Cleveland — The Walgreens pharmacy chain has submitted plans to build a 14,500-square-foot building at the intersection of N.C. 42 and Cleveland Road, according to the Johnston County Planning Department.

Interim Planning Director Berry Gray said Rivers & Associates of Greenville submitted plans to build a Walgreens pharmacy on 2.23 acres west of Ashley Turner Plaza two months ago. Because the land is zoned for commercial development, Rivers & Associates does not need to get permission from the Johnston County Planning Board, he said. The planning department is still reviewing the request and has not given final approval, Gray said.

Johnston already has Walgreens pharmacies in Smithfield and Clayton. A typical store employs about 25 people, according to the company.

Road improvements are likely to be needed for the new site, but the N.C. Department of Transportation would be responsible for any final decisions, Gray said.

“The only full-service access would be on Cleveland Road,” he said. “The only way you can get out looks like it would be on Cleveland Road, lined up with Old Drug Store Road.”

A representative from Rivers & Associates could not be reached for comment before deadline. But according to the company’s Web site, the firm provides engineering and planning services for Walgreens throughout eastern North Carolina.

Rivers & Associates projects include the American Institute of Healthcare and Fitness and Glenwood Crossing in Raleigh as well as Industrial Park in Beaufort County.

Also, the firm has built a hotel, a shopping center and a Bojangles restaurant in Greenville.

In the Cleveland community, a sign sits near Maggie’s Oyster Bar announcing Walgreens will be opening soon. Carol Hively, a spokeswoman for Walgreens, was unable to confirm the store would be coming to Cleveland. She said plans might be too preliminary.

Founded in 1902, Walgreens claims to be the nation’s largest retail pharmacy with 117 stores in North Carolina. In 2007, the chain opened 621 new stores, including 120 acquisitions. The company will open 550 stores this year and hopes to have more than 7,000 stores in 2010.

The company employs about 226,000 people and carries more than 25,000 different items.