Walgreens closing Chatham store at 86th and Cottage Grove due to violence, theft
Chatham residents say they're losing a vital resource as Walgreen's prepares to close its store near 86th and Cottage Grove.
In a statement, a spokesperson for Walgreens confirmed the store will close on June 4. They said the store has experienced "significantly higher levels of theft and violent incidents than our other locations."
They said they've made adjustments to their operations and taken other steps to mitigate the issue, but "ongoing safety challenges" made it hard to keep staff and customers safe, and so they have chosen to close the store.
"Safety must remain our top priority," the company said in a statement.
Elected leaders will join Chatham residents Monday morning to talk about the effect the store closure will have on the neighborhood. The group said it served as a critical access point for prescriptions and essential goods.
Walgreens said customers can keep filling prescriptions at that location until the store closes, and after June 4 prescriptions will be automatically transferred to nearby stores for uninterrupted service.
Walgreens said the closest store to this location is at 1616 E. 87th St., which is 1.3 miles away. The company said patients using the Cottage Grove store for prescriptions are eligible for 90 days of free prescription delivery to help ease the transition.