Alexandria Chamber of Commerce Hosts City Council Breakfast
Chamber Chair Russell shares 2025 legislative agenda. Council members discuss ongoing projects
ALEXANDRIA, VA – It was a gathering of community leaders on Monday, May 6, at the National Industries for the Blind when the Alexandria Chamber of Commerce held their sold-out City Council breakfast.
“I love how the chamber brings us all together,” announced Chamber Chair LaJuanna Russell. After thanking their many sponsors she announced the publication of their 2025 Legislative Agenda, which emphasizes economic sustainability, comprehensive support for business, livability, and key action items.
Mayor Alyia Gaskins, Vice Mayor Sarah Bagley, and City Council members John Taylor Chapman, Jacinta Greene, and Kirk McPike, seated panel-style in the front of the room, addressed those and other issues.
The Takeaways
- The Federal Climate has an Outsized Impact on Alexandria
Council member McPike noted the change in the partnership between the city and the federal government. “[W]e continue to hear from residents about their concerns about that, whether or not they’re going to have a job tomorrow,” said Mayor Gaskins. She added that the city has over 16,000 federal workers, about 2.5 million square feet of office space, and receives about $51 million in direct funding from the federal government (including funds for Alexandria City Public Schools).
The Alexandria Economic Summit, co-led by the City of Alexandria and the Alexandria Economic Development Partnership, will discuss the federal impact in more detail on May 8.
- Quality of Life, Especially Affordable Housing, Remains a Top Priority
McPike noted that last year Alexandria was second only to Los Angeles in converting office space to residential space.
Vice Mayor Bagley noted eviction rates remain problematic and that there are close to 90,000 housing units in the city. “[C]ouncil has an ability to nibble around the edges of the housing market, but it has to be in concert with the building community.”
Council member Chapman called housing affordability a “regional issue” and needs other northern Virginia communities “…to be able to be creative like us” and “talking to each other about best practices.”
The 2026 budget addresses food insecurity, which is rising again post-COVID, by investing in the Capital Area Food Bank to be part of their network.
Council members mentioned the value of recreation, noting that “sports and entertainment are absolutely a growing market” and “…we’re trying to be very intentional with some green space, open space opportunities.”
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(l to r): Mayor Alyia Gaskins, and Chamber president LaJuanna Russell Photo courtesy Lucelle O’Flaherty/The Zebra Press
3. Supporting Business is Key to Economic Sustainability
Tariffs will impact small businesses and the council members agreed that they can strengthen support of local retail. They discussed a cohesive “shop local program where we highlight for our residents the services that you can get within the city how you don’t necessarily have to go to Amazon.”
David Martin, a local jewelry designer and owner of GoldWorks, agrees saying his “competition is largely Amazon, Macy’s, eBay places like that but I am a small brick-and-mortar business. That’s a small business. That’s what this is all about.”
Bagley noted that city council is “working very diligently to streamline our planning and zoning process in our permitting process.”
She also cited the opening of the Potomac Yard Metrorail Station and the Virginia Tech Innovation Campus as examples of innovation in Alexandria
- Give City Hall a Chance
While the future has its challenges, city council members are optimistic, ready, and willing to listen. They encouraged the chamber members to join listening sessions and help them understand issues and find ways to for the city to “think differently about who we do business with and how we do more business with local businesses.”
Bagley believed that “…our obligation to our residents and to our region is to be a calming force, to be a stable force” while Council member Greene added, “Alexandria is very resilient and we’re going to take care of our own and take care of our businesses and make sure that we continue to do all that is possible within our realm to continue to thrive.”
“We definitely want to make it work for you,” said Chapman.
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