What's Happening at Rockridge CVS Pharmacy?

Will the CVS Pharmacy store at Broadway and 51st Street (Pleasant Valley Road) in Oakland remain open indefinitely, or is this just a temporary reprieve? 

The store's lease was cancelled months ago by Safeway, owner of the Rockridge Shopping Center property, but closing has been delayed several times. Safeway plans a major redevelopment of the shopping center site, which is under review by the City of Oakland's planning department.

Store employees say only that they were notified about two weeks ago that the pharmacy "superstore" will remain open, but offered no further details.

Daren Ranelletti, the city's planner assigned to the project, said Tuesday that the Safeway proposal is still active and that preparation of an EIR (environmental impact report) for the project is under way. The draft EIR is expected to be completed and made public later this year, he said.

Safeway and CVS officials have not yet responded to requests for information about the status of the project and the CVS lease.

Shelves at the CVS store have become progressively more empty over the past several months and most of the popular nursery section was closed. Hours were also reduced from the earlier 24-hour-a-day schedule.

Another store in the shopping center, Dress Barn, closed recently, and the space it occupied remains empty.

Do you know more about CVS Pharmacy's future? Tell us in the comments section below.

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