Walgeens Eyes Rockland, Maine Plot
The Bangor Daily News is reporting that Walgreens, the pharmaceutical giant, is looking for a second time this year into building a new location in Rockland, Maine.
Specifically, the plot is at the intersection of Maverick and Camden streets.
In April 2007, the Richmond Co. proposed a 14,550 square foot plan for the same location, but was shot down. Now, Wag-Pharm Development LLC (the company Walgreens hired to take care of all local development projects) will make another pitch for the same plot of land sometime in mid-March. What is a little odd is that, according to some of the locals, the plans remain relatively unchanged compared to the plans that were rejected not even a year ago. According to City Manager Thomas Hall, Wag-Pharm has plans to “make other public improvements to help mitigate the impact” but acknowledges that the “plan is much the same as it was last summer.”
The lack in revisions to the plan have many residents who will be voting on the issue saying that they will simply reject the proposal again.
The intersection where the plot sits (the corner of Route 1 and Route 17) is one of the busiest in the region. To help counteract the impact the new store would have, Walgreens has said that they are willing to spend about $600,000 on infrastructure improvements on the intersection. Some ideas have been to widen Maverick Street and merging Jefferson and Brewster streets.
Walgreens’ newest proposal calls for a slightly smaller store (about 14,326 square feet) and ideally would like to open the new pharmacy at some point next year.
February 16, 2008 at 1:23 pm
Like we really need another pharmacy here. This small town has FIVE already! What really gets me about this is that a plot of land was cleared years ago next to JC Penny for a Rich’s Dept store that was never built. The land was never used. Why can’t they use that?! We don’t want them or need them as it is…but if they’re going to barge, in they should think about the people of Rockland first!