[Archived] City of Alexandria Awarded Pandemic Response and Recovery Grant to Install Public Wi-Fi and Seating in Four Mile Run Park Plaza

For Immediate Release: October 5, 2020

The National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO) and Bloomberg Philanthropies have awarded the City of Alexandria a $25,000 grant to support efforts to transform public spaces in communities disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The City will use the grant funding to install public Wi-Fi, seating and shade at the Four Mile Run Park Plaza, providing a safe and comfortable outdoor setting for students and residents without internet access at home. Alexandria was one of just 10 cities to receive the award.

The COVID-19 pandemic has shed new light on the digital divide and the basic need for affordable internet access in Alexandria and nationwide. This is particularly a challenge in the Arlandria-Chirilagua neighborhood, where many families do not have their own access to the internet for virtual learning and must rely on cellular hotspots provided by the Alexandria City Public Schools or internet access in other locations.   

The public space is located adjacent to Casa Chirilagua, a nonprofit organization that partners with the City to provide family support services, language and literacy programs, and computer literacy classes to nearby Arlandria-Chirilagua residents. Casa Chirilagua will use the new public Wi-Fi space to meet with families, teach classes and support the neighborhood while indoor services are limited.

Wi-Fi access in Four Mile Run Plaza will be available beginning October 5, under the wireless network name “Wireless Alexandria.”

For more information, inquiries from the news media, or reasonable disability accommodation, contact Dana Wedeles, Special Assistant to the City Manager, at dana.wedeles@alexandriava.gov or 703.746.3862, Virginia Relay 711.