Walgreens' only location in North Adams will close in February and move current prescriptions to Williamstown. Walgreens has operated the former Brooks/Rite Aid for about six years.
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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Berkshire County Homes Celebrating Holiday Cheer
By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
There's holiday cheer throughout the Berkshires this winter.
Many homeowners are showing their holiday spirit by decorating their houses. We asked for submissions so those in the community can check out these fanciful lights and decor when they're out.
We asked the homeowners questions on their decorations and why they like to light up their houses.
In Great Barrington, Matt Pevzner has decorated his house with many lights and even has a Facebook page dedicated to making sure others can see the holiday joy.
Located at 93 Brush Hill Road, there's more than 61,000 lights strewn across the yard decorating trees and reindeer and even a polar bear.
The Pevzner family started decorating in September by testing their hundreds of boxes of lights. He builds all of his own decorations like the star 10-foot star that shines done from 80-feet up, 10 10-foot trees, nine 5-foot trees, and even the sleigh, and more that he also uses a lift to make sure are perfect each year.
"I always decorated but I went big during COVID. I felt that people needed something positive and to bring joy and happiness to everyone," he wrote. "I strive to bring as much joy and happiness as I can during the holidays. I love it when I get a message about how much people enjoy it. I've received cards thanking me how much they enjoyed it and made them smile. That means a lot."
Pevzner starts thinking about next year's display immediately after they take it down after New Year's. He gets his ideas by asking on his Facebook page for people's favorite decorations. The Pevzner family encourages you to take a drive and see their decorations, which are lighted every night from 5 to 10.
In North Adams, the Wilson family decorates their house with fun inflatables and even a big Santa waving to those who pass by.
The Wilsons start decorating before Thanksgiving and started decorating once their daughter was born and have grown their decorations each year as she has grown. They love to decorate as they used to drive around to look at decorations when they were younger and hope to spread the same joy.
"I have always loved driving around looking at Christmas lights and decorations. It's incredible what people can achieve these days with their displays," they wrote.
The Wilsons' invite you to come and look at their display at 432 Church St. that's lit from 4:30 to 10:30 every night, though if it's really windy, the inflatables might not be up as the weather will be too harsh.
In Pittsfield, Travis and Shannon Dozier decorated their house for the first time this Christmas as they recently purchased their home on Faucett Lane. The two started decorating in November, and hope to bring joy to the community.
"If we put a smile on one child's face driving by, then our mission was accomplished," they said.
Many homeowners are showing their holiday spirit by decorating their houses. We asked for submissions so those in the community can check out these fanciful lights and decor when they're out.
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