Walgreens Flagship Now Opening the End of 2013

Walgreens officials now say their new flagship store at the corner of Clark Street and Diversey Parkway will open at the end of 2013, much later than the most recent report by Ald. Tom Tunney’s (44th) office.

In September, Tunney’s Chief of Staff Bennett Lawson said the store was on track to potentially be open before or shortly after the holidays. A couple weeks later at October’s South East Lake View Neighbors meeting, Tunney's Communications Director Erin Duffy announced the store was facing construction problems and would open sometime in the spring of 2013.

However, according to Robert Elfinger, a representative with Walgreens’ media relations team, the store will no longer be ready for a spring opening.

“The store is tentatively slated to open at the end of 2013,” Elfinger wrote in an email.

After multiple phone calls, voicemails and emails asking for more details about construction delays and the new timeline, Elfinger responded via email once again, writing, “The store is on schedule at this point.”

• See photos of the gutted interior of the former Borders Bookstore here on Patch.

Construction crews are currently busy tearing off the front triangle section of the former Borders Bookstore that juts out between North Broadway and Clark Street toward Diversey. It will soon become an open plaza leading to the store’s two-story glass entrance.

In total, the estimated cost to renovate the former bookstore is $3.5 million, according to the building permit. Howard Hirsch, president of Hirsch Associates Architecture and Planning and the mastermind behind the two-story building, says finishes will be an additional $700,000.

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And the delays in Walgreens’ construction are also reportedly delaying another major development at the same intersection. After being put on hold for five years, plans to construct an eight-story glass tower where the current Walgreens sits are back in motion.

The new building at 600 W. Diversey Pkwy. will include 57 studio-sized apartments and retail spaces on the first floor. However, according to Ald. Tunney’s Chief of Staff Bennett Lawson, owners can only move forward with the project once Walgreens, the building’s current tenant, gives them a date they plan to vacate the property.

Once completed, the new two-story Lake View Walgreens will be modeled after the Loop flagship store that opened in January, catering to an upscale clientele. With amenities like a café and sushi chef, this store will be a far cry from the company’s traditional stores.

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