West End Business Association WEBA Community/City News and Comment (Blog)

What's Next Alexandria Third Community Dialogue

Linda Vitello — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 18:01:45 GMT

What's Next Alexandria Third Community Dialogue

Join your neighbors on Tuesday, April 30, at 7 p.m. for the third Community Dialogue in the City's What's Next Alexandria civic engagement initiative. The event will be held at First Baptist Church, 2932 King Street.

Community members will hear the results of the most recent online poll, affirm the final community generated civic engagement principles and discuss what implementation of What's Next Alexandria will look like, sharing concrete examples of how the principles and process will be applied in the future. For those unable to attend in person, the City will offer live Internet video engagement, allowing viewers to watch live video from the event and interact with other viewers in group exercises through a moderated live chat.

Childcare and simultaneous Spanish translation will be provided. Transportation options to the event include DASH bus AT-5 and AT-6 or Metrobus 28A; on-site parking, but rides and carpooling are encouraged. For assistance with rides and carpooling, call 703.746.3855.

The City of Alexandria is committed to compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, as amended. To request a reasonable accommodation, e-mail Graciela.Moreno@alexandriava.gov or call 703-746-4666, Virginia Relay 711.

To register for the meeting and find more information, visit Alexandriava.gov/WhatsNext or call 703.746.3855.

Second Public Meeting on Landmark Mall Redevelopment Set for May 1

Linda Vitello — Sun, 21 Apr 2013 18:47:04 GMT

Second Public Meeting on Landmark Mall Redevelopment Set for May 1

The Howard Hughes Corporation, which owns the central section of the Landmark Mall site, has submitted an application to the City for redevelopment of the portion of Landmark Mall between the existing Sears and Macy’s stores. This project will hopefully be the first phase of a larger eventual build-out of the site as was envisioned in the Landmark/Van Dorn Corridor Plan.

The City and the Howard Hughes Corporation presented the concept for the redevelopment at a well-attended community meeting on Monday, April 8. The second meeting on this project is planned for May 1 and is a follow up to this first meeting. The community meeting will be held at 7 p.m. at Landmark Mall, on the second floor of the former Lord and Taylor space.

At the May 1 meeting, community members can ask additional questions and offer opinions on a variety of topics relating to transit, school impacts, and how this first phase proposal relates to the eventual build out of the site, particularly in terms of how it complies with the Landmark/Van Dorn Corridor Plan.

As noted at the April 8 meeting, the proposal calls for demolition of the two-story central area of the mall and replacement of this portion with a mixed-use residential and retail complex with a traditional street grid, sidewalks, trees, and open space. This application calls for approximately 250,000 to 300,000 square feet of retail and restaurants, along with approximately 350 to 400 apartments. Howard Hughes Corporation has been working in conjunction with adjoining property owners, Sears and Macy’s, to explore the feasibility of this redevelopment of Landmark Mall as a mixed-use project.

The Howard Hughes Corporation owns, manages and develops commercial, residential and mixed-use real estate throughout the country. The company owns a number of significant and successful retail properties, including South Street Seaport (Manhattan, NY), various properties in Columbia Town Center (Columbia, MD), Riverwalk Marketplace (New Orleans, LA), Rio West Mall (Gallup, NM), Cottonwood Square (Holladay, UT), Park West (Peoria, AZ) and Ward Centers (Honolulu, HI).

For more information about this proposal, please come to the community meeting on May 1, visit the City’s Landmark Mall Redevelopment page or call Colleen Willger in the City Department of Planning and Zoning at 703.746.3817.

The City of Alexandria is committed to compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, as amended. To request a reasonable accommodation, e-mail colleen.willger@alexandriava.gov or call 703.746.3817, Virginia Relay 711.

Alexandria City Council Approves Beauregard Rezoning

Linda Vitello — Sun, 21 Apr 2013 18:41:01 GMT

Alexandria City Council Approves Beauregard Rezoning

Today, the Alexandria City Council voted 6 to 1 to approve the zoning that begins the process of implementing the Beauregard Small Area Plan.

This rezoning permits increased development, while requiring substantial developer contributions. Future redevelopment will require additional applications, public process, and subsequent approval by City Council, including review by a Beauregard Design Advisory Committee.

