ECONOMIC CONNECTIONS
| Published by the Alexandria Economic Development Partnership, Inc. Spring 2000 |
Mayor Kerry J. Donley presented the 2000 Alexandria Technology Achievement Award on March 17th to The Motley Fool and a special recognition award to the Challenger Center for Space Science Education. The award was presented by Mayor Donley and The Honorable Donald S. Beyer, Jr., former Lt. Governor for the Commonwealth of Virginia at the March 17, 2000 Alexandria Technology Achievement Award Luncheon held at the Radisson Hotel Old Town Alexandria. The award represents the best in the application and utilization of technology in the City of Alexandria.
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Challenger Center for Space Science Education is an international, not-for-profit education organization with headquarters in metropolitan Washington, DC. Using the concept of simulation as an instructional tool, Challenger Center programs create exciting, cooperative learning environments that encourage long-term interest in math, science and technology and motivate students to pursue careers in these fields. The Challenger Learning Center provides visitors/students with an interactive computerized simulation of a Mission Control and a spacecraft for exploration.
The Honorable Donald S. Beyer, Jr. was the featured luncheon speaker. His comments focused on the importance and challenge of technology in business and society. As Lt. Governor, Don Beyer has been credited with eliminating disincentives to high tech research and development in the Virginia Tax Code. He also chaired the Economic Recovery Commission and was co-founder of the Northern Virginia Technology Council. He currently serves on the board of Lightly Expressed, a fiber optic lighting design and manufacturing firm and is a member of the Northern Virginia Business Roundtable.
For more information please call Jamie Patten, The Motley Fool, 703-837-5584, JPatten@fool.com or Vance Ablott, The Challenger Center for Space Science Education, 703-683-9740, vablott@challenger.org.
PTO Approved
The planned relocation of the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office has received the final needed approval from the City of Alexandria. At its March 21, 2000 meeting, City Council approved the project with a 5-2 vote. This follows a March 9, 2000, 5-1 approval vote by the Alexandria Planning Commission. GSA and PTO and their future landlord, LCOR, continue to wait on a legal challenge which is currently in U.S. District Court. PTO has proposed a 2.5 million square foot office campus on the Carlyle site on Duke Street, which will bring over 7,000 employees to Alexandria and an estimated $6 million in annual tax revenue.
Mayor's Local Business Outreach Program
Bremmer & Goris is a graphic arts company, located on 1908 Mt. Vernon Avenue, that specializes in creating compelling design solutions to motivate, promote, captivate and sell.
Convergence Services, Inc., located at 1215 Cameron Street, is a company whose mission is to help organizations plan, fund and promote education multimedia, telecommunications and infrastructure projects.
Digital Paper Corporation, based at 201 N. Union Street, specializes in streamlining the distribution of mission-critical documents with revolutionary digital document distribution technology.
Dixie Pig, located on 1225 Powhatan Street, is a restaurant whose specialty is barbecued foods. An Alexandria favorite, Dixie Pig has just begun serving breakfast.
Taqueria Poblano is a neighborhood restaurant, located at 1225-B Mt. Vernon Avenue, specializing in Mexican cuisine.
The Mayor's Local Business Outreach Program was initiated to establish relationships with Alexandria businesses. The program involves meetings at the business with the Mayor and/or a City Council Member, and an additional representative from the AEDP staff. The meetings are scheduled four times per month to introduce local businesses to the Mayor and City Council Members, and to identify and address the company's needs and/or concerns.
If you are interested in participating in this program, please contact the AEDP at 703-739-3820, or click here to send comments to AEDP.
Marketing Funds Still Available
A portion of the FY2000 Alexandria Marketing Funds are still available to qualified non-profit organizations and business coalitions. Those groups interested in promoting the City's shopping, dining, hospitality, and other business industries are encouraged to submit a grant application to the Alexandria Marketing Fund. Established in 1994 by the City Council, the Marketing Fund
Committee has provided more than $500,000 in grants to Alexandria organizations to help promote special events and cooperative advertisement campaigns. In FY2000, $50,000 has been made available by the City Council for this purpose. Each grant must be matched on least a one-to-one basis by the private sector for consideration by the committee.
