The Alexandria City Council received a comprehensive update on Tuesday night regarding the city’s May Economic Summit and the ongoing development of a strategic framework that will guide economic development efforts over the next five years.
Tracye McDaniel, President of TIP Strategies, presented findings from extensive community engagement efforts that reached over 840 community touchpoints through 75 roundtables or one-on-one interviews, 35 participants in pre-summit events, 530 survey respondents, and more than 200 summit participants at the May 8 event held at the Westin Alexandria.
The May summit marked the first economic development gathering of its kind in Alexandria in over 15 years. The previous summit led to significant developments, including the waterfront redevelopment, the transformation of the Landmark Mall, and the establishment of Virginia Tech in the city.
“This year’s summit aimed to foster discussions about Alexandria’s future in economic development and really gather some strategic decision-making to gather information so we can design a strategic decision-making framework for the project,” McDaniel said during Tuesday’s presentation.
Three Pillars of Economic Growth
The emerging strategic framework focuses on three main goals: place-based development, business retention and recruitment, and entrepreneurship and innovation. Summit attendees participated in breakout sessions aligned with these priority areas.
For place-based development, participants emphasized strategic development and placemaking, with a priority on transformative real estate projects that preserve Alexandria’s historic character. Connectivity and physical design emerged as key themes, with community members advocating for eco-friendly spaces, green areas, walkability, protected bike lanes, and enhanced public transit connections.
“The residents consistently stressed the desire for addressing gaps in entertainment venues, entertainment experiences, and essential services for performing art venues to serve residents and attract visitors,” McDaniel reported.
Business retention and recruitment discussions centered on strengthening foundations for business success through improved infrastructure, streamlined processes, accessible funding mechanisms, and robust mentorship platforms. Participants also focused on strategic industry recruitment in high-value sectors, including aerospace, defense technology, artificial intelligence, and life sciences.
The entrepreneurship and innovation sessions highlighted building comprehensive networks connecting entrepreneurs with essential resources, including access to funding and venture capital. Participants emphasized streamlining regulatory processes to make Alexandria a hub for technology and startups.
Timeline and Implementation Concerns
City Manager James Parajon explained the rationale behind the five-year timeline for the framework, citing current economic uncertainty and the potential for policy changes.
“We’re in a very uncertain time right now. So the strategies we might deploy right now, for instance, tariffs happen under the administration. We may have one set of recruitment strategies related to that,” Parajon said. “Those things may change six, seven years from now, and we may pivot to something different.”
However, Councilman John Chapman questioned whether the timeline should extend further into the future.
“I would love to see a much longer timeline, understanding that there is kind of an urgency of now and trying to get things done in a quick fashion, but being ready to understand if we have to do something kind of for a longer term,” Chapman said.
Chapman also emphasized the need for specific details in the final framework, including exact locations for proposed improvements and measurable outcomes.
“As we talk about some of the goals, where in the city do you want to see that? How specifically can that get done?” Chapman said. “I really want to see that level of detail so the community can have a checklist of things that we are knocking off.”
Call for Specificity and Accountability
Mayor Alyia Gaskins echoed the desire for specificity, suggesting the creation of an interactive map or dashboard with key indicators to track progress.
“I think the more specific we can get, it helps us plan over the remainder of our terms, kind of what are the short-term wins that we can have that we check off in what neighborhoods,” Gaskins said.
The presentation revealed that entertainment venues emerged as a significant gap identified throughout community engagement. When Councilman Abdel-Rahman Elnoubi asked for more details about entertainment preferences, McDaniel responded that participants specifically mentioned performing arts venues, sports facilities, and broader entertainment experiences as missing elements in the city.
Parajon highlighted the financial benefits of entertainment and experiential venues, noting their unique potential for generating revenue.
“One of the most valuable financial aspects of it is that they generate dollars from non-city taxpayers. It’s other people’s money. It’s visitors coming into the city taking advantage of the wonderful things this city has to offer,” Parajon explained.
Asset Optimization and Tax Structure Review
Vice Mayor Sarah Bagley inquired about city-level products necessary to support the strategic goals, including real estate assessments and analysis of city-owned assets.
Parajon confirmed that staff will examine city assets to optimize their value and potentially deploy them for economic development purposes, including temporary uses during major construction projects.
Stephanie Landrum, President and CEO of the Alexandria Economic Development Partnership, also indicated potential changes to the business tax structure based on the strategy’s outcomes, emphasizing the need for regional competitiveness.
“As we finalize a strategy, we want to make sure that if we’re showing a strength in attracting companies that have heavy equipment for food, we want to make sure that the tax that we charge businesses like that is competitive in this region,” Parajon said.
Small Business Focus and Next Steps
Councilwoman Jacinta Greene noted that breakout sessions needed more time and asked how small business concerns about moving from “surviving to thriving” would be addressed in the detailed action plan.
Landrum indicated the organization may undergo realignment based on the strategy’s requirements, noting they rebuilt their small business team two years ago following lessons learned during the pandemic.
The next steps include refining the strategic framework through August, establishing a comprehensive five-year timeline, developing an implementation plan with key performance indicators, and presenting the final framework to the council in September.
