A couple weeks back, Andrea wrote:
I stopped in at Starbuck’s on 45th this morning and asked the staff worker if they were moving to the old Tully’s spot. He said, ‘No we lost out. They picked someone else.” When I asked who, he said it was CVS the pharmacy. I grumbled and said, that will make 4 pharmacies in Wallingford.Not sure if you were already aware, but a stop in to SB could confirm for you if you like.I shared with a few friends in Wallingford and they were extremely disappointed.
We wrote to Mike DeAngelis, PR director for CVS to see if it was true. His response:
Thank you for contacting CVS/pharmacy.
At this time, we have no announcement about opening stores in Washington State.
Thanks and Happy Holidays.
So that’s not “no”, just “no announcement”.
We share Andrea’s disappointment: there’s certainly no shortage today of places to buy shampoo and sundries, what with Bartell Drugs and Pharmaca just a block down and Walgreen’s not much further. Can we agree it won’t do much for the character of the neighborhood’s retail core?
whatever some one says on here has no impact on anything. If you are against CVS coming I suggest you go to the Wall. Comm. Cncl or Weaving Wallingford.. and get them started. Or meet with those who lost their time and energy fighting Skanksa Green Building we must have a variance folks.
Or contact CVS directly with a signed petition from many Wallingford residents…
None of this will likely work, though as moves against progress have all failed in wallingford as have moves against continued begging and disorderly conduct in front of QFC.
Yes, I sound negative. it has been a sad tiem coming here to read about the crime unchecked and hopes which we lost.
Ewww, I hope CVS isn’t coming to Washington. I’ve always considered them the crappiest of the chain drugstores. (And it’s not like I heart Walgreens).
I would welcome a CVS there. Some nearby competition for the world’s worst Bartell’s would be great.
I don’t love it at all, but it isn’t up to me. CVS obviously thinks enough people in the neighborhood will visit their store to make it viable. I personally think they will have a hard time making it work with Walgreens, Bartells, and Pharmaca nearby. I am surprised the landlord didn’t think of them as high risk with so much competition nearby.
Why would they be a high risk to the landlord? I’m sure CVS pays their bills. The only risk is really to CVS.
Judging by the ones I saw in California recently – where smaller, local buildings were bulldozed to make room – CVS sites require PoMo “design” and stucco.
One way to keep some architectural neighborhood charm is to turn old storefront spaces into live/work spaces . . .
someone should talk to Murphys owner
mayeb he wont like that mess next door and will help discourage them
This will cheapen our neighborhood. I love Bartels. They have great deals, and cvs can stay in Calif.
we don’t need em.
It’s hard on the shops already here. I like Pharmaca and Bartels. Tell the others to go back to China.
Seems like a pretty small space for them. Hope they aren’t moving in.
Pharmica is over-priced with a poorly trained manager.
I bet prces will be cheaper than Bartells, tho I like many of their staff.
I recall when therewas a giant Rite-Aid in the space of that uber-cool multi-purpose fake brick building was and a nice parking lot.
Ugh. That’s disappointing news, if it’s true. Another chain pharmacy store will detract instead of adding character to the neighborhood. What 45th St doesn’t need more of: banks and faceless pharmacies.
hair salons and nail salons
SUCH A BUMMER! It’s so sad to see great small businesses move off of 45th (Joule) and to see huge chains move in. I was even excited that Starbucks was looking at the space…yes, another chain, but one who would respect the architecture of the building and remodel the space tastefully.
I would love to oppose CVS in some way, my husband and I talked about it tonight during dinner. If nothing else, let them know that they are not welcome. If enough of the neighborhood took action (via petition per yesyes’s comment above), it might make a difference. Its worth a try and something I’ll look into…
I’m fairly skeptical that CVS would choose Wallingford as their beachhead for entering Washington (they have no locations in either Washington or Oregon.) Assuming that they’re going to begin expanding into the PNW, a less competitive and more friendly location would make sense.
And another pro-Bartells vote here; I like the staff, and the sale prices are pretty good (for the stuff I shop for, anyway.)
I would also like to petition against CVS, if they are planning to come here. so boring. If the site is bigger than Bartels, maybe they could move over and we could have an interesting shop, or a relocation for the frequently crowded Starbucks. Yes, yes needs a mood enhancer if s/he prefers RiteAid to Bagley Lofts condo.
Per the “Christmas Resolutions” thread, maybe we could all work toward being more civil toward one another in 2013.
I too don’t want to see a CVS there, but what’s the evidence that one is coming? The word of one worker at Starbucks doesn’t seem like a great source.
I agree with those who think we don’t need another drugstore here, and that CVS is crummy. But I love our Bartell’s! The people are friendly, the pharmacy is really good and efficient, and although it is way smaller than other Bartells’ it tries to carry the things we ask for. Just in case CVS is thinking about coming, we should remind them that even without Walgreen’s and Pharmaca, neither Serve-you or RiteAid pharmacies could survive in Wallingford. I was hoping Starbucks would move there from that dark depressing location they are now in. But if they really wanted to go there, they would have, so I’m not sure how accurate our local Barista at Starbucks is.
