Last Chance: Iconic Walgreens at 86th & Cottage Grove in Chatham Shuts Down This Thursday

The Walgreens situated at the corner of 86th Street and Cottage Grove Avenue in Chatham is scheduled to shut its doors this Thursday.

Local leaders and residents express concerns that the closure spells trouble for the community, but Walgreens cites escalating theft and violent incidents as the reasons behind the decision to close the store.

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This Chatham outlet is the sixth Walgreens in the past year to cease operations on Chicago’s South Side.

Residents fear the closure will lead to a lack of accessible pharmacies in the area. Walgreens reassures customers that their prescriptions will be automatically transferred to nearby branches.

Available alternatives include locations on East 75th Street and East 87th Street, both over a mile away, posing transportation challenges for some customers.

In response, Walgreens is offering free prescription delivery for 90 days to assist customers during this transition period.

The neighborhood’s alderman plans on joining community leaders, healthcare advocates and neighborhood residents and others to talk about the impact the closure will have and what they say is a pattern of corporations profiting off of communities of color, but not investing in them.