Construction has begun on a new free-standing CVS/pharmacy on the corner of West Park Avenue and Walnut Street.
Mike DeAngelis, a CVS/pharmacy spokesman, said the store will be ready in late fall.
"This move was to get the pharmacy in an area with better visibility and higher traffic," he said.
Greenwood's CVS/pharmacy currently is located in the former Eckerd site just north of J.C. Penney in Greenwood Mall. Landlord Jimmy Henderson was not available for comment.
DeAngelis said the new 12,000- square-foot building will have a more navigable interior with lower shelves and wider aisles. Customers will be able to see the pharmacy immediately after entering the building. The building will have a drive-through window.
The 15,000-square -foot corner lot has been vacant since the early 1980s, when a service station was torn down, according to Terry Ricks, city building inspector. He said the site was bought from Fred Clark, a Greenwood attorney, for CVS/pharmacy by Redd Realty Co.
Jeff Hall, Redd's Mississippi real estate manager, said the building "will be more than just your standard box. "This building is a medium-size building and will be slightly different looking," Hall said.
Hall said Redd's work for CVS includes finding places for the stores in the South. Other locations in Greenwood were on the list, but only this location was considered seriously, Hall said.
The process to acquire the land began in August 2004. Hall said the location was approved by Redd Realty and then it went up the chain of command at CVS/pharmacy. Construction will be with Nashville-based Hardcastle Construction.
Don O'Briant, CVS/pharmacy's Greenwood manager, is looking forward to the move. "We are anxiously awaiting with bated breath. It's going to have a gang of new features," he said.
The cosmetic changes he expects will improve the customer service. On the other hand, it will be hard saying goodbye to the old store, he said.
