Rendering of townhomes as they relate to the Reservoir District site by EYA used with permission.

New residents might move into McMillan townhomes by the end of 2024

Developer EYA will start vertical construction this summer on 146 townhomes at the McMillan site, which has been rebranded as the Reservoir District. EYA expects those townhouses to be ready to welcome occupants as soon as late 2024. They will be priced at $800,000-$1.5 million. (This article is behind a paywall.)  (Michael Neibauer / Business Journal)  

Water taxi, Amtrak, VRE floated as transportation options for Potomac Yard arena

Alexandria officials are exploring a water taxi connection, Amtrak, and VRE as possibilities to expand transportation capacity at the proposed Capitals and Wizards arena at Potomac Yard. Inadequate transportation infrastructure is one of the major concerns raised about the proposal. (This article is behind a paywall.)  (Drew Hansen / Business Journal)  

MDOT impersonated in “smishing” scam

The Maryland Department of Transportation was impersonated in a “smashing” scheme, which is a phishing scheme over text messages. While MDOT’s servers weren’t affected, dozens of Maryland residents reached out to the agency, which had the fake websites removed. (This article is behind a paywall).  (Daniel Zawodny / The Baltimore Banner)  

DC uses up its homebuyer assistance funding just four months into fiscal year

The $26.2 million allocated for DC’s Home Purchase Assistance Program have now been reserved, just four months into the fiscal year. Shifting eligibility rules, increased award amounts, increased homebuyer demand, and a backlog of eligible applicants after the program ran out of funds early in the last fiscal year, as well, all contributed to the early depletion of this year’s funds.  (Morgan Baskin / DCist)  

Washington region home prices rose quickly in December—except in DC

Home prices in the Greater Washington region have risen over the past year, with the median price in December 2023 8.1% higher than in December 2022. There’s no one cause, but lower mortgage rates and insufficient housing supply both play a part. DC proper is the only jurisdiction in the region that did not see home prices increase.  (UrbanTurf)  

Transportation funding is among Montgomery County Executive’s top priorities in General Assembly session

In a briefing, Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich identified transportation funding as a top issue he will push with the state’s General Assembly, given the state’s multi-billion-dollar transportation deficit. Elrich said he will push for local jurisdictions to be able to pursue local funding mechanisms. He cited the delayed Purple Line as an example of Maryland’s failure to deliver on infrastructure.  (Maryam Shahzad / Montgomery Community Media)  

Fairfax City Council considers extending trail, but not without backlash

The Fairfax City Council will vote later this month on whether to extend its George Snyder Trail by two miles. The proposal has led to backlash from some city residents concerned about the environmental impact, as the project will require cutting down “hundreds” of trees.  (Acacia James / FFXNow)  

Alexandria City Council split on renaming vs. rededicating streets

The Alexandria City Council has approved legislation to rename streets named after Confederate leaders. However, council members disagree over whether the streets should be renamed or rededicated. Rededication would be a process of assigning a new meaning to an existing name. Proponents of renaming these streets say they should honor real people, while proponents of rededication point to more community support.  (Vernon Miles / ALXNow)  

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