Walgreens Going Ahead with Plans to Expand 18th Street Pharmacy
Planning Commission expected to deliberate on application this summer

By Jaime San Felippo

Walgreens, the national drug retailer, submitted an application to the San Francisco Planning Department on Jan. 31, asking for a permit of use to expand its pharmacy at 4129 18th St. into the adjacent space that used to house the laundromat As the Suds Turn.

“They are asking to occupy the space and make tenant improvements,” said Michael Smith, a San Francisco Planner handling the application. “They plan to knock the wall down between the two storefronts and create consultation rooms.”

Smith estimated that the application would go to the commission sometime this summer.

According to Walgreens spokesperson Tiffani Bruce, the expanded pharmacy will focus on “clinical services for HIV treatment and prevention.” The company says it will turn the site of the current pharmacy into a meeting room that will be available for public use.

Andrew MacDonald is the pharmacy manager at the current 18th Street location and would manage the expanded HIV/AIDS specialty pharmacy. He said with the expansion, the pharmacy will be able to provide services that the current, cramped location cannot accommodate, including private consultation rooms and a public community room which will host educational talks about awareness, protection and nutrition each month. The pharmacy will also serve as an immunization center.

MacDonald said they are trying to have a full time dietician and will work with UCSF to staff a full-time resident pharmacist. He points out that while they are in the initial stages of planning, nothing has been confirmed.

“We’re hoping to provide a big improvement in services,” said MacDonald, who has been with the company for six years.

The plan has faced opposition by some members of the community. There is concern that Walgreens is becoming too prominent in the small neighborhood. This expansion would be the fifth storefront Walgreens would occupy in the Castro area, cumulatively occupying a total of about 14,000 square feet.

“If we didn’t have the Walgreens logo I think people would definitely approve,” said MacDonald. “The services and resources we will be offering are going to benefit the community greatly. I’m really excited.”

Walgreens already operates about 15 pharmacies nationwide that have a strong focus on HIV medication, including those in Palm Springs, Chicago and at the Legacy Center in Houston. Additionally, Walgreens operates pharmacies at Northwestern University and Stanford that deal with HIV.

Glen Pietrandoni is the program manager for HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis for Walgreens. He said that the aim of the expansion is to create a more professional environment to interact with patients.

“It’s not just about dispensing medication,” said Pietrandoni. “(HIV) patients need a pharmacist that understands the medication, to ensure there are no drug interactions. In order to do that we need a physical plan that meets new expectations.”

Pietrandoni stresses that the pharmacy will be a full-service pharmacy that is not limited to patients dealing with HIV/AIDS.

Todd Horton is a Regional Manager for Walgreens and has been courting Castro neighborhood organizations over the past couple of months and has been met with mixed responses.
Horton attended the April 17 meeting of the Eureka Valley Promotion Association (EVPA). He explained the plan for the pharmacy expansions and HIV services to the EVPA board and about fifty attendees and was met with questions about the amount of space Walgreens has taken in the Castro as well as Walgreens’ track record with giving back to the community.

“They don’t do a lot for the community,” said Alan Beach, an EVPA board member. “It’s embarrassing. I would be more in favor of the project if they did something big for the community like if they were the lead donor on a project that meant something to the Castro. Then I would feel OK about what they want to do.”

When asked about Walgreens’ contributions, Horton said in 2007, with 52 stores in San Francisco alone, the company gave about $100,000 to city organizations. He noted that the numbers were similar for 2006.

“Our charitable giving has gone on for years in San Francisco,” said Horton in a phone interview with the Courier. “We just don’t hire PR people to announce those kind of things.”

Horton also told the EVPA meeting attendees that Walgreens took out a 20-year lease on the space of the former laundromat in February 2007, just three months after As the Suds Turn closed. He said it was standard for the company to acquire the space before going through the city process.

Steve Clark Hall is the EVPA President and said this is an issue between those who generally are in favor of business expansion and people that prefer to patronize commercial ‘mom and pop’ stores in the neighborhood like Cliff’s Variety.

Hall claims that Walgreens has been a bad neighbor in the more than 20 years that they have been in the Castro, making a lot of money off the neighborhood with out giving much back. He said he has heard little support for the project from people in the community and there doesn’t seem to be a need for the services that will be offered.

Hall said the EVPA is officially opposed to the project.

“People have to recognize that the little businesses in our neighborhood that make it unique are going to go away if landlords hold out for huge rents that stable corporate tenants can pay,” said Hall. “It’s going to make our special neighborhood less special unless people do something about it.”
Not all the Castro neighborhood associations are opposed to the project.

The Merchants of Upper Market and Castro (MUMC) received a similar presentation from Horton that was met with more favorable reviews.

“As an association we are pro business and we want to support the increase of business in the Castro,” said Mike Wilson, vice president of MUMC. “The specialized pharmacy is going to provide some very good services that people will benefit from.”

Horton seems to be unfazed by the opposition he has come against. He hopes the city process “goes as smoothly as possible” and says the goal is to open the new pharmacy by the fall.
“I do understand people’s concerns; I am committed to working with the community and neighborhood organizations and creating stable relationships,” said Horton.

Walgreens first moved into the Castro in 1983 when it took over Star Pharmacy at the corner of 18th and Castro streets. The company, which has more than 5,000 stores nationwide and almost 60 pharmacies within San Francisco itself, opened up the small pharmacy-only store on 18th street a few years later.

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