Chili Destroys its History for Walgreens
I hate Walgreens. As a matter of fact, I hate CVS, Rite-Aid, and Eckerd too. But Walgreens is special. They just can't seem to do anything right around these parts. Whether they're using illegal out-of-town labor or beginning construction before they've received proper approvals, they're always in the news for being the latest corporate assholes to come to town. Now they're making their presence known in the Town of Chili, where they are going to tear down the 185-year old Stagecoach Inn at the corner of Union Street and Buffalo Road and replace it with a large typical drugstore with its neon signs and abundant parking.What pisses me off more than the audacity of Walgreens, is that the shit-for-brains officials in Chili would actually approve this development. I understand that there is very little in Chili to be proud of, but why does that give the Town the right to rip out one of their only remaining historic structures? Why don't they respect their people or their local history? What will this Walgreens do for the Town that could not have been accomplished at a different, less historically-significant location? Look, I have no reason to go to Chili and I've only passed through that intersection once in my life, and that was by accident. Now, I'm even less likely to venture over there. Not only does the City have most of its history intact, we have drugstores too.
I really shouldn't be complaining though. The Illinois-based developer is going to construct a monument wall telling the history of that location and on top of that, Walgreens is going out of its way to "incorporate various aesthetic architectural features including a gabled entrance that comes to a peak and arches over all the windows of the building." Wow. North Chili will finally have an intersection they can be proud of.
posted by Man About Town @ 1:01 PM
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