The City Council approved the Beauregard Small Area Plan in June, 2012, after several years of public engagement, which produced the vision for this area over the next 20-30 years. Community benefits include:

Dedicating, over time, at least 800 units of committed affordable and workforce housing with the goal to increase dedicated affordable and workforce housing units substantially above 800.
Tenant relocation assistance for displaced residents, including referrals to comparable units in the Plan area as well as a financial payment to help with moving costs
Establishing a neighborhood town center, offering expanded retail and restaurant choices, and a new grocery store
Building a new fire station to improve emergency capacity
Improving the Seminary-Beauregard intersection
Adding convenient, frequent high-capacity bus rapid transit service
Providing approximately 44 acres of public open space and a new athletic field for community recreation
Adding new local streets to create a walkable community
Providing 40 percent tree canopy as part of redevelopment
Incorporating nearly six miles of new bike lanes and multi-use trails

“The City of Alexandria has made an unprecedented commitment to preserving and protecting affordable housing, and the Beauregard Small Area Plan reflects that commitment,” said Mayor William D. Euille. “We have listened to the community and to developers. We have worked hard to ensure that, through this rezoning, our long-term vision for Beauregard includes affordable housing, infrastructure improvements, a strengthened transportation system, and a public/private partnership that will provide resources so these enhancements can be realized. The plan will also ensure that the Beauregard area will become a walkable community with connectivity, accessibility and a new street grid.”

The rezoning requires developer contributions of $215 million, over about two decades, for community improvements, including affordable housing, a new fire station, transit, and open space. Nearly $159 million is directly contributed by developers, and $66 million of the total will be used to pay for the affordable housing components of the Plan. Of the rest, $52 million will be used for transit and road improvements, $10 million to construct a fire station, and more than $12 million to pay for recreation and other public amenities. In addition, the City will contribute $68 million, which will be derived from new taxes that the Beauregard development will generate, as well as some affordable housing monies.
For more information about the Beauregard Small Area Plan and rezoning, visit alexandriava.gov/BeauregardPlan.

Landmark Mall Redevelopment: Residents Hopeful

Linda Vitello — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 14:38:52 GMT

From West End Patch by Rachel Leonard.

More than 200 people crowded into the community room at Landmark Mall on Monday night to hear how the Howard Hughes Corp. plans to redevelop the central portion of the mall into seven blocks in an urban town center with retail, restaurants and residential space. See the entire article: Click here.

Public Meeting Scheduled on Landmark Mall Plans -April 8 at Landmark Community Rm. Level 2

Linda Vitello — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 13:13:20 GMT

Public Meeting Scheduled on Landmark Mall Plans

The Howard Hughes Corp. plans to demolish the central area of the mall and replace it with a mixed-use residential and retail complex. See WEST END PATCH Thanks to Rachel Leonard!! http://westendalexandria.patch.com/articles/public-meeting-scheduled-on-landmark-mall-plans?ncid=newsltuspatc00000001

For more information about this proposal, come to the public meeting on April 8 or call Colleen Willger in the city Department of Planning & Zoning at 703-746-3817. The public meeting will be held at 7 p.m. at the mall in the community room on Level 2, near Bath and Body Works.

Beauregard Rezoning Group Discusses Design Guidelines for Parking, Block Sizes from West End Patch

Linda Vitello — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 13:06:03 GMT

Beauregard Rezoning Group Discusses Design Guidelines for Parking, Block Sizes

The Beauregard Rezoning Advisory Group is preparing to send its final recommendations to city officials

By Rachel Leonard

For the entire article,click here.

What’s Next Alexandria Reminder: Join your Neighbors January 29

Linda Vitello — Fri, 25 Jan 2013 14:41:22 GMT

What’s Next Alexandria Reminder: Join your Neighbors January 29 to Talk about Civic Engagement in Alexandria

What's Next Alexandria is a community conversation about civic engagement and planning for the future -- and how Alexandrians can best participate in the public decisions that shape the City. At the next What’s Next Alexandria event, participants will roll up their sleeves and work with their neighbors to lay the groundwork for future civic engagement in the City. Please plan to take part in this second Community Dialogue on Tuesday, January 29, 7 p.m., at the First Baptist Church, 2932 King St. The City encourages all to attend this event and work with their neighbors to improve public participation. Childcare and simultaneous Spanish translation will be provided. First Baptist Church is accessible by DASH bus AT-5 and AT-6 or Metrobus 28A.
For more information and a meeting agenda, visit alexandriava.gov/WhatsNext or contact Carrie Beach at 703.746.3853.

Let Us Know You’re Coming: Encourage your friends and neighbors to join you by registering to attend. (Registration is not required. It assists with planning for the event and helps disseminate information about the meeting.)