The deadline for applications for final FY2000 funds is April 28th at 4pm. Applications and criteria guidelines may be obtained by calling Roger Parks, 703-549-5126, or email at AADOFNOVA@aol.com. When calling, please reference the Alexandria Marketing Fund.
Beverly Steele, Deputy City Manager, City of Alexandria
* Executive Committee
Retail Corner
Norford Court is an old carriage house courtyard located on Cameron Street. Directly behind City Hall, it is a quiet spot right in the middle of Old Town. Norfold Court has been transformed by three very unique retail businesses.
Mary McLaughlin
Mary McLaughlin is the first retail store located in Norford Court at 309-A Cameron Street. Selling a range of merchandise from crocodile belts to decorative bottles to sterling silver jewelry, Mary McLaughlin is one of the more fashionable retailers in Alexandria. Being situated in Norford Court makes it hardly visible from the street but the most stylish could direct you there with no effort.
The boutique sells women's apparel of the finest kind. From cashmeres to silks, if you're looking for it, Mary McLaughlin will more than likely have it. The merchandise is placed in cozy armoires and on tiny stands and such. The staff is extraordinarily friendly and helpful, dressed as stylishly as the clothes they sell. You feel at home at Mary McLaughlin. Just in front of the retail store sits beautiful wicker furniture where you can relax on a warm spring or summer day.
Although it is located off of a major street, the court is extraordinarily quiet, even serene. As you will read Norford Court houses some of the most wonderful retail locations in Alexandria.
Fashionably Yours, Annette Dean
Annette Dean, located at 309-B Cameron Street, is one of those chic boutiques that make you feel glamorous just by entering. It gives you a New York feeling with an Alexandria touch. The clothes are all designer brand names, beautiful, luxurious fabrics and materials and simple displays. Annette Dean carries upscale casual clothing, along with a bit of elegant apparel.
One of several retail stores located in Cameron Street's Norford Court, Annette Dean features retail clothing with price points of approximately $40 to $350. The shop is decorated in a minimalist fashion with one or two samples of a particular garment displayed. The merchandise is the most current in fashion. Annette Dean follows many of the color and style trends of the fashion world, but consists of the more sophisticated and classic styles off the runways.
The staff is very warm and friendly and more than willing to make suggestions in your decision. Make it a priority to visit the Annette Dean retail store. Annette Dean makes the grade.
Scriptorium - Something to write home about
What ever happened to the days when men carried linen handkerchiefs, when ladies wore white gloves, families gathered for Sunday dinners and letter writing was an art form?
All of those wonderful aspects of our culture have not been lost. Surprisingly, in the sea of faxes and e-mails, all has not been lost in putting pen to paper. Alexandria's own Scriptorium is just one of those speciality stores in the Washington Metropolitan area that features retail merchandise such as stationery, personalized notes, and invitations. The Scriptorium is one of Alexandria's well hidden treasures. Located at 309-C Cameron Street, it is definitely off the beaten path, sitting at the far end of the small Norford Court courtyard. It is tiny, but has wall to wall merchandise to choose from. The store features a variety of merchandise from invitations with a fiesta motif to baby announcements to monogrammed stationery.
The Scriptorium can also produce script invitations, letters, etc. They feature machinery that allows you to pick your choice of ink color and font. The machine is set with the message or text that you have chosen and will mass produce the notes. Other merchandise sold at the Scriptorium includes unique writing journals, books for financial bookkeeping, bookmarks, etc.
The Scriptorium gives you an opportunity to convey your personality and style from beginning to end with whatever type of correspondence you prefer to use. Take a moment to stop in and visit the Scriptorium... You'll find that it's definitely something to write home about.
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In conjunction with other City staff, the AEDP has identified many potential redevelopment sites throughout the City and is in the process of developing strategies to revitalize these sites and areas. Areas such as Potomac West, Braddock Road Metro, Washington Street, upper King Street and along the Eisenhower Avenue Corridor all have sites and facilities that are prime for redevelopment.
