Bringing More Grocery Stores and Retail to Ward 7!
It was great to recently participate in the grand opening of the Roaming Rooster at the new Skyland Town Center in Ward7. I am pleased that Ward 7 will have the first store to open on the East End. Roaming Rooster plans to hire 30-40 people at Skyland, and has invested more than $1 million at this site. Additionally, I am just as excited that Starbucks will opened its first drive-through shop in the District in Ward7, at the Skyland Town Center.
I have worked relentlessly, since my tenure as Council Chair, Mayor, and now, again, as a Councilmember to bring a solid anchor to Skyland and Capitol Gateway projects. The opening of Roaming Rooster was yet another substantial step toward bringing more retail options and ensuring the future of Skyland as a desired location for retail opportunities.
Since my return to the Council, I have introduced three East End bills focused on ending food deserts in Ward 7 by incentivizing greater economic development and bringing much needed neighborhood amenities to the East End. One of these bills “The Grocery Store Incentive Act” targeted nine development sites in Wards 7 and 8, including Skyland and Capitol Gateway for retail and full-service grocery stores.
We now have LIDL coming to Skyland, a new restaurant – Roaming Rooster, and community bank – Chevy Chase, and now a Starbucks at Skyland, all together a major win for Ward 7 and District residents. I look forward to continuing to work with our partners, stakeholders and my Ward 7 Economic Development Advisory Council to bring even more desperately needed retail and healthy food options to the East End of the District, particularly, Ward 7.
