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Good morning, Alexandria. Today is Thursday, February 26 — the 57th day of 2026, with 308 days left in the year.
The Republican nominee for City Council says he didn't know about tomorrow's filing deadline when he told the ARCC he wanted to run — and he's in Florida until Saturday. The USDA is officially vacating Braddock Place. And the National Park Service has reversed course on the waterfront pump station — a decision that puts the city's $145 million flood mitigation project in jeopardy.
City Manager Jim Parajon presents the FY 2027 budget to the public tonight at 7 p.m. at Charles Houston Recreation Center.
Here's what you need to know today.
1️⃣ Republican nominee uncertain about candidacy as Friday deadline approaches
The man named as the Republican nominee for the April 21 City Council special election may not appear on the ballot — because he is out of state and says he did not know about the Friday filing deadline when he put his name forward.
Gerry Chandler, whom the Alexandria Republican City Committee named Monday, told The Alexandria Brief in a phone interview Wednesday that he is in Tampa, Florida, and does not plan to return until Saturday — the day after the 5 p.m. Friday deadline. "I don't know whether I'm actually the candidate," Chandler said. "I was a candidate. As far as I understand the law, I have to sign some papers by Friday, and I'm in Tampa, Florida, and I'm not going to be back until Saturday."
Chandler said he was unaware of the deadline when he put his name forward, and only learned of it the day after the ARCC publicly announced his nomination. State rules allow mailing forms by certified mail, sworn before a notary. If he files, Chandler will face Democrat Sandy Marks and independent Frank Fannon. The ARCC did not respond to requests for comment.
Ryan Belmore
2️⃣ USDA officially begins vacating Alexandria's Braddock Place as building changes hands
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is officially moving forward with its plan to vacate 1320 Braddock Place, with food assistance program workers set to relocate to Washington. The announcement comes as city property records show the roughly 150,800-square-foot office building quietly changed ownership on Feb. 11.
Deputy Secretary Stephen Vaden said employees in the Food and Nutrition Service, which administers SNAP and the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations from the Alexandria office, will move to D.C. rather than to one of the department's five new regional hubs. The broader reorganization is expected to ramp up over the summer and be complete by the end of 2026.
The ownership change and pending federal departure could reshape the commercial landscape along the Braddock Road Metro corridor, where the federal presence has been a longstanding anchor. It remains unclear how many USDA employees work at the facility; the department did not respond to a request for that information last July.
Ryan Belmore
3️⃣ National Park Service reverses course, blocks Alexandria pump station plan
The National Park Service has reversed its position on a key flood mitigation project, dealing a significant blow to the city's plans to construct a stormwater pump station in Waterfront Park.
In a letter dated Feb. 20, NPS Comptroller Jessica Bowron informed City Manager James Parajon that the federal government would take no action to modify the 1981 Settlement Agreement that governs the use of Waterfront Park — a direct reversal of the agency's stance outlined just 13 months earlier. The 1981 settlement restricts the park to use as "an open space public park area" in perpetuity, with a 15-foot height restriction on structures. Bowron wrote that the proposed pump station "would permanently remove a large portion of the property from permissible park uses."
The decision puts the city's roughly $145 million Waterfront Flood Mitigation Project in jeopardy. The waterfront experienced 227 flooding events at the Prince Street level in the past year alone, compared to a 20-year average of 145. The city said it "remains committed to finding a solution" and will present results of an alternative site evaluation this spring.
Ryan Belmore
📰 In brief
City to hold community meeting on Old Town Pool renovation March 5. The $12.5 million project would replace the 50-year-old facility at 1609 Cameron St. with an 8-lane lap pool, a zero-entry family pool, and a redesigned bathhouse. The pool could be closed for up to two summers during construction. The Alexandria Brief
Alexandria man dies after shooting outside Potomac Mills mall. Baffour Asare Gundona, 34, was shot during a dispute with another man inside a parked vehicle Tuesday night at the Woodbridge mall, Prince William County police said. The suspect fled and had not been found on Wednesday. The incident does not appear to be random. InsideNOVA
A voter's guide to Virginia's 2026 redistricting push. The April 21 referendum would temporarily suspend the bipartisan redistricting commission and allow the Democrat-controlled legislature to redraw Virginia's 11 congressional districts before November's elections. Under the proposed map, rural voters as far away as Mathews County near the Chesapeake Bay could find themselves in a district anchored in Alexandria. Virginia Mercury
Warner and Kaine accepting congressionally directed spending requests for FY 2027. Since 2021, the senators have secured over $650 million in CDS for projects that upgrade infrastructure, expand affordable housing and health care, and boost economic development. State and local governments, educational institutions and nonprofits can apply; requests to either office are reviewed jointly. Sen. Tim Kaine
"Fight for the Right to Read" program Saturday at Alexandria Black History Museum. Meet the authors and illustrator of a new book about Samuel Wilbert Tucker and the 1939 sit-down strike for library reading equality. The free, family-friendly event runs 11 a.m. to noon at 902 Wythe St.; recommended for second grade and above. City of Alexandria
AlertDC: The U.S. Military will conduct an Aircraft Flyover in the National Capitol Region over Arlington National Cemetery today at approximately 1 p.m.
