Statement by Mayor Malik D. Evans Regarding Walgreens Store Closures

Today, members of my team and I met with representatives from Walgreens’ leadership, during which I expressed my outrage by their decision to effectively abandon the Rochester area with this latest round of store closures, which will have a disproportionate negative impact on three of the five poorest zip codes in New York State.

Upon learning that Walgreens’ decision has been made and will not be reversed despite our strongest appeals, I asked Walgreens for their full cooperation regarding the future use of these properties, all of which remain under existing lease contracts, and to not interfere with efforts to recruit new pharmacies to these storefronts by raising concerns about competition.

As last week’s announcement by the University of Rochester Medical Center to open the Highland Pharmacy at Brooks Landing makes clear, the City of Rochester can successfully identify and support compassionate partners who share our concern for the health and safety of our residents by making sure all of neighborhoods have equitable access to pharmacy services.

We will continue to move forward with these efforts, and it would be unconscionable for Walgreens to interfere with that work by raising nonsensical concerns about competition when they have already demonstrated a complete lack of competitive interest in the Rochester market.