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Published: May 07, 2008 11:50 AM
Modified: May 07, 2008 11:50 AM
Walgreens might come to Benson
Construction could begin in 90 days.
Benson — An Ohio-based company whose clients include Walgreens has submitted plans for a commercial development here. Oswald Development submitted plans for a 14,000-square-foot building at the corner of Fayetteville and East Main streets, said Jeremy Smith, Benson’s planning director. The plans came before the Planning Department one month ago but have yet to receive final approval, he said.A commercial building would need access to Main Street, but the N.C. Department of Transportation would make that call, Smith said. “DOT has approval on Main Street, and we haven’t gotten a formal response for a driveway yet,” he said. “DOT will grant [the developer] access; it just depends on what kind of access.”Patrick Angelino, a principal with Oswald Development, could not confirm if the site would become home to the pharmacy chain. “Although Walgreens is one of the clients we are talking to, the likelihood that they would end up there is not formalized and finalized,” he said.Oswald Company, an affiliate of Oswald Development, offers pre-construction, construction, design and real estate-development services, according to the company’s Web site. Oswald Company has built 26 Walgreens stores in Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky. Also, the firm has built Krogers and Staples stores in Ohio and Kentucky.Currently, a gas station, convenience store and a few houses sit on the site. The residents have agreed to sell their land to Oswald Development, Angelino said. “They all have accepted offers that we made, and we have them under contract,” he said. Carol Hively, a spokesman for Walgreens, was unable to confirm the chain would be coming to Benson. “Walgreens has not signed a lease for a location in Benson, so we can’t confirm intentions to open a store there,” she said.Construction on the site could possibly begin in 90 days, Angelino said. “That area is posed for growth,” he said of the location. “In development, you look at the present and you look at the potential.”
herald Staff Reporter Sarah McNeil can be reached at 934-2176, Ext. 129, or by e-mail at smcneil@nando.com
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