Council receives presentation on ALX Forward economic development framework
Public comment period runs through Dec. 5; adoption vote set for Dec. 13
Alexandria City Council received a presentation on Tuesday on ALX Forward, the city’s first comprehensive economic development framework since 2007, with officials emphasizing the need for flexibility as the city navigates federal uncertainty and a changing economy.
The draft strategic plan, developed with Austin-based TIP Strategies and the Alexandria Economic Development Partnership (AEDP), was released last week. It aims to address a 25,000-job decline over the past 15 to 20 years and reduce reliance on residential property taxes.
“The biggest thing we need to do right now is grow the economy,” said Stephanie Landrum, AEDP president and CEO. “We need to generate more tax revenue and economic opportunity for the residents and businesses who live here.”
City Manager Jim Parajon said economic development will become an organization-wide priority.
“Economic development is going to be our entire organization’s business, meaning that if you’re one of our field personnel, you’re in the economic development business,” Parajon said. “If you’re Paul Stoddard in the audience as the planning director, you’re in economic development.”
Flexibility built in
Officials emphasized that while the framework provides direction, annual implementation will adapt to changing circumstances.
“One of the things that we learned in the economic development business is that it changed very quickly,” Parajon said. “Post-pandemic represented new opportunities and challenges. The coming out of a recession represents new opportunities and challenges. Changes at the federal level, decision-making represents the same opportunities and challenges.”
Landrum compared the approach to the city’s capital improvement plan process.
“What we do each year is going to change based on priorities, resources, the market — things that we can’t control,” she said. “But we’re all really signing on to the big picture right now and then knowing each year we’re going to be moving things around.”
Council questions
Vice Mayor Sarah Bagley raised questions about funding requirements and asked about return on investment for proposed initiatives.
“We need to generate more revenue. But to do that, you have to invest, whether that’s our infrastructure investments, whether that is people to be making these connections,” Bagley said.
She also said residents need to embrace their role in supporting economic growth.
“The thing missing on here are residents of the city of Alexandria and the mindset — like the yes mindset I think we need as well,” Bagley said, referring to a slide listing implementation partners. “We need groups and neighborhoods and communities ready to say yes to expanded or new businesses, new ideas, new approaches because that’s part of what attracts people to the city.”
Mayor Alyia Gaskins said the framework needs to demonstrate tangible change from the status quo.
“I think what I don’t want us to lose sight of is we’ve done all this work because we are seeking a different result,” Gaskins said.
Parajon confirmed that the proposed fiscal year 2027 budget will include implementation tools, whether personnel resources, one-time funding, or catalyst activity support.
Recent successes cited
Officials highlighted recent wins as examples of the strategies in action.
Marian Marquez, Senior Vice President at AEDP, described the retention of Systems Planning and Analysis, a national security company headquartered in Alexandria for over 50 years.
“We were able to retain 600 headquarters jobs and work to induce 500 new very high-paying jobs in the city, with an average salary of $153,000,” Marquez said, noting the company committed to partnerships with Alexandria City Public Schools and Northern Virginia Community College.
Julian Gonsalves, Assistant City Manager for Public-Private Partnerships, pointed to the 51-acre Landmark Mall redevelopment as an example of using tax increment financing and special assessment districts to support major projects.
Next steps
The draft framework is available for public comment through Dec. 5 at alexandriava.gov/ALXForward. City Council will consider a resolution for adoption at its Dec. 13 public hearing.
Implementation working groups will begin meeting in early 2026, with quarterly council updates starting in the first quarter.