Community Vision
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Over the last 4 years ward 7 leaders have facilitated numerous community meetings, town halls, task force meetings, and surveys of ward 7 residents.
Most recently, the Fletcher-Johnson Task Force conducted a survey of residents living near Fletcher-Johnson. The survey received over 500 responses and the results send a clear message about what our priorities are.
The Fletcher Johnson Task Force takes our responsibility to advocate the community's vision very seriously, and we are working closely with DC government and Gragg Cardona Partners to espouse our desires.
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Ubiquitous themes in community meetings and in the results of our recent survey reveal several top priorities that FJTF will strongly and uncompromisingly support throughout this process. These top priorities will serve a number of community needs ranging from food and health, to education and jobs. In addition to meeting community needs, many of these priorities can serve as symbiotic anchor institutions that will support the entire Fletcher-Johnson development.
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Grocery Store
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Ward 7 is a food desert and the Fletcher-Johnson redevelopment has the potential to be an oasis of healty grocery options. There are over 10,000 ward 7 residents within walking distance of Fletcher-Johnson many tens-of-thousands within a short drive. Having a full service grocery store would be a complete game changer for not only the quality of life of these residents, but also their health outcomes as having food options is a major structural determinant of health.
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Adult and Continuing Education
Ward 7 is a vibrant community with residents who want to continue down the life long road of education and empowerment. Whether it be in helping close the skill gap by providing technical and vocational education to early-career residents, or in helping older residents find a new hobby or interest -- we deserve an educational institution for our community.
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Healthcare
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Ward 7 does not have a full service hospital. While ward 8 will have a new hosital, for smaller and more immediate needs an urgent care facility could provide vital services to residents. An urgent care facility would not only serve the needs of our residents -- but it would also help anchor the Fletcher-Johnson development as a job center, especially if coupled with an educational institution. Eds and Meds is a classic development strategy that has worked well in other parts of the country.
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Sizable Retail Space
It's well known that ward 7 has very few sit-down full service restaurants, and very few general retail stores to serve our day-to-day needs. Ward 7 residents often have to drive to other wards or even to Maryland to do our shopping. We want to be able to keep our ward 7 dollars in ward 7. We want those options at Fletcher-Johnson. This will also result in more job opportunities for nearby residents who want a path towards a career.
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