The drive to develop a plan for the Easterwood neighborhood was sparked by concerned community leaders and residents in the aftermath of Freddie Gray’s tragic death in April of 2015. His death and the civil unrest that followed impacted the people of Easterwood in a profound way. Freddie Gray went to Matthew Henson Elementary school. He was a part of the greater community. And while much needed attention was drawn to the neighboring Sandtown/Winchester community where Freddie was apprehended, Easterwood was largely overlooked by the city, state and national eye. Beyond losing yet another one of their young men in a completely needless and tragic way, West Baltimore slid even further into disarray. The damage caused by the unrest negatively impacted more businesses in Easterwood than any other neighborhood in the city. As the conditions that lead to Freddie Gray’s death persisted, the community was determined to come together and come up with a plan to improve its neighborhood.

The planning effort was initiated by the Matthew Henson Community Development Corporation (MHCDC). Their hope was to capture and communicate the potential for the neighborhood to become a desirable, healthy and safe community. In response, the vision plan outlines goals that can help shape partnerships between the city, non-profits, businesses, developers, institutions and residents to work in concert for change. To ensure the plan truly incorporates the vision of its community members, the planning team held multiple community visioning meetings to engage MHCDC leadership and residents. The sessions were very informative as residents spoke of their personal experiences, memories, concerns and desires for their neighborhood. Through these engagements, the team documented an oral history of the neighborhood to provide a frame of reference for the planning efforts and to ensure that implementation follows the community’s shared vision. In addition, a study of prior plans, historical documents, and GIS data uncovered evidence that underscore the concerns identified by the residents. In response, the Easterwood Vision Plan seeks to help the community realize its own sustainable future. It proposes strategies to address weaknesses and build on strengths, improving the physical, social and economic reality of the neighborhood by improving services, amenities, infrastructure, open spaces and by increasing opportunity for investment.