Nicollet-Lake - greater Kmart area

[uptowncarag]

From this intersection there are 10 Walgreens within 5 miles and CVS has a store on Dupont and Lake and one on Nicollet and Franklin so I am asking again if we really need another Walgreens?

[mattaudio]

Is it really not obvious that it would replace the one at Lake & Pillsbury, one block away?

[seanrichardryan]

http://www.southwestjournal.com/news/ne ... lake-sites

[PhilmerPhil]

But really, what's gonna happen to all these vacant Walgreens spaces? That makes the one on East Lake, West Broadway, south on Lyndale, and now this one. Too bad these chain buildings aren't easily reusable for independent businesses.

[MNdible]

Too bad these chain buildings aren't easily reusable for independent businesses.

I'm not sure what about an old Walgreens store would make it that difficult to reuse. They have fairly modest square footage, and with a modest investment of capital could be subdivided.

It's not like we're talking about a Sam's Club.

[lordmoke]

But really, what's gonna happen to all these vacant Walgreens spaces? That makes the one on East Lake, West Broadway, south on Lyndale, and now this one. Too bad these chain buildings aren't easily reusable for independent businesses.

Also Nicollet Mall, though that store has a bit more reuse potential.

[mattaudio]

Did anything ever go into the former Walgreen's spot under the 4th/Nicollet parking ramp (which was torn down for the Opus/Xcel project)? IIRC it was vacant from the day the store closed (moved down Nic Mall) to the day the ramp came down.

[twincitizen]

With regards to the one at Lake & Pillsbury, while it does frame the street corner well and have parking hidden on the interior of the lot, it's a very spartan cinderblock building with zero windows or doors along Pillsbury. Unless a ton of windows can be punched through that thing (and I imagine they can with that style of construction), it's a pretty terrible building for re-use. Given its location, I'd not be too surprised if it got Sabri'd

Maybe we can put the treasured Kmart mural on the blank wall of this old Walgreens building

[mattaudio]

Maybe getting Sabri'd is a net improvement for a former Walgreen's cinderblock palace.

[sushisimo]

Did anything ever go into the former Walgreen's spot under the 4th/Nicollet parking ramp (which was torn down for the Opus/Xcel project)? IIRC it was vacant from the day the store closed (moved down Nic Mall) to the day the ramp came down.

It did remain empty until demolition. Actually, the Walgreens that still exists on Nicollet was there when the 4th and Nicollet location existed. There was also a smaller storefront next to the 4th/Nic Walgreens that had been an Indian art/knick knack shop, I think (and whatever came before it). Nothing ever went back in there, either. It was used as the Nic on 5th construction "war room" for awhile.

[xandrex]

From this intersection there are 10 Walgreens within 5 miles and CVS has a store on Dupont and Lake and one on Nicollet and Franklin so I am asking again if we really need another Walgreens?

Five miles is quite a ways out for what amounts to a convenience and drug store. It's the sort of place you go when one is nearby (or at least that's how I use CVS/Walgreens) and you don't want to bother driving to Target.

Do we limit gas stations to one or two every five miles? (Okay, probably a number of urbanists who wouldn't mind that). If not, what the big deal with a bunch of pretty convenient places to grab an item or two?

[twincitizen]

I agree - having these convenience stores and pharmacies in close proximity is a boon for walkability and livability. I suspect it is moreso irritation with the fact that there are literally two companies (CVS and Walgreens) dominating the entire market. It would be a lot less noticeable/irritating if every other CVS and every other Walgreens was actually another chain, or perhaps a local variant.

[David Greene]

I suspect it is moreso irritation with the fact that there are literally two companies (CVS and Walgreens) dominating the entire market. It would be a lot less noticeable/irritating if every other CVS and every other Walgreens was actually another chain, or perhaps a local variant.

This is true. but their horrible building design is also irritating. Give me Burch any day.

[RailBaronYarr]

Agreed on the frequency. When you're in a European city, you see the green pharmacie lighted signs seemingly every other block. They're a step above a convenience store and a step below a grocery and/or Target. Yes, they're chains, no that's not super optimal, but honestly they're very nice to have. Spread them out to a driving distance capture area, and people are just going to go to a Tgt instead, as xandrex notes.

[MNdible]

CVS appears to have a major gap in their coverage of South Minneapolis -- seems like they should be scouting a location somewhere on South Nicollet.

[xandrex]

It would be a lot less noticeable/irritating if every other CVS and every other Walgreens was actually another chain, or perhaps a local variant.

Perhaps we should be promoting more Target Express locations?

Actually, though, we really could use more of these little Targets in places. I'd say Target Express is a step above a CVS/Walgreens, but they really do pack in a lot of the same stuff in, with the benefit (at least in Dinkytown) of prices that are lower than the CVS a few blocks away.

[TommyT]

It would be a lot less noticeable/irritating if every other CVS and every other Walgreens was actually another chain, or perhaps a local variant.

Perhaps we should be promoting more Target Express locations?

Actually, though, we really could use more of these little Targets in places. I'd say Target Express is a step above a CVS/Walgreens, but they really do pack in a lot of the same stuff in, with the benefit (at least in Dinkytown) of prices that are lower than the CVS a few blocks away.

'

After all the negative news coming from Target today and in the last week or so, I wonder if we'll be seeing much expansion any time soon in the form of Target Express? I wonder how far back this will set the company financially, if at all?

[xandrex]

I mean, I don't think we'll see Target Express expansion (outside of the Highland Park and Cali locations) anytime soon, if only because they want to study the model. But I have a hard time believing it wouldn't be a winner. The Dinkytown location certainly is successful.

[mullen]

bye ugly, cinderblock, overcrowded wahlgreens. another eyesore will bite the dust. just like the south lyndale location.

[twincitizen]

I'm not sure if it will impact US operations at all. I read somewhere they weren't expecting to make a profit out of Target Canada for several years, perhaps a decade. I'm not a business major, but taking that loss now vs. sustained losses for several more years kinda sounds like a wash, right? Target is likely growing at a slower pace domestically than they did throughout the 90s & 00s, and they even closed a couple US stores last year. I just don't see how the Canada thing affects their planned expansion of CityTarget and TargetExpress into urban markets.