Can’t Make the Meeting? Try Participating Online at Our Virtual Table: For those unable to attend this event in person, the City plans to test and evaluate live Internet video engagement, which will let viewers watch live video from the event, participate with other viewers in group exercises through a moderated live chat, and then tell us what they think of this tool for future use. Learn more about how to participate online at alexandriava.gov/WhatsNext.

Transportation Commission Monthly Meeting - January 9, 2013

Linda Vitello — Mon, 07 Jan 2013 14:47:34 GMT

Transportation Commission Monthly Meeting - January 9, 2013

The next Transportation Commission meeting will take place at City Hall on the 2nd floor in the City Council Workroom on Wednesday, January 9 from 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm. The meeting is open to the public.

An agenda and meeting materials are posted on the Commission website at >>
http://alexandriava.gov/TransportationCommission

If you have questions or need further information about the Transportation Commission, please contact Mr. Steve Sindiong at steve.sindiong@alexandriava.gov.

What’s Next Alexandria? Your Input Needed for Online Civic Engagement Activity

Linda Vitello — Fri, 04 Jan 2013 17:47:11 GMT

The City of Alexandria and ACTion Alexandria invite you to participate online [www.actionalexandria.org/principles] in refining the principles of civic engagement discussed at the November 15, 2012 What’s Next Alexandria Community Dialogue. This online event, open to all Alexandrians, will run until January 14.

Your input will form the basis of the Second Community Dialogue scheduled for January 29, 2013, 7 p.m., at First Baptist Church, 2932 King St. The goal of the January Dialogue is to complete work on the principles of civic engagement and discuss the methods for achieving those principles, including the range of approaches identified by the community. Childcare and simultaneous Spanish translation will be available.

For more information, visit alexandriava.gov/WhatsNext or contact Carrie Beach, project manager, at 703.746.3853.

What’s Next Alexandria? Second Community Dialogue Set for January 29, 2013

Linda Vitello — Fri, 14 Dec 2012 16:50:50 GMT

What’s Next Alexandria? Second Community Dialogue Set for January 29, 2013

For Immediate Release: December 14, 2012

Approximately 165 Alexandrians participated November 15 in the first What’s Next Alexandria Community Dialogue. The results of the community’s work at the meeting, as well as the presentations and meeting evaluations, are available on the What’s Next Alexandria website.

Please mark your calendars! Two upcoming activities (online and in person) will build on the civic engagement work done so far and begin the next steps in the process.

January 2013: Online engagement activity to refine the principles of civic engagement begun on November 15 and in the community poll. The online work will take place over two weeks in early January. Details on how to participate will be sent closer to the date.
January 29 at 7 p.m., Second Community Dialogue: The community will wrap up its work on the principles of civic engagement and then discuss potential methods for achieving those principles, including the range of engagement formats and approaches identified by the community in the recent poll. Meeting location to be announced. Childcare and simultaneous Spanish translation will be available.

For more information, visit alexandriava.gov/WhatsNext or contact Carrie Beach, project manager, at 703.746.3853.

Mango Mike’s to Stay Open Through Next Fall

Linda Vitello — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 14:28:39 GMT

The popular restaurant is renegotiating its lease.

Mango Mike’s, a West End restaurant and bar that dishes out Caribbean fare, will remain open through at least the fall of 2013, owner Mike Anderson told Patch.

“There are a lot of rumors that were closing this week or the next, and I’d like to dispel those,” Anderson said. “ ... We’re definitely there until fall of next year, another great winter and summer season.” See the full story at West Alexandria Patch, click here.

Mixed-Use Development Coming to Landmark Area

Linda Vitello — Wed, 28 Nov 2012 14:01:45 GMT

Landmark Gateway will include 492 rental units and retail space.

Several warehouses on Alexandria’s West End will soon be demolished to make way for a new mixed-use development, Landmark Gateway, at the corner of South Van Dorn and South Pickett streets. For the full story from West Alexandria Patch, click on the link.

http://westendalexandria.patch.com/articles/mixed-use-development-coming-to-landmark-area

Commonwealth One Federal Credit Union Won The Alexandria Chamber Of Commerce 2012 Medium Business Of The Year Award

Linda Vitello — Fri, 16 Nov 2012 14:00:38 GMT

http://www.webwire.com/ViewPressRel.asp?aId=165084

CommonWealth One won the 2012 Medium Business of the Year by the Alexandria Chamber of Commerce at their Annual Business Awards reception.

WEBWIRE – Thursday, November 15, 2012

Tuesday, November 13, 2012, CommonWealth One was awarded the 2012 Medium Business of the Year by the Alexandria Chamber of Commerce at their Annual Business Awards reception held at the Rachel M. Schlesinger Hall on the campus of Northern Virginia Community College in Alexandria, VA.

