[Archived] Alexandria Mayor Joins Local Officials Urging White House to Open Airport

City Press Release


	City of Alexandria, Virginia Office of the City Manager Alexandria City Hall 301 King Street, Suite 3500 Alexandria, Virginia 22314-3211 www.alexandriava.gov Telephone: 703.838.4300 Fax : 703.838.6343

ALEXANDRIA MAYOR JOINS LOCAL OFFICIALS
URGING WHITE HOUSE TO OPEN AIRPORT

Alexandria Mayor Kerry J. Donley joined other local officials and the Congressional delegation from Northern Virginia in Washington today to press for the re-opening of Ronald ReaganWashington National Airport. In addition to Donley, top elected officials from Arlington and Fairfax Counties as well as U.S. Senators John Warner, George Allen, and Tom Davis and Congressmen Jim Moran and Frank Wolf and Virginia Governor James Gilmore met with senior U.S. administration officials in the Old Executive Office Building to stress the importance to the local economy of reopening the airport.
“We made our case forcefully,” said Alexandria Mayor Donley. “We were glad the White House allowed local input but we wish we could have left the meeting with an indication of their decision,” he said.
Donley said because the airport has been closed since Sept. 11, local economies are suffering. One indication of the negative impact in Alexandria is the drop in hotel occupancy rates. Occupancy was down 50 percent last month compared to the occupancy rate in September 2000. Occupancy is expected to be down again this month. Hotels have already reduced their services and let staff go. Cab companies, restaurants and other businesses are also hurting. If the airport stays closed, it is estimated the City of Alexandria will lose $1 million in tax revenue per month, according to City officials.