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Walgreen gets OK to sell booze at 18 more stores

Scott Olson
June 7, 2010
Keywords
Alcohol sales, Government, Government & Economic Development, Local Government, Pharmacies, Real Estate & Retail, Retail, Retailers, State Government
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Eighteen Walgreens stores in Marion County received preliminary approval Monday afternoon to begin selling alcohol despite opposition from two local organizations claiming increased beer and wine sales could lead to more crime.

The Local Alcoholic Beverage Board of Marion County recommended permits for 18 of the 28 stores for which Walgreens is seeking to sell alcohol. Permit requests for the remaining 10 are scheduled to be heard on Aug. 2.

The board’s recommendations now will be considered by the Indiana Alcohol Tobacco Commission, which could occur on June. 15. If the ATC grants its approval, the 18 stores could begin selling alcohol within about a month, said Lisa McKinney Goldner, a lawyer representing the Illinois-based drugstore chain.

“We were pleased that the board listened to us, that we would be a responsible outlet,” she said.

Altogether, Walgreens wants to sell alcohol in 183 stores throughout the state and has received approval for roughly three-fourths of those locations, McKinney Goldner, a lawyer at Indianapolis-based Bose McKinney & Evans LLP, said.

Among the 18 in Marion County receiving the board’s recommendation was the store at 1530 N. Meridian St., across from a CVS/pharmacy that also sells alcohol.

Representatives from Drug Free Marion County and the Marion County Alliance of Neighborhood Associations expressed opposition to another retail location selling alcohol in the area.

“What research shows us is that when you get a high density of alcohol outlets, you increase crime, particularly assaults,” said Nancy Beals, project coordinator for Drug Free Marion County. “God knows we have a crime problem here.”

One Walgreens store that likely won’t be selling alcohol is at 3003 Kessler Blvd. It is located within 200 feet of a church or school, which violates local zoning ordinances and prevents it from stocking beer, wine and hard liquor.  

Walgreen Co. lawyer McKinney Goldner said the permit request for that location will be pulled.

 




 

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  • MITCH & DEREGULATION
    JimJune 8, 2010 3:59 PM
    The last time the GOP governor and his ABC told our community that a new liquor store in our neighborhood would be good for the community, good for buisness, good for the city was a failure for everyone but the cronies who sell the booze. Since then crime has flown off the charts, drive by shootings, prostitutes hang out, and the litter and empty bottles are a constant sore to the community. SHAME on THAT MAN MITCH, his GOP ABC board. I know MITCH will get a big campaign contribution for his race for president. After all it is not the booze that causes the crime, just the suckers who buy it. Let us make it even easier to buy. Gee it will be where someone cannot even go to a drug store to buy medicine without sending him to a liquor store. Perhaps that is the next thing MITCH will deregulate, allowing underage minors into liquor stores to purchase the booze for their parents who are too drunk to go and get it themselves.
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  • Industry standards?
    NickJune 7, 2010 10:36 PM
    Isn't there a standard formula of what concentration of liquor outlet are acceptable per capita and per square mile? Maybe even a crime level screen?
    Reply to CommentFlag Comment

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