During the reception, the Alexandria Chamber of Commerce honored Alexandria’s top businesses and business leaders with an award ceremony, followed by a reception and silent auction. Over 100 guests attended the event. Chef Cathal Armstrong, Co-Owner of Eat Good Food Group, was honored as the Business Leader of the Year. The following reception showcased tastings from several local restaurants owned by Eat Good Food Group.

The 2012 Medium Business of the Year award was open to businesses that belong to the Alexandria Chamber of Commerce with 31-99 employees and $2.5 million to $10 million in annual revenue. In order to win, CommonWealth One demonstrated to the Alexandria Chamber of Commerce that it exceeded its standards for excellence and innovation in its business practices and community involvement.

Awards were also given for Association/Non-Profit Business of the Year – ACT for Alexandria, Eco-Business of the Year – Marstel Day, LLC, Small Business of the Year – American Advertising Distributors of North America, and Overall Business of the Year – Grant Thornton LLP. CommonWealth One is honored to receive this award in the company of such well-respected businesses.

About CommonWealth One Federal Credit Union
Since 1944, CommonWealth One Federal Credit Union, headquartered in Alexandria, VA, has grown to become one of Washington, D.C. and Northern Virginia’s top credit unions with more than $301 million in assets serving more than 36,000 members. CommonWealth One is a full-service, member-owned, not-for-profit financial cooperative committed to being the lifetime financial institution of its members. It provides its members with lower fees and loan rates, plus higher savings rates. Excess earnings are returned to members in the form of higher dividend rates, lower interest rates on loans and low or no fees.

CommonWealth One has branches in downtown Washington, D.C., Alexandria, VA, and Harrisonburg, VA (one branch is located on the James Madison University campus). Members can access their accounts through Online Banking, Mobile and Text Banking, plus a network of over 6,700+ shared branches and 43,000+ transaction-fee-free ATMs across the country. For information, or to open an account online, visit www.cofcu.org.

Joint Transportation Commission/High Capacity Transit Corridor Work Group Meeting - October 3, 2012

Linda Vitello — Fri, 28 Sep 2012 19:49:39 GMT

Joint Transportation Commission/High Capacity Transit Corridor Work Group Meeting - October 3, 2012

The next monthly scheduled Transportation Commission meeting will be a joint meeting with the High Capacity Transit Corridor Work Group. The meeting is open to the public and will take place at Charles Houston Recreation Center, 901 Wythe Street in the Multi-Purpose Room on Wednesday, October 3, 2012 from 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm.

Item 2 on the agenda will be a Public Hearing on Transitway Corridors A, B, C and amendments to the City's Transportation Master Plan. Speaker forms will be available if you would like to speak at the end of the Public Hearing item. Complete the form and give to staff before the Public Hearing begins. The meeting materials will be posted on the Transportation Commission webpage >>http://alexandriava.gov/TransportationCommission

If you have questions or need further information, please contact steve.sindiong@alexandriava.gov

Help WEBA--Take the Survey!

Linda Vitello — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 13:38:01 GMT

Win a $3,000, $5,000, or $10,000 home energy makeover!

As a Member or Friend of the West End Business Association (WEBA), we want to help you help yourself, your family and your pocketbook to a free, online assessment of your home energy use. This opportunity is sponsored by the nonprofit Local Energy Alliance Program (LEAP) in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Energy and its ENERGY STAR program.

Act fast, because the contest ends on September 30^th, but all is takes is 5 minutes answering a few questions, the instructions for which are described below. And by doing so, you also will make WEBA eligible for a donation from LEAP, which will allow us to expand and enhance WEBA’s many efforts to promote, advocate for, and support businesses in Alexandria’s West End.

After completing the online energy assessment at www.NOVAEnergyContest.com, you must remember to (1) click the “Enroll Me Now” button and (2) enter “HEMC WEBA” in the coupon code box.

The System for Award Management (SAM) to Streamline Government Contracting Process

Linda Vitello — Mon, 20 Aug 2012 16:12:50 GMT

The System for Award Management (SAM) to Streamline Government Contracting Process

In an effort to improve the federal government contracting process for small business owners, the System for Award Management (SAM) was created. Phase 1 of SAM services combines several procurement systems - including the Central Contractor Registration (CCR), Federal Agency Registration (FedReg) and the Online Representations and Certifications Application (ORCA), Excluded Parties List System (EPLS) - into one, easy-to-use website.

