'Fight for the Black community': South Shore residents sound off about Walgreens store closing
The Brief
The Walgreens at 71st and Jeffery is closing next week, leaving residents worried about what will replace it.
Alderman Desmon Yancy is pushing to rezone the property to influence future development.
Walgreens has agreed to work with the community but has not provided a timeline.
CHICAGO - South Shore residents gathered Wednesday night at Bryn Mawr Community Church to voice their frustration and concerns over the upcoming closure of their neighborhood Walgreens.
What we know
The Walgreens at 71st and Jeffery, a longtime staple of the neighborhood, is set to close next week as part of a wave of five Chicago locations shutting down this month.
Residents say the store has been a critical resource, and they are deeply concerned about what will replace it.
The Jeffery Plaza Shopping Center, where the Walgreens is located, has long struggled with crime and violence. Alderman Desmon Yancy, who represents the area, said he receives calls about incidents at the plaza nearly every week.
In response, he is proposing to rezone the lot from a "community shopping district" to a "multi-unit district," a move he describes as a strategic effort to push Walgreens to collaborate with the community on the site's future.
The land is owned by seven Black families, but Walgreens still holds the lease to the building through 2031. While the company has committed in writing to working with the community, it has not given a timeline for discussions.
What they're saying
Some residents expressed concerns about the site being replaced with low-income housing.
What's next
At this point, it's unclear what the future of the site holds.
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