Back in April, we told you about the plans to build a CVS in the large parking lot on the corner of 22nd & South. The construction has been racing along for the past few months now, and the time has finally come! According to their media department, the new store will open on November 18th.

In the past

Current view

The corporate CVS location looms over the many independently owned shops in the area, which includes Ants Pants Cafe, Bicycle Therapy, Cat Vet, L2, and others. It’s also only a stones throw away from other CVS locations at 15th and Spruce and 11th and South. And perhaps you’ve noticed that there are three more pharmacies on the 1700 block of South Street alone?

Looking toward the other pharmacies

Some area residents responded to news of the CVS with a pout. Neighbors were not pleased to see a parking lot replaced with a monolithic building, and some were upset that the structure doesn’t have a residential component. And with plenty of pharmacy options in the immediate area, including the family owned PharmDirect Rx just around the corner on Grays Ferry, the use was not producing much excitement either.

Perhaps a grocery store, to give another option besides South Square Market, would have been a nice addition here? Or… anything other than another pharmacy? Still some residents will welcome the big name to boost convenience shopping. And others will welcome the little pocket park on Kater Street, which appears to be just about finished. And with sniffle season quickly approaching, you can’t have a convenient enough spot to pick up a bottle of NyQuil, right?

Pocket park

–Cynthia Schemmer