UPDATE: 2/26 Evening Police Crackdown (see end of story)
In January, Walgreens announced the closure of 12 stores in San Francisco by the end of February, sending shocking waves throughout the affected communities.
One of the stores on its closing list is the Cathedral Hill Walgreens on Franklin and Post Streets which I wrote about 2 months before the Walgreens’ announcement. The store will shut its doors on February 26. The company said increased regulatory and reimbursement pressures are affecting its ability to cover costs.
While it said that crime wasn’t a factor in the store closure, the Cathedral Hill neighbors said, “What a bunch of baloney!”
Ibrahim A. Sahid who lives nearby and has been going to the store for about 20 years said in an email upon hearing of the store closure: “Unfortunately, there’s no Walgreens left nearby. I’m sad our Franklin store is closing; it’s on a good block and has plenty of foot traffic from businesses and the hospital [CPMC Van Ness Campus]. I watch the store get looted often and know what these teens and thieves are capable of. The closure obviously affects the store staff, security guards, and transportation drivers. The whole business eco chain is involved. What message does this send about the state of the City?”
“Where Everybody Knows Your Name”
Empty shelves Inside The Cathedral Hill Walgreens
For the Cathedral Hill neighbors, their Walgreens is more than just a store. It’s a community gathering place they rely on. For those who are not lucky enough to have someone waiting to greet them when they come home from a long day at work and ask, “Honey, how was your day?”, the store is sometimes the place they want to go where everybody knows their names.
The store staff often greet their regular customers by their first names and ask, “Oh hey! How was your day?”
Nothing Left At The Closing Cathedral Hill Walgreens
Christine Lee who lives across the street from the store says, “I go to this store 3-4 times a week to pick up my prescriptions, household essentials, Easter and Halloween candies for my kids, etc. Now, I have to walk a few blocks away to go to CVS on Van Ness Avenue and Turk Street. It’s a big loss!”
Lee is not alone, several elderly neighbors I talk to say that they will start using their feet a lot to walk or take public transportation to get their prescriptions somewhere else.
When Will Things Get Better In The City?
The Sad State Of Walgreens On Franklin and Post Streets
I visited the store on a gloomy day a few days before the store closure.
There was no cashier at the checkout counter. 2 store employees and a security guard were sitting on chairs in front of the store entrance door and talking to regular customers who stopped by to bid farewell to them. They hugged each other.
One of the store employees told me that he would be transferred to the Fillmore store and the other one is currently looking for a job. The distraught regular customers said, “Our community has been robbed. And this space will become another blight.
What are Mayor Daniel Lurie and the District Supervisor, Stephen Sherrill doing to tackle the crime, drugs, and homeless problems in our neighborhood? When will store closings in the City stop and things get better?”
Public Safety Town Hall
Supervisor Stephen Sherrill will be hosting a District 2 Public Safety Town Hall on March 6, from 5:30 PM – 7:00 PM inside the Marina Middle School Auditorium (3500 Fillmore Street).
He, along with District Attorney Brooke Jenkins and SFPD Chief Bill Scott will discuss focusing on issues of homelessness, drug use and sales, crime, and mental health.
UPDATE 2/27:
2-26 evening crackdown
Wednesday evening around 10:30 p.m., law enforcement agencies (SFPD, DEA, and Sherriff) quietly (without any sirens) surrounded Jefferson Square Park along with the DPW crew, SFFD, animal control, and other city agencies.
Police officers on bicycles swarmed into the park and went into the bushes searching for drug dealers and users. They said, “Come out…come out…you are under arrest….”
They cleared out drug dealers and users around the planters in front of the Sacred Heart practice field and pushed them across the street next to the park to search and process them. Residents around the park were out on their balconies and sidewalks to watch the raid.
Several residents around the park I talked to said, “I hope this mass arrest is not just for show. Hopefully, those dealers and zombies won’t come back here again. We have been complaining to the city for months.”
