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Walgreens open, building already up for sale for $5.1 million

By Howard B. Owens

The Walgreens in Le Roy is now open, as we learned from a glowing piece of PR published in the Batavia Daily News.

The problem of its construction, which as is downright hostile to other businesses in the village with its parking lot and fence in front of the building, is, of course, still a problem.

And it was a problem the Le Roy Planning Board recognized back in August 2007, according to an article in the Daily News archives:

Planning Board member Jerry McCullough said he would like to see a design consistent with a small-town Main Street look, including having the store closer to the sidewalk and all the parking either behind the building or to one side and the rear.

Planning Board Chairman Robert Dawley agreed. He would like Walgreens to design a store similar to the way the Village Hall sits on its parcel, with green space between the sidewalk and building and its front setback consistent with nearby properties.

"I think it would be visually more pleasing to the community," he said. The traditional downtown look would also provide better sight lines for drivers approaching the traffic light at routes 5 and 19, he said.

I remember being told a year ago that the building would fit into the village.  I wonder whatever happened to that plan?

Meanwhile, the building is already up for sale. Asking price: $5.1 million.

David Dodge

That went well, not! First, they build it so that the parking lot and fence doesn't entice customers to come into the store. Then, they take an inordinate amount of time to actually open the doors. And now the building is already up for sale. Wow, just wow.

Jul 25, 2009, 7:22pm Permalink
william tapp

village don't want more business any way, they chase more business away then would ever come there, leroy don't like change. leroy is a dead village, thay need now places there.main street is dead dead.village father's are dead heads

Jul 25, 2009, 7:37pm Permalink
Andrew Erbell

The building being up for sale doesn't mean Walgreens is leaving. They are a tenant. I'm not sure what Walgreen's Corporate policy is but it's probably similar to the Dollar General Corporation. They don't own any of the buildings they're in - they rent the space.

Jul 25, 2009, 8:08pm Permalink
Lincoln DeCoursey

A modern building is going to look different than one which is hundreds of years old just as a modern business is going to provide a parking lot. In this case the neighboring historic buildings are niceties but are largely unproductive economically and the overall trend is toward disrepair and vacancy of those. Nineteenth-century storefronts just don't jive with the way most business is done today.

Certainly the new developer could have done more to meld with his immediate environment, yet it's that environment which probably must update in order to restore its commercial relevance - the developer just had the business sense and capital to show the way. And although we can make statements such as "the fence is problematic," those statements are opinion. Regardless of whatever merit they might have, I see nothing egregious enough here to trump what's probably the single-most important opinion: the landowner's.

To me, it seems like when new business clusters just outside of city/village limits, it's characterized by certain folks as a parasitic siphon. Yet when it integrates into the city/village, it's treated by those same folks like an intruder. Sure we can have planning meetings every week in anticipation of that great renaissance which will inject new roofs, electric, plumbing and tenants into "main street". But I for one suspect that we just might be a bit off balance with this notion of public space at the expense of private property, and also that we might be relying too heavily on government planning to the exclusion of entrepreneurship.

Jul 26, 2009, 2:35am Permalink
Howard B. Owens

Lincoln, there are examples all around both the US and New York where the city centers/villages have been revitalized. Corning is a nearby example that I know about -- a thriving business district made all the more charming by the old and well restored 100-year-old+ buildings.

The Village of Le Roy has the same potential. It's a potential that Bill Farmer sees, which is why he's restoring the Creekside Inn, and his profession is historic restoration and preservation.

It is only short sightedness that says "tear down and build new." This leads to cookie-cutter communities, instead of finding what's unique and worth cherishing about each individual community.

As for this Walgreens, the local planners could have blocked it if they had more fully thought about the damage their were doing to the village. As for Walgreens, it is explicitly company policy to ensure that the stores are destinations and that customers are discouraged from visiting any neighboring locations, hence the parking in front and the fence. That isn't an accident. It's by design.

Jul 26, 2009, 9:19am Permalink
william tapp

That corner looks lot better now then it has in years,i see nothing wrong with Walgreens,it looks very nice now, Leroy stop wining.should be lucky any one wants to come to the village.If i was walmart i tell the town of leroy to shove it and go some where else.

Jul 26, 2009, 12:44pm Permalink
bud prevost

Mr.Tapp, I certainly hope your wish comes true. I live and own a home in Leroy, and we don't need them here. There are 7 walmarts within a 35 mile radius in every direction. I will also say, while I do like the appearance better than what was there, Walgreens is nothing special, and we certainly didn't need another pharmacy. The village currently has 3 pharmacies available, which is plenty for a town our size. Shoot, I can't even get my meds filled at a pharmacy anymore. They are all delivered by mail through my insurer.

Jul 26, 2009, 2:54pm Permalink

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