Updates given on former CVS store sites in Jefferson Park area at 4777 N. Milwaukee & 6200 W. Higgins

by BRIAN NADIG

A for-lease sign recently was posted at the former CVS Pharmacy site in Jefferson Park at 4777 N. Milwaukee Ave., where the drug store closed in January of 2020.

Alderman James Gardiner (45th) said that it is his understanding CVS still maintains a lease for the 10,880-square-foot store, possibly for several more years, but that a sublease or new lease for a different tenant remains an option.

“Obviously we want to get a tenant because it is such a prominent corner in the community,” Gardiner said.

CVS has occasionally used the site for storage since the store closed.

The plan to build the CVS was controversial when it was first proposed in the early 2000s.

Some residents expressed concern at the time about locating the store’s 38-space parking lot at the Milwaukee-Lawrence intersection instead of “holding the corner” with a building. Several nearby property owners filed a lawsuit in an attempt to block the project but were unsuccessful.

The issuance of a special use permit for the drive-through was contingent on the installation of a decorative feature in front of the parking lot, but it never materialized. At the time recommendations included a gazebo or a small replica of Monticello, the home of Thomas Jefferson.

The leasing agent is Frontline Real Estate Partners. The asking rent is $25 per square foot, plus approximately another $10 for maintenance and other expenses.

The property is zoned B3-2, which allows a variety of retail and restaurant uses.

Another former CVS in the area remains for lease at 6200 W. Higgins Ave., where the store closed in May of 2022.

“We have had some interest. There’s been discussions about grocery stores,” but no formal proposals have been submitted, Gardiner said of the Higgins parcel.

A representative for the listing agent, Matanky Realty Group, said, “We have interested parties, but no contracts yet.”

The building measures about 22,500 square feet, and there are about 100 parking spaces. The building can be split into two storefronts, according to Matanky.

The Higgins site is zoned for residential uses, meaning that a zoning change could be needed for any new business that opens there.

Former 45th Ward alderman Patrick Levar had the Higgins site downzoned from B3-1 to RS-2 to prevent what he described as any “unwanted development.”

Given the proximity of another CVS at 6417 W. Higgins, Levar has expressed concern that one of the stores on Higgins would eventually close. RS-2 zoning is primarily intended for single-family homes.
The building at 6200 W. Higgins was previously home to an Osco Pharmacy.

The pharmacy site at 6417 W. Higgins was once home to the Golden Flame restaurant.

Also in the area, Sweet Cafe is expected to open this summer on the former Big Top restaurant site at 6348 W. Higgins Ave.

This is just part of today’s coverage. Get the full story - every article, every ad, every page. Subscribe now.

The Latest From Our Community