CVS to Demolish, Rebuild Bigger Store at Existing Kent Location

is looking to demolish its existing store to rebuild a larger facility with a double drive-thru at the corner of Summit and South Water streets in Kent.

The national pharmacy chain submitted plans to the city's building department April 25 showing the proposal to demolish the existing building and rebuild. The plans are out for review among the city's departments, and the proposal is scheduled to go before the Kent Planning Commission June 21.

To make the project happen, CVS plans to buy two properties west of the store on Summit Street. The properties are 120 W. Summit St., owned by Mark J. Yohe, and 126 W. Summit St., which is owned by Robert Roe and Patricia Loretta, according to Portage County Auditor's Office records.

The company already has purchase agreements for the properties, according to a cover letter for the plans from Lakewood-based Zaremba Group, which is handling the project for CVS.

Calls to the CVS corporate office for comment were not returned.

Jennifer Barone, Kent planning engineer, said CVS has been hinting at demolishing the store and rebuilding a larger one for a few years.

The existing store has 10,810 square feet of space, but the new store would have 13,600 square feet, according to the preliminary site plans. The new store would have the added feature of dual drive-thrus, and parking will expand to 66 spaces.

The new store will be set back farther from South Water Street, according to the plans.

One of the only potential concerns for the city in the site plans is the use of the alley south of the property for access to the new store's parking lot, Barone said. The Sheetz gas station at the corner of Fairchild Avenue and North Mantua also exits onto what was a city alleyway.

"They’re removing their entrance off South Water, so basically the alley’s going to look like their exit," Barone said.