPINION
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Thursday, March 7
By Bill Hendrickson President of the Del Ray Citizens Association Busboys and Poets in Del Ray? That was the intriguing possibility raised at a meeting I had last fall with staff at the City’s Department of Planning and Zoning. The idea came up after I asked staff to examine reuse or redevelopment options for the Giant supermarket and CVS pharmacy sites on East Monroe Avenue. Giant plans to open a much larger supermarket in Potomac Yard in about three years, and it thus may close the much smaller store on Monroe. Staff is not optimistic about coordinated redevelopment of the Giant and CVS properties for the next several years to a decade or so. But staff took a look at possible options for a new tenant of the supermarket space if Giant …
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
Faroll Hamer discusses emphasis on walkable, amenity-rich communities with connection to transit.
Faroll Hamer, the director of Alexandria’s Department of Planning and Zoning, discussed current development trends, architecture and transit throughout Alexandria when he visited with the Del Ray Citizens Association last week for a question and answer session. Hamer, who has led the city’s planning department since 2007, said there’s an emphasis on developing “an amenity rich life that you can walk to” built around transit. Those transit options include not just Metro, she said, but three high-capacity transit corridors that are being developed in the city (including the Route 1 BRT) along with other existing modes of transit. “Change is always hard,” she said. “I respect that everyone doesn’t agree with the direction. I think it’s …
Friday, January 11, 2013
Faroll Hamer will participate in a Q&A session at 7 p.m. Monday at Mount Vernon Community School.
The Del Ray Citizens Association is hosting a question and answer session with Alexandria Planning and Zoning Director Faroll Hamer at 7 p.m. Monday at Mount Vernon Community School. DRCA President Bill Hendrickson will lead the Q&A, which will focus on recent land-use development, future expectations and the impact of these decisions have on the city and Del Ray. "The city has approved a huge amount of development in recent years, a lot of which will affect Del Ray, and more is on the way,” Hendrickson said. “We need to understand these changes and work to influence future land-use decisions in ways that will benefit, rather than negatively impact us." Hendrickson said he will ask questions to Hamer for about 30 minutes before opening …
Wednesday, December 26, 2012
David Fromm and Amy Slack are stepping down from their leadership positions with the Del Ray Citizens Association at the end of the year.
Longtime Del Ray Citizens Association members David Fromm and Amy Slack received a proclamation from Alexandria Mayor Bill Euille last week honoring their service to the community. The husband-and-wife team is stepping down from their respective leadership positions with the DRCA at the end of the year to focus on issues important to them. “It’s going to be very different not having their faces on a DRCA board,” DRCA President Bill Hendrickson said. Fromm has served on the DRCA Executive Board since 1999, including a stretch as president. Slack has chaired the DRCA’s Land Use Committee for all but one year since 2000. Euille praised the pair for their efforts to market and expand the neighborhood’s 22301 area code, which has grown to be …
Thursday, November 1, 2012
Del Ray Citizens Association teaming with Alexandria historical organizations for free conference aimed at preserving Del Ray's history and structures.
- THE NEIGHBORHOOD FILES
- Drew Hansen
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Thursday, November 1, 2012
The Del Ray Citizens Association is teaming with the Office of Historic Alexandria, Historic Alexandria Resources Commission and the Alexandria Historical Society to sponsor a free symposium on Nov. 10 highlighting the unique history and architecture of the city’s Del Ray neighborhood. Attendees will hear speakers representing several of Alexandria’s historical organizations discuss the history of Del Ray, which has long been recognized for its days as a streetcar hub (take a look at today’s street signs). Speakers will cover an infamous racetrack once within Del Ray’s confines, mail-order homes and the remarkable rock-and-roll heritage of George Washington High School (now a middle school). Jim Morrison of The Doors and John Phillips and …
38.81655
-77.05688
George Washington Middle School
1005 Mt Vernon Ave, Alexandria, VA
/articles/historic-del-ray-symposium-set-for-nov-10
1380897
/locations/8087893
Friday, September 7, 2012
Bill Hendrickson invites the community to Monday evening's Del Ray Citizens Association meeting where the future of two sites will be discussed.
To the editor: Del Ray is changing and will continue to change. We need to be working to channel that change in a desirable direction. Change may be coming to key business properties on Mount Vernon and E. Monroe avenues, and at a meeting of the Del Ray Citizens Association on Monday the community will have an opportunity to weigh in on what they would like to see on these sites. The meeting will begin at 7 p.m. in the Mount Vernon Community School auditorium. Officials from the Alexandria Economic Development Partnership (AEDP) and the city’s Department of Planning and Zoning will attend the meeting to discuss the planned departure in 2013 of Audi of Alexandria from Mount Vernon Avenue and plans by Giant to open a large supermarket in …
Chalkley
10:42 pm on Monday, April 8, 2013
I think 7-11 is a franchisor. So not a chain, and though so percentage of profits go to 7-11 corporate, I believe it would still be run by a local small business owner. more ›