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Walgreens Expands East End Footprint With Hampton Bays Opening
The new store brings expanded pharmacy services, local jobs and another national retailer to Hampton Bays Town Center.
Another day, another Rite Aid bites the dust — and now, in Hampton Bays, that empty box on Montauk Highway is finally buzzing again. Walgreens cut the ribbon (complete with local officials and company higher-ups cheesing for cameras) last Friday, officially staking its claim in the heart of the Town Center. At 9,585 square feet, the new store takes over where Rite Aid once stood next to King Kullen, Starbucks, and that never-sleeps Verizon outpost, all part of the Kenilworth Equities’ retail kingdom.
For folks in Hampton Bays, it’s a sigh of relief. After Rite Aid’s bankruptcy left pharmacy-less gaps around Long Island, Walgreens keeps medicine and foot traffic flowing. Walgreens is weaving itself into the tapestry of the East End’s retail scene, grabbing opportunities where Rite Aid left vacancies.
That story isn’t unique. Rite Aid’s tumble left a chessboard of empty properties, and Long Island’s seen a game of rapid rebranding: fitness centers, urgent cares, smoothie shops. Somebody’s always ready to move in and paint over the blue. Why are these spots so popular? Real estate insiders will tell you it’s all about bones — these places already have the guts for pharmacy counters and enough plumbing to open a hospital or a juice bar, meaning new tenants can skip the mess (and the months) that come with ground-up projects.
Making the deal happen, Michael Friedman of Inline Realty represented Walgreens, while Tom Rettaliata and Jimmy Valenti of RIPCO were in the landlord’s corner for Kenilworth. Business as usual, but with a little less dust and a little more neon.
For the people who actually live here? They get their neighborhood pharmacy back, and the Town Center cements its role as the East End’s go-to commercial strip. In the end, it’s about keeping the engine running, even when the logos change.