A downtown Walgreens considered an economic bright spot and crucial resource for downtown dwellers will permanently close in a matter of weeks.
The Walgreens store that’s operated for seven years in the remade, historic Olympia Building at 25 Peachtree Street will shutter April 9, according to signage posted on the business’ doors.
That signage indicates customers will be able to get prescriptions filled at any other Walgreens location, as WSB-TV reports, but the closure will leave a void for downtown residents and workers who’ve come to rely on the store for other necessities.
In a statement provided to Urbanize Atlanta, Walgreens said several factors went into the difficult decision to close the location, including the company’s “existing footprint of stores, dynamics of the local market, and changes in the buying habits of our patients and customers, among other reasons.” All employees at the Peachtree Street location are being offered jobs at nearby Walgreens, the company noted.
Walgreens announced plans in 2019 to close some 200 stores across the U.S., shrinking its 10,000-store footprint as customers increasingly shop online. Under new leadership last year, Walgreens vowed to cut $1 billion in costs and close stores and clinics, with some in Atlanta likely among them.
The Olympia Building’s remade Art Deco facade on Woodruff Park. Google Maps
When rumors swirled last year that Walgreens’ closure was imminent downtown, an online petition was launched that gathered nearly 800 signatures in hopes of persuading the business to stay. That Change.org petition painted the Walgreens as an important asset for Georgia State University’s thousands of students and downtown residents overall, adding: “Everyone that lives in the community understands how convenient and crucial this store is.”
“I live downtown, and with no grocery store, this store is crucial,” wrote one signee. “Closing this would be a step [in]…
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