After years of delays, Hoodline has learned that drugstore chain CVS is moving forward with plans to open a retail pharmacy next year at 1900 19th Ave., a 23,872-square-foot building that has been vacant since 2009.
Because CVS operates more than 9,600 locations, far more than the 11 allowed under the city's formula retail laws, the company initially applied for a conditional use permit in 2011. Planning granted the conditional use in June 2014, after the chain requested multiple delays "to address the issues and considerations" identified by "the Department and concerned neighbors," according to an executive summary.
So far, no work has been performed on the building at the southeast corner of 19th Avenue and Ortega Street, which was constructed as an auto dealership and last used as a U.S. Postal Service sorting facility.
A CVS spokesperson said the chain plans to start renovations later this year, for a planned 2017 opening. The property includes an eight-car parking lot on the north side of Ortega Street, as well as a rooftop lot for 32 cars.
The new store is expected to create 25 jobs. In addition to traditional pharmacy and retail operations, it will also contain a Minute Clinic, where customers can receive preventative and non-emergency care.
The conditional use permit will allow CVS to enclose a loading bay on the site, adding 1,200 square feet to the ground floor. Under the terms of the permit, the pharmacy will be open from 7am to 11pm, and will not be allowed to sell alcohol or tobacco products.
Planning received 19 messages and a petition with 29 signatures in opposition to the project, citing concerns over the store's size, pedestrian safety and traffic problems, and "the negative impacts of formula retail on local businesses." Supporters of the store submitted a petition of their own, with 84 signatures.
The Planning Department was prepared to reject the project, but relented after CVS made several modifications, like agreeing to use transparent windows for at least 60 percent of the store's frontage. To address traffic concerns, the retailer submitted a study that concluded delivery trucks could reach the rooftop parking within 10 seconds. According to CVS, the store will receive one large delivery and seven smaller ones each week.
Because the nearest pharmacies are 0.5 miles (Walgreens) and 0.7 miles (Safeway) away, Planning determined that a large drugstore wouldn't negatively impact local businesses. Given that the building has been vacant for years, the new drugstore "will contribute to the vitality of the neighborhood," the department concluded.