One site that is of particular interest to the City is the intersection of West Glebe Road and Mt. Vernon Avenue, commonly referred to as the Safeway/Datatel site, in the Arlandria section of the City. One strategy for redevelopment that AEDP has adopted is the utilization of higher education institutions to spur redevelopment ideas and interest in specific locations. In a joint effort, the Alexandria Economic Development Partnership, Inc. (AEDP) is working with graduate students from the Virginia Tech Washington-Alexandria Architecture Center to develop creative ideas and concepts to guide future development of the Safeway/Datatel Site.
In the framework of a course on urban design, the students are focusing on urban development and the myriad of issues that accompany any development project. In the context of this course, the students are creating architectural drawings based on current urban theories, the immediate physical and visual environmental surroundings of the site (nearby buildings, architectural form, materials, etc.), the social and economic conditions of the area, the natural environment, and the community's goals and objectives. AEDP has provided the students with background information about the site including population demographics, air photography, topographic maps, zoning information, and the Potomac West Small Area Plan. While background data is extremely important for the students to gain a perspective of the site, it is also important for the redevelopment plan to reflect the goals and objectives of the community.
To support that end, the AEDP has formed a working group of individuals to provide community based information and feedback to the students. This group includes Al Cox, City Architect, Lloyd Martin, Potomac West Business Association, Scott Mitchell, former President of the Potomac West Alliance and Larry Watson, AEDP. In addition to this working group, the AEDP sponsored a community forum entitled "Vision 2000: A Collaborative Development Strategy" to facilitate community input and ideas. This forum was held on February 23 at the Cora Kelly Recreation Center. Over 40 business owners, local citizens, property owners, land developers, real estate brokers and other interested individuals attended this forum and provided the AEDP with outstanding ideas and goals for the Safeway/Datatel site. The ideas and goals stated by the working groups from this forum have been provided to the students and will mostly likely be reflected in their conceptual drawings. The primary goal of utilizing the expertise of these students is to facilitate creative ideas through high-quality architectural drawings to assist in creating an achievable vision for the site. Once the students have finished their project in early May, their work will be displayed to the community as well as developers with the hopes of spurring private sector interest and development. Once this project is complete, AEDP plans to continue to partner with Virginia Tech for future work in other areas of the City.
Alexandria Technology Achievement Award Finalists
There were a total of five finalists for the 2000 Alexandria Technology Achievement Award. The 2000 finalists were liveprint.com, MTS Technologies, Inc., The Motley Fool, National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, webcasts.com and a special recognition award for the Challenger Center for Space Science Education These companies contribute to Alexandria's success story as a great place for technology companies to do business. The five finalists represent the best in the application and utilization of technology in the City of Alexandria. Each nomination was evaluated on the basis of the technological achievement and/or impact on business, industry, and/or the City of Alexandria.
The finalists represent an impressive cross section of companies in which technology has been applied in new and creative ways. The 2000 finalists include (see accompanying article for information on The Motley Fool and Challenger Center for Space Science Education): liveprint.com provides clients with a fast way to create and distribute high-quality, custom designed and tailored marketing communications products. liveprint.com provides a website enabling small businesses to develop or design such products as business cards, letterhead, and envelopes. The design can be downloaded and printed from the desk top or professionally printed through the liveprint.com network.
MTS Technologies, Inc. focuses on the management and technical issues critical to the competitiveness of their government and commercial clients. MTS has state-of-the-art capabilities in a wide variety of disciplines. Developed for U.S. Army, the Voice Interactive
Display technology allows hands-free, voice communication between an individual and a computer by utilizing a throat microphone capable of detection in an environment up to 115-decibel noise level.
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) is a private, non-profit organization, which serves as an international clearinghouse for information on missing and exploited children. NCMEC uses state of the art technology to link online with local, state, federal and international law enforcement officers. NCMEC has the capability to use "push technology" to link and disseminate images and information on missing children to its online partners in "real time." NCMEC encapsulates the original spirit of innovative technology and shows that, when fierce competitors in the industry join hands to find solutions to complex social problems, the outcome can be revolutionary.