Judy I do not appreciate you rmean words. Saying someone needs a mood enhancer is uncalled for and shows poor character. I did ntosay I preferred.. though I do not like that the building now take sup the entire block.. when there used to be a building, strips wiht trees and helpful parking. I lived in apartment bordering the southwest back corner of parking lot.
I had to move due to the huge noise created by the construction and the continued law breaking of the construction company who had people throwing rebars at 630 am. Tho the city would take my complaint they could nto investigate at the time because the investigator was on leave and no one else would get up and hav ehours to witness this. Mean and bad behavior to others remains in peoples’ minds. In addition they swore loudly all day; had no sensitivity to parkign in the neighborhood and worked late bangign and constructing all summer eves. Nightmare made by a greedy construction development compant.
I just emailed this article and the comments to CVS’ parent company, CareMark, encouraging them to instead consider another neighborhood that needs a pharmacy.
lol at these comments.
CVS or another pharmacy or hair salon, or nail salon, or coffee shop, or thai restaurant, or japanese restaurant are at the very bottom of the list of things i’d like to see but petitions, actions to block them? that’s very neighborly and welcoming.
they are a business like any of the others on 45th, if CVS does come in and occupy that space, the market will dictate whether they should be there or not.
like Ffej said i just can’t see CVS coming into that location for their entrance into the state.
personally hoping for a good sammich shop!
Definetly don’t want to be un-neighborly 🙂 I would just love to see 45th go more in the neighborhood route than the big chain route. Paper Delights, TNT, the old movie theaters….all great steps in the right direction. Would love to know more about neighborhood planning and how to get involved in bringing businesses that add to the strip vs detract from it being more quaint…I lived in NYC for a few years and loved my neighborhood. Walkable and fun unique shops. I had the opp to live in a better apartment with more ammenities in another neighborhood, but passed on that place because it felt more like I could have been anywhere (CVS, etc lined the streets).
I like the convenience of what we have here today (QFC, Bartells Starbucks), but we’re all good with pharmacies, grocery, coffee. If we can bring some more small, and different shops in…45th will be that much more enjoyable and unique.
There is no “neighborhood planning” here, just commercial real estate venues up for rent. A permit to mow down old buildings is probably pretty easy to obtain from the current DPD, just a guess. Most quaint shops have small square footage and high rents, tough place to be in biz, also required to collect almost 10% in sales tax on every purchase to which tax applies . . . the Wallingford Community Council (which is all of us) is organized to at least keep things to code, so I guess that is neighborhood planning of a sort. Many, many “small and different shops” and restaurants have come and gone, a frequent topic of commentary on this blog. “Do you remember __________________?”
Think Bartells does a fine job – and they seem to be working on the slow checkout problem.
The neighborhood doesn’t need another drug store (or bank) – must be more profitable than one thinks.
And no one is afraid of the Wall Comm Council – 10 people show up at the typical meeting. And they represent who or what? Toothless. Or get those 10 to buy into an idea and then claim ‘community endorsement’. And they rolled on the Brooks sneaker building – no match for Susie Burke (she owns/owned the property).
There is no way – at all – for “neighborhood planning” or a code change to dictate what kind of business can go into a given building. People have wildly unrealistic expectations of how much control they can have over what happens in their neighborhoods. Unless people want to start abrogating private property rights you have no ability to decide what stores can and can’t go into a location. And similarly, you can’t really dictate what kind of building gets built. I don’t think we want to live in a society where that is possible.
I do not like CVS and would never shop there even if it does go in at that location. However, if it does go in and it’s successful, that suggests the rest of the neighborhood doesn’t actually share the values of people on this site.
A protest action against CVS is about the only thing that has a chance of working.
Guess we’ll have to wait to see if this is really happening.
I love Bartell’s and all the employees. Hope CVS does not come. Sounds like a poor decision for them, as well as most of us. I wonder about Walgreens, I rarely see a customer in there when I walk by.
Although I was not lucky enough to live in NYC for a few years as Carrie did, I know exactly what she means. It may be big city, but in the small areas and neighborhoods, everyone knows everyone! I was there a couple weeks ago, and thought the people I met on the street, were the most friendliest and helpful folks I have met for a long time.
Wallingford does not “need” another pharmacy, looks like we all pretty much agree on that. I would love to see Husky Deli ( West Seattle ) open another store in the old Tully location !!! If you haven’t been to Husky Deli, go…. now.
This corner location and large square footage has got to be EXPENSIVE. So stop dreaming of little quaint neighborhood shops unless they split up store into smaller parcels. The only confidence you would have as a landlord of that space is in a tenant with strong financial support. CVS or not, whatever moves in will be a franchised corporation.
Please excuse spreading a rumor, but worth looking into. The whole building might be torn down for a larger structure (Tullys was in one large by of that building). The existing building is a nice example of terra cotta detailing. Probably not landmark status?
I will look into this further.
