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STEUBENVILLE -- The pharmacy at the Rite Aid store at Fifth and Market streets downtown will close Aug. 23, a spokesman for store owner Walgreens said.
Walgreens decided to close the downtown Rite Aid as part of decisions being made with the purchase of 1,932 Rite Aid stores by Walgreens earlier this year.
Walgreens spokesman Phil Caruso said the last day for the downtown Rite Aid pharmacy's operations will be Aug. 23, with the store to be open about two weeks after that while a final sale is conducted.
Files will be transferred to the Walgreens at 2001 Sunset Blvd.
Mayor Jerry Barilla has expressed concern and is hoping to set up a petition campaign to protest the closure. He said downtown customers who often do not have their own cars cannot easily walk from downtown up Washington Street hill and along Sunset Boulevard to get to the Walgreens, though it is only a little more than a mile away. Barilla said downtown will have no place left for residents to buy daily necessities.
Caruso said there is nothing at this time indicating potential closures of other Rite Aid stores in Steubenville, Weirton, Follansbee, Toronto or Wellsburg.
Employees from the downtown store will be offered jobs at other locations, he said.