Plenty of attention has been given to the current gnat invasion we've seen in Chicago this summer. An invasion with longer-term implications is the current onslaught of CVS drugstores we're seeing this year.
I admit I thought it was convenient when a CVS appeared in my office building earlier this year (although there is a Walgreen's right across the street). Less happy to see another one currently going up near Irving Park and Western (where, too, there is already a Walgreen's just across the street) where we already have plenty of congestion, thanks. I was pretty dismayed, however, to see a CVS sign going up in the window of a beautiful old building downtown at State and Division (and yes, there's a Walgreen's about a block...oh, forget it).
A little research tells us that the drugstore chain has agreed, after being pressed by local preservationists, to build its store within the existing facade of the building.
This seems mighty generous of CVS, until we find out that they've been up to these same tricks--commandeering historic properties--here in Chicago in Portage Park, and in Boston, St. Petersburg and Westfield, NY, Philadelphia, and Baltimore.(Other chains, like Walgreen's and Rite-Aid, have also been involved in similar skirmishes with local preservation activists.) In many cities, preservationists have persevered, but not always. In 2000 CVS hit back with a $7 million lawsuit against more than a dozen individuals, nonprofit organizations and government agencies, claiming they had “conspired” to prevent local approval of a new CVS store in Homestead, PA.
Why do the pharmacy chains want to raze historic buildings? Because they want to profit from the cities' aging populations. In 2002, CVS's vice president of real estate development was quoted as saying, "Chicago has the fastest growing population of people over 50 years old and we see it as a high-growth market for people in that age bracket, similar to Phoenix, Dallas/Ft. Worth and Las Vegas." He also said that long-term, the chain hopes to have 80 to 100 stores built here.
Lucky us.
Posted at August 24, 2003 11:13 AMIn my old neighborhood at Belmont and Milwaukee, there was an Osco. Then, 1/2 block down the street, CVS put a huge store in. Now - ta-da! A big Walgreens is going in across the street from Osco. There is another Walgreens exactly 1/2 mile south. I used to really like Walgreens; now I don't because they seems to be multiplying like cockroaches.
Walgreens and Starbucks should announce a strategic alliance since there is one every 4 blocks in Chicago.
Posted by: brian on August 25, 2003 01:54 PMSeveral years ago Nashville preservationists sought to prevent the destruction of an historic apartment building on our West End Avenue--the main drag. The property had been acquired by Walgreens. The effort failed. These drugstores are a metastasizing cancer.
Posted by: Kurt on August 25, 2003 02:47 PMi was *just* going to comment about the CVS at western / diversy. ack, they're EVERYWHERE. i had been driving past the one going up at diversy, but when i made it down to irving park recently, i couldn't believe another was going up that close.....
what is this world coming to?!
Posted by: miss ellen on August 28, 2003 11:05 AM