One of Maine’s most packed neighborhoods may lose its only pharmacy

PORTLAND, Maine — Though not a done deal, the redevelopment writing is already on the wall.

Parkside, often thought to be the state’s most diverse and densely populated neighborhood, seems certain to lose its only pharmacy within the next three years. The property at 713 Congress St., where the Walgreens in question is located, is for sale and being marketed as an investment opportunity ripe for new housing. Meanwhile, the store’s parent company announced it will be closing a quarter of its locations by 2027.

Though a company spokesperson declined to say which specific Walgreens stores are on the chopping block, Parkside’s sole drug store may soon be gone.

“It would definitely be a loss,” said Parkside Neighborhood Association President Tim Karu. “especially for people with mobility issues.”

Bounded by Interstate 295, Congress Street, Forest Avenue, and Weymouth Street, the roughly one-square-mile neighborhood boasts upwards of 5,000 residents. An ethnically diverse place, it houses significant Dominican, Central American, Central African and North African communities.

“Parkside is the most densely populated and most ethnically diverse square mile of Maine,” wrote historian Herb Adams, who has lived in Parkside for decades and used to represent it at the Maine legislature. “In many ways, its story is the story of a changing Maine, in miniature.”

The 7,020-square-foot leased Walgreens building, and an adjacent parking lot, are currently listed at the New England Commercial Property Exchange for $6 million. The property was last sold in 2021 for $3.2 million. Its assessed tax value is $1.9 million.

A pharmacy has operated at the location for at least 44 years, according to city property records. In the 1950s, a neighborhood grocery store stood on the lot. A real estate brochure touting the property’s current redevelopment prospects states Walgreens’ lease is up in three years and current zoning would allow up to 79 new residential units on the lot.

Local television station WMTW reported on July 8 that the Parkside Walgreens was one of five in Maine that would close. It has since retracted the specific location information, but some neighborhood residents still suspect the 713 Congress St. Walgreens’ days are numbered, and they’re not happy about it.

“That’s too bad,” said Henrietta Neill. “It is in a very convenient spot, especially for those in the neighborhood who do not drive.”

Other folks pointed out online that Maine Medical Center, in the nearby St. John Valley neighborhood, has a pharmacy which is open to the public 24 hours a day and makes home deliveries.

But one Reddit user said the Parkside Walgreens store is more than a pharmacy.

“I know I shouldn’t be mourning the loss of a big corporate chain like Walgreens but that’s one of the few places in the West End/Parkside where you can walk to pick up prescriptions and everyday household items,” they wrote. “The peninsula is starting to really lack ‘useful’ businesses.”

Such concerns are not universally shared in the area.

Former Parkside Association President Emma Holder said she’s OK with losing the Walgreens if it means more housing, which the city desperately needs.

“I never really used the pharmacy,” she said, “and I would rather see it become housing instead of another boutique hotel.”

Holder said what Parkside really needs is a small grocery store, as she thinks the neighborhood is currently a fresh food desert.

Karu said he’s not sure if the Parkside Association can help keep the Walgreens open, given how much money is on the table in a potential redevelopment deal.

“We can reach out and say it’s an important resource for the neighborhood,” he said. “But there isn’t much we can do.”

Which is a shame, Karu said, because he definitely uses the pharmacy.

“It’s unfortunate,” he said. “I’ve gone to them for every single one of my COVID shots.”