Rite Aid supersotre to open in West Philadelphia

With a huge new convenience "superstore" set to open in West Philadelphia this spring, residents are hopeful -- but still a little pessimistic -- that the new Rite Aid will help to revitalize a troubled area. The store, to be built on the 5700 block of Chestnut Street, will have many features beyond a standard Rite Aid outlet, including a drive-through window, a business center with fax, copy and shipping services, one-hour photo processing and convenience foods. The store will also have a large pharmacy waiting area with a private window for pharmacist consultation. "Every neighborhood, including West Philadelphia, deserves a state-of-the-art drug store," said Rite Aid spokesperson Allison Costello. The new store and adjacent 70-space parking lot, which is currently under construction, are an expansion and relocation of the 5600 Chestnut Street store. All of the former Rite Aid's employees have been transferred to the new location, which will staff 30 to 40 employees, Costello said. Despite the benefits the company says it will bestow on the area, many community residents expressed concern about the large chain moving into the neighborhood. "Rite Aid has purchased every small drug store in the community," said Julia Chinn, president of the Cobbs Creek Town Watch Community Organization. Chinn added that the service provided by Rite Aid is not as good as that of the former small pharmacies. People sometimes have to "wait two, three, four hours for prescriptions." But Grace Lindsay, a member of the Cobbs Creek Neighborhood Advisory Committee, had a more optimistic view, saying the new Rite Aid will "change the whole face of West Philadelphia." Lindsay said the convenience store would help fix Chestnut Street and noted that the high traffic and nearby public transportation connections should help make the store successful while bringing more people to the area. Lindsay did say that service could be a problem at the superstore, especially in regard to the area's many senior citizens, who will have a hard time waiting for long periods of time to get medication. While the addition of Rite Aid may be one step toward revitalizing the greater West Philadelphia area, residents stressed that several more additions are still necessary. According to Joseph Jenkins, president of the Haddington/Cobbs Creek Community Development Corporation, the neighborhood needs many other businesses including "a good family restaurant," a bank and utility companies. "We're trying to get things organized, get more businesses up here," Jenkins said.

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