Have you been paying attention to the plan to put in a CVS at 27th and Old Cheney? It's an interesting proposal for a number of reasons.
The proposal is notable to me because I consider that corner to be on the edge of my old neighborhood. I grew up not far from there so I know the area well. Currently there's a unique, white office building on the corner, along with a fair amount of green space and trees. Replacing all that with a CVS will be a significant change, to say the least.
You may recall that a couple years ago residents just a block up the road pitched a fit about a proposed nursing home that they felt would dirty up their neighborhood. Most of their claims were downright silly and fortunately the facility was eventually built. Today it's an inoffensive, well-maintained property.
This situation is different. The difference between a boring office building and a CVS is stark. If I were one of those neighbors, this is where I would put my energy. The odds of stopping the project are slim but hey, it's worth a shot. Maybe neighbors could get a few extra trees built into the plan. Or if they really throw a fit, maybe they could even get the developer to chip in some cash to do something tasteful with the empty lot across the street. It's worth a shot.
I don't have anything against CVS, and I have to admit that 27th and Old Cheney is a decent location for that sort of thing. I just happen to like the current building, and if I were a neighbor I'd be annoyed with the significant change of use. I'm surprised there hasn't been more of a fuss.
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I think the thing that surprised me most when these reports began to surface is that the existing building has few tenants and can’t keep tenants. I’ve never stepped inside the place, but it’s not a bad looking building from the outside. I would think it would be a desirable locale.
I would think so, too. Perhaps the inside is garbage? Although if that’s true, it seems like an easy enough problem to fix.
According to the owners, it’s not set up well to be a multi-tenant building and they have no prospects of leasing the whole thing to one tenant. It also has asbestos in it, which would make any renovations costly and it’s not up to ADA standards. Basically, it’s not very attractive as is, and renovations would be expensive because of the asbestos remediation and the changes that would be needed for ADA.
This NPR story should make you feel better about a CVS. http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2010/10/15/130585355/cvs-pseudoephedrine-meth-smurfs
“The chain became the go-to spot for shady buyers, called smurfers, working for meth cooks.”
Meanwhile those of us larger families have to go to two stores, or get treated like suspected meth heads to buy decent cold medicine during the happy season.
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