Webcasts.com was founded in 1995 as an interactive digital agency that designed and developed web sites, CD-ROMs, banner advertising and E-commerce sites. Webcasts.com did the first webcasting of a private television broadcast over the internet and producing the first real-time linking of live URL flips to a live webcast event with the 1999 ACC Men's College Basketball Tournament. Webcasts.com's mission is to be recognized as one of the premier Internet broadcasters in the world.
Alliance Report Alexandria Chamber hosts State of the City
The Alexandria Chamber of Commerce held its eighth annual State of the City Breakfast on February 24th. Chair Lynn Hampton welcomed Chamber members and guests with an upbeat report on the "state of business" in Alexandria. Hampton also used the occasion of the Breakfast to recognize Commonwealth Atlantic Properties for their efforts in promoting better communications in the community and presented them with the Chamber's Communications Award. Hampton then turned the program over to Alexandria Mayor Kerry J. Donley to give his economic forecast for the City.
Mayor Donley echoed Hampton's optimistic outlook on the City. Declaring that "it is a great time to live and work in Alexandria," the Mayor described an Alexandria that has a strong economy, based on our association community, emerging high technology and tourism industries. Robust retail sales, housing sales and new construction were cited as additional indicators of a City that is thriving.
Quality of life issues were also addressed by the Mayor. Donley called attention to the good press that the City has been receiving on a national level. He listed articles in Ladies Home Journal, which named Alexandria as one of America's best cities for women and Business Development Outlook magazine, as one of the best cities in the United States in which to do business.
Alexandria
Convention & Visitors Association
The ACVA heads into the Spring 2000 tourism season with visitors statistics up in all major categories, as compared to the same time period a year ago. Lodging tax revenue is up 4.4%, with a .15% decrease in tax rate; restaurant tax revenue is up 10.7%; hotel occupancy rates are up 6%; and revenue charged per hotel room is up by 8%. Additionally, inquiries from toll-free 800 numbers are up 82%, compared to the first seven months of FY 1999. Advertising for the 2000 Official Alexandria Guide is up by 70%.
ACVA staff would like to thank association members for their continuing support in working with us creatively to promote Alexandria as a tourism destination. The Jaguar Winter Prowl, co-sponsored by ACVA, Jaguar Cars and WGMS radio, gave visitors an added incentive to patronize our restaurants, retail shops and attractions during the winter months. Winner of a year's lease on a 2000 Jaguar is Alexandria resident Vincent Paladini.
The ACVA is working on a number of corporate partnerships that will help us to broaden our reach in promoting the City. Any Alexandria businesses that would like to join ACVA in a promotional effort should contact ACVA Executive Director Jo Anne Mitchell at jmitchell@funside.com. Partnering offers wide exposure for Alexandria businesses through the
Association's marketing channels. ACVA reminds local businesses that the 2000 Official Alexandria Visitors Guide is now available through the Alexandria Visitors Center for visiting groups and meeting participants.
Residential development continues along the Eisenhower corridor. Construction on the east-end of the corridor includes a 403-unit apartment building on 1.65 acres by Paradigm Construction Company. Units will start selling in the summer of 2000. Carlyle Tower III, a 182-unit high rise containing 1, 2 and 3 bedroom units, began construction in the summer of 1999. Twenty-six percent of the units were sold prior to construction. A site plan has been filed for a 315-unit apartment complex entitled Jefferson at Mill Road. This project is in its first stages and has not yet been presented to the Planning Commission for approval.
Located along the center of the Eisenhower corridor is Avalon Bay, a fully operational 460-unit apartment complex. Townes at Cameron Parke, east of Cameron Run Park, contains 229 lots for townhouse construction. Two additional luxury apartment complexes, Bush Hill, consisting of approximately 300 garden apartments and Alexan at Alexandria, 226 units, are located to the west-end of the corridor. At the extreme west-end, Eisenhower Avenue at Van Dorn Street, is Summers Grove, consisting of 191 townhouse units.
Part of the Eisenhower Partnership's mission is "To facilitate and promote quality development through active involvement in the approval process with the community, developers and local government." We welcome these residential communities and believe that they do indeed reflect quality development in a mixed-use area.