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New Rite Aid - Greenville


blueradon

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So for years on the busy intersection of M-57 and M-91 the NW corner lot has remained empty in hopes for finding some new development. This is in the historic downtown area that consists of all old and mostly original buildings from when the town began.

Now the news came in today in the local paper that the city has awarded a bidder to construct a brand spankin new Rite Aid store on this lot.

I am not a happy camper. :angry:

I feel like the city has given up on this piece of land and is just giving it to whoever wants to build it there. I remember articles going around a few years back about ideas for what could be built there.

We just got a Walgreens across the street from Meijer a couple years ago, there is ALREADY a Rite Aid store on M-91 - although it's very old and run down there is plenty of room there to build a new one. We have pharmacies in Meijer and Walmart, and in the hospital (I believe). Why do we need another one??

Unless there is going to be a buttload of character going into this building - it is going to ruin the appeal of the historic downtown look. I've seen the Rite Aid stores, and I just don't agree with it. I think I'm going to write a note for the opinion column because I think something better could go there - something like a park, or a new city hall (they really need one), or maybe some apartments. Heck, even a skating rink like RPC would be terrific!.

I guess it's better than no development at all - but Rite Aid is just too cheesy for me.

<Deposits $0.02>

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Well the corner lot is empty which is what they're taking - it's obviously not big enough to really handle the whole store plus parking (all of the public parking is behind the old buildings and there's not very much of it) - but they said they plan to take an adjacent building - which the only one I can think of is this little white building next to 57 - it's kinda ratty looking and holds stores for a cell phone place and a hot tub store. So that would be my prediction.

No way in hell would the town let someone demolish one of the old buildings. I guess it plans to add parking space to it as well.

I dunno - I still don't like the idea - they could have easily taken 2 properties for sale right by Meijer and leave downtown alone - I don't think that business itself is going to get more people downtown.

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Sounds like the situation in Gladwin, MI. They had an empty lot for a few years right in the heart of their little downtown along M-61, and when I drove my it seemed like it would be the perfect spot for a two or three story mixed-use infill building. But what are they getting? A Rite-aid (or something like that), set back fifty feet, surrounded by parking. How disappointing.

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Well the corner lot is empty which is what they're taking - it's obviously not big enough to really handle the whole store plus parking (all of the public parking is behind the old buildings and there's not very much of it) - but they said they plan to take an adjacent building - which the only one I can think of is this little white building next to 57 - it's kinda ratty looking and holds stores for a cell phone place and a hot tub store. So that would be my prediction.

No way in hell would the town let someone demolish one of the old buildings. I guess it plans to add parking space to it as well.

I dunno - I still don't like the idea - they could have easily taken 2 properties for sale right by Meijer and leave downtown alone - I don't think that business itself is going to get more people downtown.

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Well I'm glad to hear they won't be taking down one of the big old buildings, but yeah it sucks when companies try to build suburban style developments in urban settings. There is a good example of a newer urban pharmacy in East Lansing where a CVS (complete with drive through) has three stories of condoes above it and an attached 4 level public parking ramp. That plan may be a little extreme for Greenville but it would be cool if the new development had some mixed use in it to blend in with the rest of downtown better.
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From my point of view the typical site layout of a Rite Aid store is not that much different from that of a Walgreen's. However Rite Aid stores are just butt ugly to put it bluntly. So for site layout the proposed Greenville store should be acceptable. But the town counsel should really hammer hard on demanding good Architectural standards from Rite Aid.

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From my point of view the typical site layout of a Rite Aid store is not that much different from that of a Walgreen's. However Rite Aid stores are just butt ugly to put it bluntly. So for site layout the proposed Greenville store should be acceptable. But the town counsel should really hammer hard on demanding good Architectural standards from Rite Aid.
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  • 3 months later...

I'm not very thrilled :sick: of a Rite Aid going in on the corner of 57 & 91. I think its a lame idea and I also know plenty of people around here that think its a pretty lame idea if not downright stupid. :wacko:

Don't know what should go in there but certainly not a new Rite Aid.

Such a waste. :angry:

I often wonder what goes on in the minds of the city planners.

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I'm not very thrilled :sick: of a Rite Aid going in on the corner of 57 & 91. I think its a lame idea and I also know plenty of people around here that think its a pretty lame idea if not downright stupid. :wacko:

Don't know what should go in there but certainly not a new Rite Aid.

Such a waste. :angry:

I often wonder what goes on in the minds of the city planners.

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If the proposed use meets the zoning requirements and the city doesn't have architectural standards in their ordinances, the developer can build what he / they / the client like architecturally. If the city wants "old style" buildings in that area, they need to adopt those type of standards. I'm guessing that would require a new zoning category "historic downtown" with standards accordingly including architecturally standards. I will also speculate that if Greenville adopted such an ordinance, the NW and SW corners of M57 & M91 would stay like they are (SW) / were (NW) for a long time.
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For what it's worth - the City did send an application to have their downtown marked as a historical site...so it would be in their best interests that Rite Aid will have to build according to suit in the soon-to-hopefully-be historic downtown.

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For what it's worth - the City did send an application to have their downtown marked as a historical site...so it would be in their best interests that Rite Aid will have to build according to suit in the soon-to-hopefully-be historic downtown.
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It's unfortunate, sometimes I feel even some city council members don't understand if they don't have design standards they leave their city open to get some crap looking buildings. Of course I think a lot do realize that and take the stance that any development is good and if we set standards they'll build somewhere else.

Good luck! What city's planning commission are you on, GR?

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