Press Advisory

For Immediate Release: Press Conference and Petition Delivery

Ward Four Residents Reject Developer’s Plans for WalMart, Demand
Councilmember Bowser and Gray Administration Take a Stand for Constituents

April 5th, 2011, 11 AM

John A. Wilson Building
1350 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20004

Contact: Gerri Adams Simmons, (202) 723-0113

Members of Ward Four Thrives will hold a press conference and petition delivery at the Wilson Building in response to the Large Tract Review application submitted on March 21 to the Office of Planning by Walmart and developer Foulger-Pratt.

Walmart and Foulger-Pratt intend to build a 102,000 square foot Walmart store on the site of the former Curtis Chevrolet dealership in Ward Four. The Large Tract Review includes details for the development, which departs sharply from the Office of Planning’s economic development recommendations as published in the Upper Georgia Avenue Great Streets Redevelopment Plan.

Ward Four Thrives members will present a petition signed by over 1200 Ward Four residents against the proposed Walmart to Deputy Mayor Victor Hoskins. Ward Four Councilmember Muriel Bowser will receive 400 yellow ping pong balls upon which sad faces have been painted. Each ping pong ball represents 3 of Bowser’s constituents who signed the petition against the proposed development.

“Ward Four needs community-driven development, not a big box disaster,” said Ward Four Thrives member William Washington, who lives in the Florian Gardens Cooperative, a garden apartment complex which is on the same block as the proposed development. “Walmart will cause a traffic nightmare, shutter local businesses, and sound a death knell for any future economic development in our neighborhood.”

“It’s time for Muriel Bowser to step up and represent her constituents’ best interests,” said Ward Four Thrives community spokesperson and longtime Ward Four resident Gerri Adams Simmons. “We represent over 1200 community members. Bowser knows Walmart doesn’t have Ward Four’s best interests in mind.”

Gary Cha, owner of Yes! Organic Market said that “Walmart will put local employers like Yes! out of business and destroy the decent-paying jobs we create in favor of a few hundred poverty-wage jobs.”

Ward Four Thrives is a community-based organization composed of of Ward Four residents and business people. The goal of the organization is to strengthen locally-owned businesses and community-led development in Ward Four.

The Ward Four Thrives press conference, petition and ping pong ball delivery will take place at 11 AM on Tuesday, April 5 in front of the John A. Wilson Building, 1350 Pennsylvania Ave NW. More information at wardfourthrives.blogspot.com, on Facebook, and Twitter @ward4thrives

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Strengthening locally-owned businesses and community-led development in Washington, DC’s Ward Four Ward4THRIVES