— news from ALXnow
— News Original —
Alexandria outlines economic development roadmap following community summit
The Alexandria City Council received a comprehensive update on Tuesday night regarding the city’s May Economic Summit and the ongoing development of a strategic framework that will guide economic development efforts over the next five years.
Tracye McDaniel, President of TIP Strategies, presented findings from extensive community engagement efforts that reached over 840 community touchpoints through 75 roundtables or one-on-one interviews, 35 participants in pre-summit events, 530 survey respondents, and more than 200 summit participants at the May 8 event held at the Westin Alexandria.
The May summit marked the first economic development gathering of its kind in Alexandria in over 15 years. The previous summit led to significant developments, including the waterfront redevelopment, the transformation of the Landmark Mall, and the establishment of Virginia Tech in the city.
“This year’s summit aimed to foster discussions about Alexandria’s future in economic development and really gather some strategic decision-making to gather information so we can design a strategic decision-making framework for the project,” McDaniel said during Tuesday’s presentation.
Three Pillars of Economic Growth
The emerging strategic framework focuses on three main goals: place-based development, business retention and recruitment, and entrepreneurship and innovation. Summit attendees participated in breakout sessions aligned with these priority areas.
For place-based development, participants emphasized strategic development and placemaking, with a priority on transformative real estate projects that preserve Alexandria’s historic character. Connectivity and physical design emerged as key themes, with community members advocating for eco-friendly spaces, green areas, walkability, protected bike lanes, and enhanced public transit connections.
“The residents consistently stressed the desire for addressing gaps in entertainment venues, entertainment experiences, and essential services for performing art venues to serve residents and attract visitors,” McDaniel reported.
Business retention and recruitment discussions centered on strengthening foundations for business success through improved infrastructure, streamlined processes, accessible funding mechanisms, and robust mentorship platforms. Participants also focused on strategic industry recruitment in high-value sectors, including aerospace, defense technology, artificial intelligence, and life sciences.
The entrepreneurship and innovation sessions highlighted building comprehensive networks connecting entrepreneurs with essential resources, including access to funding and venture capital. Participants emphasized streamlining regulatory processes to make Alexandria a hub for technology and startups.
Timeline and Implementation Concerns
City Manager James Parajon explained the rationale behind the five-year timeline for the framework, citing current economic uncertainty and the potential for policy changes.
“We’re in a very uncertain time right now. So the strategies we might deploy right now, for instance, tariffs happen under the administration. We may have one set of recruitment strategies related to that,” Parajon said. “Those things may change six, seven years from now, and we may pivot to something different.”
However, Councilman John Chapman questioned whether the timeline should extend further into the future.
“I would love to see a much longer timeline, understanding that there is kind of an urgency of now and trying to get things done in a quick fashion, but being ready to understand if we have to do something kind of for a longer term,” Chapman said.
Chapman also emphasized the need for specific details in the final framework, including exact locations for proposed improvements and measurable outcomes.
“As we talk about some of the goals, where in the city do you want to see that? How specifically can that get done?” Chapman said. “I really want to see that level of detail so the community can have a checklist of things that we are knocking off.”
Call for Specificity and Accountability
Mayor Alyia Gaskins echoed the desire for specificity, suggesting the creation of an interactive map or dashboard with key indicators to track progress.
“I think the more specific we can get, it helps us plan over the remainder of our terms, kind of what are the short-term wins that we can have that we check off in what neighborhoods,” Gaskins said.
The presentation revealed that entertainment venues emerged as a significant gap identified throughout community engagement. When Councilman Abdel-Rahman Elnoubi asked for more details about entertainment preferences, McDaniel responded that participants specifically mentioned performing arts venues, sports facilities, and broader entertainment experiences as missing elements in the city.
Parajon highlighted the financial benefits of entertainment and experiential venues, noting their unique potential for generating revenue.
“One of the most valuable financial aspects of it is that they generate dollars from non-city taxpayers. It’s other people’s money. It’s visitors coming into the city taking advantage of the wonderful things this city has to offer,” Parajon explained.
Asset Optimization and Tax Structure Review
Vice Mayor Sarah Bagley inquired about city-level products necessary to support the strategic goals, including real estate assessments and analysis of city-owned assets.
Parajon confirmed that staff will examine city assets to optimize their value and potentially deploy them for economic development purposes, including temporary uses during major construction projects.
Stephanie Landrum, President and CEO of the Alexandria Economic Development Partnership, also indicated potential changes to the business tax structure based on the strategy’s outcomes, emphasizing the need for regional competitiveness.
“As we finalize a strategy, we want to make sure that if we’re showing a strength in attracting companies that have heavy equipment for food, we want to make sure that the tax that we charge businesses like that is competitive in this region,” Parajon said.
Small Business Focus and Next Steps
Councilwoman Jacinta Greene noted that breakout sessions needed more time and asked how small business concerns about moving from “surviving to thriving” would be addressed in the detailed action plan.
Landrum indicated the organization may undergo realignment based on the strategy’s requirements, noting they rebuilt their small business team two years ago following lessons learned during the pandemic.
The next steps include refining the strategic framework through August, establishing a comprehensive five-year timeline, developing an implementation plan with key performance indicators, and presenting the final framework to the council in September.