City Hall Construction Is Squeezing Old Town Businesses. Alexandria Is Looking for Ways to Help.
With Market Square torn up, nearby parking lost and construction expected into 2028, businesses around City Hall are asking Alexandria not to let them become collateral damage.
ALEXANDRIA, VA — For decades, The Warehouse at 214 King St. has been one of those Old Town restaurants residents choose for important lunches, family celebrations and meals with out-of-town guests. But its longtime staying power has not insulated it from the disruption surrounding Alexandria City Hall and Market Square.
The renovation has closed the Market Square garage, displaced nearby parking, altered pedestrian routes and removed the daily activity generated by City Hall employees and visitors. For businesses surrounding the construction zone, the effects are showing up at the cash register.
When The Zebra spoke with The Warehouse’s Hossein on Sept. 4, he said. “The restaurant has never experienced a year like this one. The loss of parking, City Hall activity” and the usual bustle around Market Square has sharply reduced walk-in traffic and significantly hurt the restaurant’s bottom line.
The Warehouse is not a newcomer trying to establish a following. The restaurant has been a fixture in the heart of Old Town for more than three decades. Its official history says co-owner and Certified Executive Chef Sert Ruamthong has worked there for over 30 years, building a menu around steaks, seafood and American Creole and Cajun dishes.
That history matters. Before Alexandria developed its current reputation as a dining destination, The Warehouse was already among the city’s dependable choices for special occasions and business lunches. Generations of residents have made it one of their regular places.
Parking and Access Are Part of the Problem
Hossein said the construction has compounded another challenge for the restaurant: the pedestrian-only section of lower King Street. Some longtime customers need to be dropped off immediately in front of the restaurant because they cannot comfortably walk from a distant parking space.
Without convenient curb access, he said, those patrons have effectively been cut off from a restaurant they have visited for years.
The reduced activity around City Hall creates another layer of difficulty. With municipal offices relocated and the Market Square garage unavailable, businesses no longer benefit from the steady flow of city employees, residents attending meetings and visitors conducting business there.
Hossein said he has spoken with other nearby business owners who are also feeling the effects and understands that several have taken their concerns directly to the City.
Today’s Cargo Asks the City for Help
Among them is Carla Clarke, owner of Today’s Cargo at 117 N. Fairfax St. The jewelry and gift shop has spent more than 50 years building a loyal Old Town following and now sits directly across from the construction zone.
Clarke has asked Alexandria officials to consider practical relief for affected businesses, including parking assistance, tax or fee relief, clearer directional signs and additional promotion for the establishments surrounding the project. Her argument is straightforward: the businesses closest to a major public improvement are carrying a disproportionate share of its economic burden.
Today’s Cargo began at a Market Square flea-market table in 1973 and, after several moves, returned in 2024 to 117 N. Fairfax St.—almost back where its story began. The Zebra recently chronicled the shop’s unusual inventory and long Alexandria history in “Being the Same Is Boring: Today’s Cargo Keeps Old Town Alexandria Interesting.”
A Long Construction Timeline
Alexandria’s City Hall Renovation Project is a major overhaul of City Hall, Market Square and the underground garage. The work is designed to repair aging systems, improve accessibility and security, modernize workspaces and rebuild the civic space surrounding one of Old Town’s busiest blocks.
The City says the project is expected to continue through fall 2028. Visit Alexandria is promoting businesses that remain open during construction and providing information about nearby parking and transportation options.
But promotion alone may not replace the customers who once parked nearby, stopped after a visit to City Hall or wandered into a storefront while crossing Market Square. For The Warehouse, Today’s Cargo and their neighbors, the central question is whether enough meaningful assistance will arrive soon enough to help them weather two more years of disruption.