Shiloh Baptist Church among 33 Black churches receiving preservation grants. The Alexandria congregation is among recipients of $8.5 million in grants from the National Trust for Historic Preservation's Preserving Black Churches program. Grants range from $50,000 to $500,000 for capital projects, programming and interpretation, or project planning. Episcopal News Service
Explore this little-known Alexandria marker to an important moment in Black history. The Contrabands and Freedmen Cemetery Memorial at North Washington and Church streets is a burial ground for more than 1,700 escaped slaves who fled to Alexandria during the 1860s. "These were people who know that if they can get here to Alexandria, that they have a chance to have a life and to be free," said Audrey P. Davis, the city's African American history division director. WTOP
Today in Alexandria
Weather: A chance of rain, mainly between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 47 degrees. Calm wind becoming northeast around 6 mph in the morning. The chance of precipitation is 50%.
Partly cloudy tonight, with a low around 31. Calm wind.
Sun, Moon, & Tide: Sunrise at 6:44 a.m. | Sunset at 5:57 p.m. | 11 hours & 13 minutes of sun | High tides at 3:19 a.m. & 3:36 p.m. | Low tides at 9:33 a.m. & 10:45 p.m. | The lunar phase is a Waxing Gibbous.
🗓️ Things To Do
- 10 a.m.: English Language Learning Workshop at Beatley Central Library
- 10 a.m.: Application Assistance - One-on-One Help at Barrett Branch Library
- 10:15 a.m.: Bilingual Storytime at Duncan Branch Library
- 11 a.m.: Line Dancing 101 at Burke Branch Library
- 11 a.m.: Preschool Story Time at Barrett Branch Library
- 11:15 a.m.: Bilingual Storytime at Duncan Branch Library
- 12 p.m.: Line Dancing 201 at Burke Branch Library
- 1:15 p.m.: Baby Bounce at Beatley Central Library
- 2 p.m.: American Style Mahjong - Learn and Play at Barrett Branch Library
- 2 p.m.: Film Series - "American Fiction" at Burke Branch Library
- 3 p.m.: Handcraft Crafternoon at Beatley Central Library
- 4 p.m.: MTPD High School Youth Advisory Council - Virginia Mentoring Program at Metro's Virginia Eisenhower Office Building
- 4 p.m.: Preschool Storytime at Beatley Central Library
- 5:30 p.m.: Tai Chi at Beatley Library at Beatley Central Library
- 6 p.m.: Nerdy Knotters - Knitting and Crochet at Duncan Branch Library
- 6 p.m.: Air-Dry Clay Cat Jars at Barrett Branch Library
- 6 p.m.: Coding Game Night at Beatley Central Library
- 7 p.m.: Stags' Leap Wine Dinner at Chart House
- 7:30 p.m.: Guest Artist Series Concert featuring Jasmine Choi at Rachel M. Schlesinger Concert Hall and Arts Center
🎶 Entertainment
- 219 Restaurant: Mike Kelley & Friends at 9 p.m.
- Alexandria Bier Garden: Trivia at 7 p.m.
- Aslin ALX: Trivia at 7 p.m.
- Evening Star Cafe: Good Cook at 8:30 p.m.
- Galactic Panther: Rap is Poetry Open Mic Night at 8 p.m.
- Hops N Shine: Trivia at 6:30 p.m.
- Laporta’s Restaurant: Ken Kilpatrick Trio at 6 p.m.
- Lena’s: Dave Manley and Mauricio Miranda at 6 p.m.
- Lost Boy Cider: Trivia at 7 p.m.
- Murphy’s Grand Irish Pub: Pat Garvey & Rook Richards at 8:30 p.m.
- O’Shaughnessy’s Pub: Punko Pops at 9 p.m.
- Rock It Grill: Karaoke at 9:30 p.m.
- The Little Theatre of Alexandria: School of Rock at 8 p.m.
- The Study at Morrison House: Live Piano Music at 6 p.m.
- Vola’s Dockside Grill: Comedy Night Series at 6 p.m.
🏛️ City & Schools
Government: Open | Schools: Open | Flag: Half Staff | Trash, Recycling, & Yard Waste Collection: On Time
- 6 a.m.: Chinquapin Open
- 10 a.m.: EV Feasibility Assessments for Eco-City Businesses
- 12 p.m.: A Guide to Artist Open Calls Part 2
- 6 p.m.: Minnie Howard Open
- 6 p.m.: ACPS School Board Development
- 6:30 p.m.: Children, Youth & Families Collaborative Commission Executive Meeting
- 7 p.m.: Public Presentation of FY 2027 Proposed Budget