SAM, which was scheduled to launch on May 29, 2012 has been postponed. The new launch date will be July 29, 2012. SAM will serve as a government-contracting portal and enable small business owners to register to do business with the federal government, and represent/self-certify as a small business all in one place. This streamlined, integrated approach will eliminate data redundancies, improve capabilities of the government-contracting workforce and save taxpayers money by reducing costs. SAM will be managed by the General Service Administration (GSA). If you or your customers require any assistance (troubleshooting, data concerns, general information, etc.) with SAM contact the Federal Service Desk at fsd.gov or by telephone at 1-866-606-8220.

For more information, please visit SAM.gov or US Federal Contractor Registration.

Alexandria Chamber presents: Heels & Wheels in the West End! Wednesday, September 5, 5:30-7:30pm

Linda Vitello — Thu, 16 Aug 2012 15:33:16 GMT

Click here to register.

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), an agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce, will host the 2012 National Trademark Expo on Friday, October 19th, from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm and Saturday, October 20, 2012, from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm.

Linda Vitello — Wed, 15 Aug 2012 16:17:47 GMT

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), an agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce, will host the 2012 National Trademark Expo on Friday, October 19th, from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm and Saturday, October 20, 2012, from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm.

We encourage you to attend this free family-friendly event designed to educate the public about trademarks and their importance in the global marketplace. Last year’s Trademark Expo attracted over 15,000 visitors of all ages.

Visitors will learn about trademarks through exhibits, seminars, children's activities, and more! You will be able to interact with numerous government, corporate, and non-profit exhibitors, each providing important information about their federally-registered trademarks.

The Trademark Expo is held at the USPTO’s headquarters in Alexandria, Virginia, in the Madison Building at 600 Dulany Street, Alexandria Virginia. The nearest Metro stops are King Street and/or Eisenhower Ave, which services the blue and yellow lines. The Metro stop is approximately a ten minute walk from the USPTO headquarters. Meter and garage parking is also available near the USPTO headquarters.
For more information about the Trademark Expo, including a list of exhibitors and seminar titles and times, please visit: www.uspto.gov/TMExpo.

Beauregard Open Space Sites Presentation and Tour Wednesday, August 15

Linda Vitello — Mon, 13 Aug 2012 15:23:11 GMT

Beauregard Open Space Sites Presentation and Tour

Wednesday, August 15

The Beauregard Rezoning Advisory Group is hosting a meeting and tour of potential open space sites on Wednesday, August 15 at 6:30 p.m. at the Jerome “Buddie” Ford Nature Center, located at 5750 Sanger Ave. in Alexandria. The purpose of the meeting is to discuss and evaluate potential sites for open space acquisition using $1.5 million BRAC-133/Department of Defense funding set aside for that purpose.

Following a brief overview presentation, the group will visit the sites where access is permitted. The remaining sites will be toured by the group. The public is invited to the meeting and go to each site visited by the group; however, please note that transportation will not be provided.

Spanish translation services will be provided. Background information and materials are available on the Beauregard Small Area Plan website.

For questions, please contact Maya Contreras in the Department of Planning and Zoning at Maya.Contreras@alexandriava.gov or 703.746.3816.

Important Health Care Act Update!

Linda Vitello — Sat, 04 Aug 2012 13:11:17 GMT

Important Health Care Act Update!

The following information was sent to us by the National Association of Small Business Development Centers, with the request that we pass it on to you. Please read this information carefully.

Your small business clients may have received rebate checks from their health care insurance companies. (The checks were due August 1st.) These checks are a result of a provision in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act that requires insurers to meet Medical Loss Ratios (MLRs). Under the law, if an insurance company spends less than 80 percent of premiums on medical care and quality (or less than 85 percent in the large group market) as opposed to administrative costs, it must rebate the portion of premium dollars that exceeded this limit.

There is a lot of confusion about what the employer can do with the check. Specifically what amount, if any, has to be given to the employee and whether it is taxable.

There are a lot of "depends" in the rules of thumb and therefore it is difficult to boil them down to a summary. Here is the IRS's Q&A on the taxable situation: http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=256167,00.html (Helpful)

This is what the Department of Labor has issued on MLR distributions: http://www.dol.gov/ebsa/newsroom/tr11-04.html (Not as helpful, mostly for ERISA plans)

Finally, here is a link to the Department of Health and Human Resources materials on the rule itself: http://cciio.cms.gov/programs/marketreforms/mlr/index.html (Likewise, not very helpful)

Please take a moment to brief your clients, particularly your self-employed clients. It may look like "found money" but, there are "traps for the unwary" depending on their tax structure.