Rite Aid construction to begin spring 2000
Construction on the new Rite Aid store on the corner of Broadway and Mission will not begin until spring 2000, leaving Mount Pleasant Rite Aid shoppers another winter at the 317 N. Mission St. location.
There is no red tape coming from Mount Pleasant City Hall, however.
"They have sight plan approval and a valid building permit, so they can start at any time," said Tony Kulick, director of planning and community development for Mount Pleasant.
Rockford Construction, contractors for the job, was not available for comment on the project's status.
Beverly Lyons, Rite Aid spokeswoman, does not know why construction has not yet begun.
"We build so many stores, I would not want to speculate why (construction hasn't begun)," Lyons said.
What Lyons could elaborate on were the new amenities the latest Rite Aid would offer, including wider aisles, enhanced lighting, expanded merchandise selections and increased customer services.
These services will include a drive-through pharmacy window, a one-hour photo processing lab and a business service center where customers can fax, mail packages and make copies, she said.
The new location will only house Rite Aid, in compliance with the nation-wide strategy to move stores from shopping centers to free-standing locations, Lyons said.
"It's what our customers want," she said.
This strategy will also provide more parking closer to the store, Lyons said. With the increasing number of senior citizens and their need for pharmacy locations, a combination of close, ample parking and the drive-through pharmacy window will attract more customers.
"In Michigan weather, this is an attractive feature. We know customers want easy access to the store and to retail products and services that they need. They'll be able to get in and out very quickly," Lyons said.
Construction will begin in spring 2000, and the tentative opening date will be in late summer of the same year. The current Rite Aid store will then close.
