Losing a lifeline: Chicago South Side residents push back against Walgreens closure

Closure of Chicago Walgreens a big loss for South Side community

On Chicago's South Side, residents are pushing back on the closure of a Walgreens, which they argue would deprive them of easy access to life-saving medication.

CHICAGO - A South Side community is speaking out as a Walgreens at 86th Street and Cottage Grove prepares to close its doors on June 4, raising concerns about access to critical healthcare services in Chicago’s 6th Ward.

The backstory:

Community members, leaders, and families gathered to protest the decision, saying the pharmacy has long served as a vital resource, especially for seniors and residents managing chronic health conditions.

"We're not here to beg Walgreens to stay. We are saying that their decision is the wrong decision," said 6th Ward Alderman Will Hall. "In my opinion, it should be considered a first degree corporate crime… the amount of elders that will not have access to healthcare is evil."

Walgreens says the closure is due to ongoing safety concerns, including theft and violent incidents at the location. But residents say that explanation does not reflect what they experience in the neighborhood.

"The lie that they're telling us is it's a health or a loss prevention issue… this neighborhood is not broke," said Gervaise Clay, a 6th Ward resident.

For many, the loss of the store means losing nearby access to life-sustaining medication.

"It has been a lifeline… where seniors walk, sometimes slowly… but with dignity to pick up their medications that keep them alive," Clay said.

Latonya Wilkins, a business owner in the 6th Ward, says the impact extends beyond convenience.

"My aunt… just recently got out of the hospital… she doesn't have a vehicle… this place isn't just a store on this corner," Wilkins said.

For families managing serious medical conditions, the closure raises urgent concerns.

"Out of 41 years, 29 years, my husband has dealt with kidney issues… two-time transplant… he’s on lifelong medication," said Denitra Gardner, a 6th Ward resident. "Something we don't have time to search for… to find out where can we get what he needs."

The Gardner family says access to consistent medication is essential for survival.

"This is not optional for us," they said.

The closure comes just over a year after Walgreens shut down five locations in Bronzeville, Little Village, South Shore and South Chicago. Another specialty pharmacy on 71st Street is also expected to close in the coming weeks, something residents say points to a broader pattern.

Eryn White, whose family owns 200 Pharmacy, says the closures are already straining access across the city.

"Even how they did the transition with the closures of the other stores and sending them all to 87th and Stony, it is a mess in there. To pick up prescriptions. It takes people 45 to an hour to pick up a prescription," White said.

What's next:

Walgreens says prescriptions from the Cottage Grove location will be automatically transferred after the store closes. The nearest pharmacy is about 1.3 miles away on East 87th Street. The company also says patients will be eligible for 90 days of free prescription delivery to help ease the transition.

The store is set to close June 4. Walgreens says employees will not lose their jobs and have been offered positions at other locations.

Still, residents say those assurances do not address the immediate burden on people without reliable transportation.

For Smith, the issue hits home.

"I have a 76-and-a-half-year-old mother… lung transplant… every pill bottle in here has a Walgreens cap on it," he said.

As the closure approaches, residents say what’s at stake is more than a storefront; it's access to care.

"That’s all we're asking for… just the pharmacy," Smith said.