NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The Walgreens pharmacy store is closing Thursday, Feb. 22.
A spokesperson for the company confirmed the closing on Thursday and said "We will make every effort to place impacted team members at nearby stores."
Pharmacy customers are being told their prescriptions will automatically transfer to the Walgreens at 212 Main St. in Williamstown.
iBerkshires did not get a response on questions about the building being for sale or if other Walgreens in Berkshire County are also being affected.
Walgreens announced last year the closure of 150 stores in the United States; it closed about 200 in 2019.
The location had formerly been a Rite Aid, which initially opened its 1,000th store in the L-shaped mall in 1982. Rite Aid sold its Massachusetts and Rhode Island stores to New England-based Brooks Pharmacy in 1995, a deal that included the North Adams and Williamstown locations.
Brooks bought and demolished the old St. Francis' convent on Lincoln Street and built the existing store next to Big Y. It opened in December 2002.
A few years later, Rite Aid bought that along with 336 other Brooks stores, bringing an end to that regional chain. Walgreens entered the picture in 2017 when it acquired nearly 2,000 Rite Aid locations — including Adams, North Adams and Williamstown. Rite Aid filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy last October and announced it would close about a quarter of its 2,000 stores.
Walgreens is part of Walgreens Boots Alliance, an international health care, pharmacy and retail operation that has 12,500 locations in the United State, Europe and Latin America.
CVS, which is located in the Big Y plaza, has previously indicated interest in a standalone building — it was cited as the interested party in the former St. Francis Church property. An outcry about demolishing the church at that time took it "off their radar."
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Neal Secures $700,000 for North Adams Flood Chutes Project
Mayor Jennifer Macksey at last August's signing of an agreement with the Army Corps of Engineers.
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — U.S. Rep. Richard Neal has secured $700,000 in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' budget to complete a feasibility study of the Hoosic River flood chutes.
The Corps of Engineers is in the midst of a three-year, $3 million study of the aging concrete flood chutes that control the passage of the river through the city.
North Adams has ponied up $500,000 as part of its share of the study and another $1.5 million is expected to come from state and federal coffers. Neal previously secured $200,000 in the fiscal 2023 omnibus spending package to begin the feasibility study.
The additional funding secured by Neal will allow for the completion of the study, required before the project can move on to the next phase.
Neal celebrated it as a significant step in bringing the flood chutes project to fruition, which he said came after several months of communication with the Corps.
"The residents of North Adams have long advocated for much needed improvements to the city's decades-old flood chutes. This announcement is a substantial victory for the city, one that reaffirms the federal government's commitment to making this project a reality," said the congressman. "As a former mayor, I know firsthand the importance of these issues, especially when it comes to the safety and well-being of residents.
"That is why I have prioritized funding for this project, one that will not only enhance protections along the Hoosic River Basin and reduce flood risk, but also make much critical improvements to the city's infrastructure and create jobs."
But not enough for Finance Committee member Andrew Fitch, who voted against the compensation and classification plan because it did not include a city planner.
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The Corps of Engineers is in the midst of a three-year, $3 million study of the aging concrete flood chutes that control the passage of the river through the city.
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This weekend, the Berkshires and surrounding areas will have a variety of events, including concerts, comedy, farmers' markets, and more.
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The License Board on Tuesday approved two license transfers including one for V&V and a license for a restaurant in the former BrewHaHa on West Main Street.
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Board Chair Peter Mirante thanked the sponsors of the breakfast event at the Berkshire Hills Country Club, including his employer, Adams Community Bank, for allowing him to attend the nonprofit's many events and functions and encouraging his involvement. click for more