Last week, the Bloomington Board of Zoning Appeals approved the opening of a new CVS drugstore at 121 E. Kirkwood Ave., which will be the store’s sixth location in the county.
The pharmacy is also the first business to pass the requirements of the Bloomington standardized business ordinance, which requires all chain businesses moving into the downtown area to meet an aesthetic standard.
“CVS has a history of placing their markets where there is a dollar to be made,” City Zoning Planner Eric Greulich said.
He said the most profitable places include historical districts, much like the downtown area, which often places limits on the business ?going in.
One of the issues addressed by the zoning board was the signage to be displayed by the pharmacy at their new location.
Signage for the store includes a non-internally illuminated projecting sign that does not meet ordinance requirements. However, because of the unique and compatible look the sign portrays, it passed.
The standardized business ordinance started out as a preventive measure to stop chain businesses from moving into the downtown area, Greulich said.
But when the legal department said this was too much regulation, the focus of the ordinance became store compatibility in the downtown area.
The fact that CVS has several other locations in town was a moot point, Greulich said.
“It’s still a standardized business,” he said. “Anywhere there is a dollar to be made and a niche to filled, a business will be there.”
He also said that having the pharmacy, which also provides general goods and services, in close proximity of the dense population of downtown Bloomington is beneficial for all parties.
CVS could not be reached for comment.
The downtown area of Bloomington is well-known for the presence of unique local shopping venues.
While the addition of a chain business would seem to elicit distaste from the community, the downtown area business owners have yet to produce any qualms against the drugstore.
“As downtown residents have increased so has the need for basic services and products,” said Talisha Coppock, executive director of Downtown Bloomington Inc., in a statement.
“The proposed CVS ... brings a much needed service to the area. It is very practical and will be conveniently located ... CVS offers a variety of products. It is amazing that you can go in for one specific item and see more that you could use — office supplies, walk-in clinic, prescriptions, food, movies.”
DBI is a non-profit organization that strives to bring business and revitalization to the downtown area.
