Walgreens plans to close 1,200 of their stores nationwide. Jacksonville has already closures, and residents have concerns.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Walgreens store sitting on the corner of Soutel Drive sits closed, having shut down back in May.
Fifteen minutes down the road is Dunn Avenue; that Walgreens location closed in June.
Charles Warren Jr. is one of the residents feeling the impacts firsthand.
“It’s somewhat disheartening because I reside on the Northside, and the location that closed on Soutel was just a two-minute drive,” Warren mentioned. “Now, I have to travel all the way over here.”
“It’s quite challenging for many people due to transportation issues; mobility poses a significant inconvenience,” Warren explained to First Coast News.
Walgreens is a well-known chain offering pharmacy services, toiletries, and even food items. Now, these necessities will need to be picked up at the two Lem Turner locations.
According to District 8 City Councilmember Reggie Gaffney Jr, these closures are part of Walgreens’ strategy to shut down 1,200 stores across the nation over the next three years to reduce costs.
“We want to come up with a long-term plan to talk about with the Walgreen closures,” Gaffney Jr. said.
Gaffney Jr. says his office has been getting calls about the situation.
While he says he’s trying to be proactive and address the issue, people including Warren are left frustrated.
“I don’t think they were thinking about mobility or whatever, they’re just looking in their pockets,” Warren said.
As for what these former Walgreens could turn into— here’s what the Councilman had to say.
“That’s a good question,” Gaffney Jr. commented. “I’m not sure—I want to meet with Walgreens executives and a member of their leadership to understand their plans for the current Walgreens.”
At this moment—there isn’t a set timetable of when we might know what could move in here.
