UPDATE: After CVS representatives presented a revised proposal for a pharmacy on the corner of Lindell and Sarah, members of the West Pine-Laclede
Neighborhood Association voted at their September meeting to continue discussions with the pharmacy. The association had voted to reject an earlier CVS proposal at the August meeting.
Post-Dispatch article
 The West Pine-Laclede Neighborhood Association has given the cold shoulder to a proposal for a CVS pharmacy on Lindell Boulevard. The neighborhood group's members voted not to support the project at its monthly meeting Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2009.
The preliminary proposal calls for a new two-story CVS pharmacy at the southwest corner of Lindell and Sarah, replacing the former St. Louis Housing Authority building as well as two office buildings to the west.
Harold Karabell and Dan Hellmuth of West Pine-Laclede Neighborhood Association’s Development Committee had previously reviewed the plans with representatives from CVS and CWE Midtown Development Executive Director Dan Krasnoff.
Karabell presented the CVS proposal, including a computer generated rendering and a site plan (below), at the neighborhood association’s meeting along with the Development Committee’s recommendation to reject the project. According to Karabell, the main sticking point is the site plan, which CVS officials say cannot be changed. The plan calls for the pharmacy to be set back from Lindell and Sarah, with parking between the building and the street, similar to the Walgreens store a block to the west.
Karabell said while the plan might be appropriate for a suburban location, it did not meet the neighborhood's criteria for urban design. “We personally as the Development Committee and as individuals could not give our blessing to an anti-urban plan of this nature,” he said.
The CVS plan also shows a drive-through pharmacy, with vehicles exiting through the alley between Lindell and West Pine. Several neighbors who live on the block behind the proposed pharmacy objected to the alley access as well as the store’s round-the-clock hours. Some neighbors questioned why another pharmacy was needed so close to Walgreens and Schnucks.
While CVS has mixed-use, urban buildings in other cities, company officials maintained that according to their market research, St. Louisans insist on convenience, including drive-through service and plentiful parking, Karabell said.
CVS representatives did implement a handful of the Development Committee’s suggestions, including adding a story to the building and changing the architecture to better fit into the area. CVS also offered to help support the neighborhood.
Joseph D. Roddy, 17th Ward Alderman, said the proposal highlights the importance of the CWE Sustainable Development Plan in guiding future development decisions in the area. The plan is currently being developed by a stakeholders committee assembled by CWE Midtown Development and guided by H3 Studio. A public workshop was held earlier this summer, with another scheduled for the fall.
“Our hope is that this plan will start filling in some of the holes that are in the zoning code by actually mandating certain densities and setbacks,” Roddy said.
Representatives from CVS were seeking the neighborhood’s support for the project before moving ahead with a formal proposal. CVS would need approval from the city's Preservation Board to demolish the buildings and a zoning variance for the drive-through. CWE Midtown Development has not reviewed the proposal and does not have a formal stance on the project.
CVS is the largest pharmacy chain in the U.S., with 6,900 stores across the country.
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