Walgreens to Update Community at February Meeting

Walgreens is preparing to send another lamb into the lion's den.

It's been seven months since Walgreens district manager Hien Nguyen tried in vain to appease a crowd of 500 Windsor Terrace residents still reeling from the news that the neighborhood's only supermarket, Key Food, was about to close. 

At the time, Windsor Terrace was angry, and it let Nguyen know it. But a lot has happened since that fateful meeting in June.

First, residents formed Greenbeans not Walgreens, a grass-roots movement dedicated to fighting for a suitable option for fresh food. Rallies were held. Petitions were signed. The movement garnered enough support that Walgreens took notice, and Assemblyman Jim Brennan announced in October that the drugstore chain was looking to partner with a local supermarket.

Also in October was the first gathering of the Windsor Terrace-Kensington Food Coop. While the coop remains in its nascent stages, it's gaining steam around the community and continues to hold regular meetings.

But not all of the news has been triumphant. C.V. Hallmark, a fixture on Prospect Park West for 27 years, announced earlier this month that it was closing, citing its inability to compete with the incoming Walgreens as the primary reason for its departure.

So what's going on with Walgreens now? Your questions will soon be answered: On Feb. 21, Walgreens has agreed to again send a representative to a Windsor Terrace community meeting, to be held in Shepherd's Hall at Holy Name Church, located at 245 Prospect Park West, at 6:30 p.m. 

We've reached out to Walgreens for more information on the particulars of the meeting, but have yet to hear back. Stay with us for updates.