I love that on Wallyhood the solution to any new development is to start a petition and immediately oppose it. Especially when the spaces are sitting empty like Walgreens was and now Tully’s.
If you have a better business to go there then pony up your money and open it. Stop your complaining about someone putting money to open something in your neighborhood. If you want to live in an area with boarded up houses and businesses move to Detroit.
Thanks AN for writing to CVS parent company.
I agree we don’t want empty buildings. Maybe contact other businesses and ask if they are interested in the site?
how about common sense? ask the starbucks manager wher ethe story came from re CVS?
Starting a petition to oppose CVS. Really? Why do you people hate everything? Life is much more fun without so much anger.
This site is about community…a discussion with your neighbors. It looks like people fall into a few different camps on this issue, and that’s ok. I think it would be nice if we asked ourselves before posting, “If i had this conversation with my neighbor on the street, would I speak to them in the same tone as I do on this blog?”
oh, carrie, really, just take your mood enhancers and sign the petition.
I heard that Xalmart is going to buy the entire block, both sides of street and build a drive-through store. That would gut the entire business district on both sides of street 2 bloskc radious.. but we would have jobs and convenient low cost items. The 5 floor parking structure would not obscure anyones view as it is green; therefore protected through a city variance exception.
It isn’t so much different camps about CVS, it’s that by even talking about any kind of interference with the process, we offend worshippers of The Invisible Hand. “The market will dictate ,,, abrogate private property rights … boarded up houses and businesses …” The Invisible Hand giveth, The Invisible Hand taketh away, ours is not to question. There’s really no need to respond to it, nor hardly much point.
I haven’t seen any mention of the Wallingford Chamber of Commerce. I see they’re on our side if you ask the right question: “I think Wallingford has more independent small business than any other neighborhood. We see that as a positive quality that gives Wallingford a small town feel.” (Chamber president, from an article that appeared here.) It would be wonderful if that body could be counted on to try to discourage big national (or multinational) chains from coming in and tearing out the small scale neighborhood feel storefront.
Thanks for your comment Carrie. I apologize for the snarky mention of mood enhancers. Meant to be light, but I need to remember that emails are not good for conveying subtle differences.
I know it is difficult to influence land use, and I intend to pursue this to see what is happening and what is possible.
I regret that yes,yes does not get responses on the crime issue.
you know, quaint little neighborhood shops have a tough time with the rent required by our quaint little greedy landlords. the property owners are more to blame for the corperate feel of 45th than CVS, etc.
Here’s who owns the property – why not ask them?
http://info.kingcounty.gov/Assessor/eRealProperty/Dashboard.aspx?ParcelNbr=0510000735
Judy I regret that you made that mean comment.
I do not know what you are poking at me about not ‘getting’ about crime. i well knwo the crime trends in the neighborhood. I have worked with QFC to call police several times re the folks out front of their door. I report abandoned vehicles by my apartment regularly. i would help tear down the brush over I-5 where I used to walk but no longer do due to fear.
please again thinka about that which you speak and how you say it. Maybe the mood enhancers need to be taken by you. Did you get that I let your poor words annoy me? Happy new year
You’ve written before about your efforts on the crime issue. She’s saying she’s sorry that you didn’t get responses to those efforts, when you should have. Don’t bite her, she’s friendly.
Thanks Donn, you got it as I intended it.
Happy, healthy New Year to our community.
Thanks Judy! I actually meant it as more of a general statement for everyone to think about given there more comments that may not be the most neighborly. Just feels better when everyone plays nice. Happy New Year to all!
How can I know? Mood enhancers in a venue like this make impressions.
Bringing in national chains put them in direct competition with small and local businesses. To a certain degree, that’s the nature of capitalism, having 4 pharmacies in a 3 block radius with increase competition and lower prices all around, but at what cost? My family owned a small independant drug store year back and were forced out of business by the larger national chains because they just can’t compete on price. Bartells and Pharmaca are chains but they both have more of an “independant” feel than Walgreens certainly. I will keep my presciptions at Bartells even if I have to pay a little more because I like the sense of community that you can’t get from the big guys. Can you really put a price on that?…. Also, Wallingford, as a neighborhood used to lobby for change regularly. Do you remember when the Food GIant was bought out? If it wasn’t for the action of our neighborhood we would’ve had a generic looking QFC but they erected the Wallingford sign that has come to define our neighborhood because of the actions of our neighbors. We might not win every battle but if we don’t at least fight we’ll be KFCs and Wal-Marts as far as the eye can see. Who wants to live there? Not I says the cat.
This is how PR folks say “We aren’t opening any stores in WA state.” Relax, folks.
Speaking of having too much of the same thing – Costa Opa – Greek restaurant in Fremont recently closed and the space will become a Chase Bank.
That’s 3 banks (Union, Key and Chase) on that corner.
How about a Tully’s where the Tully’s is no that McDreamy bought the franchise? Also… whilst we are making changes…. can we please tear down Taco Time and get a Carl’s Jr or a Del Taco in it’s place? I would go there twice daily!