CVS will host another public open house at the retail site (3132 Clement) on Thursday, July 29th at 6pm to address comments and questions from residents.

To help make the meeting more productive, feel free to send in your questions or comments in advance to CVSPharmacySF@gmail.com. CVS will also do their best to respond to emails directly as well as cover them in the meeting.

To RSVP, request translation services or for more information, contact Luis Cuadra at 415-788-1000 ext. 207 or email to CVSPharmacySF@gmail.com.

Here’s a wrap-up from the first public meeting on June 24.

Sarah B.

Mike Moss has lived in the Outer Richmond for the past 6 years, but it’s his work experience around the city at retail stores that provides fodder for his comic, “Quitting Time”.

Mike’s just released a compilation of his “Quitting Time” comics which he says is the “perfect addition to your library or a gift for anyone who’s ever had to do time in retail.”

Ahh, retail. When I was in high school I worked at Lombardi’s Sports when it was on the corner of Clement Street and 3rd Avenue (now City Kids). The Lombardi brothers paid me minimum wage and I learned more about selling athletic shoes than I cared to (though today I can tell from your soles whether you’re a pronator or a suppenator – a very handy useless skill!).

Working retail meant I got my fair share of difficult customers, low pay and a bad case of clenched jaw trying to bite my tongue with customers and my bosses. Mike’s “Quitting Time” comic collection is a humurous look at those working in the retail trenches.

Mike tells me “Quitting Time” was originally two comics. Time Out – a comic about life as a young single dad and Why I Hate Retail. Eventually he merged the two and it’s evolved into a slice-of-life cartoon with a retail setting. “Like the television series Chuck where they work in the Buy More,” says Mike.

Some of Mike’s favorite retails spots in the Richmond? Green Apple Books (“I used to work for the Strand Bookstore in High School in NYC so I have a special place in my heart for indy/used bookstores”), Gary’s on Geary (“he has great stuff and I like that he’s a bit cranky”), and the Balboa Theater.

“Quitting Time Volume 1″ is now available for sale exclusively at fine retailers everywhere, which is code for “Mike is reproducing the book at OfficeMax and binding it himself”. You can order the book off his website; $11 for an unsigned copy or $16 for a special signed Artists’ Edition. Mike’s website is also chock full of past “Quitting Time” comics.

And just for RichmondSFBlog readers, Mike drew a special Richmond comic of Quitting Time which is at the top of this post. Thanks, Mike!

Sarah B.

If you’re curious about what the Internet Archive does and how they’re making use of their new churchly space, you’ll find the SSP account of their field trip to be interesting.

The next stop on the tour was “The Library,” the former sanctuary of the church… [Internet Archive founder Brewster] Kahle explained that they plan to make some changes to the space, like leveling the slanted floor, to turn it into some sort of yet-to-be-defined 21st Century “reading room,” combining physical presence and ubiquitous information. In the meantime they will use the lovely room and all its pews to present lectures and show films, presumably of neat materials uncovered in the archiving process.

Our group then crammed into a crowded room in the building next door — the scanning center. One of a number of scanning centers located in five countries, the long narrow room was lined with perhaps 20 stations that looked a little like curtained photo booths.

Kahle seems unfazed by the enormity of Internet Archive’s mission of “universal access to all knowledge.” Any content type the group asked about, it seemed, they have plans to ingest. They have begun to scan current books (those in print and in copyright). Once a book is scanned it is converted into multiple formats: Daisy, ePub, Mobi, PDF, and B&W PDF for POD, among them.

Read the full story at the SSP website

Sarah B.

Calling themselves “Richmond District Greens”, the organizers have set up a Yahoo! Group to share ideas and plan meetings. They’ve met several times already and are working with heads of local merchant assocations and other interested residents and business owners.

They have also been in touch with Urban Village-Farmer’s Market Association, who operate 11 farmers’ markets offering organic or at least no-spray produce, as well as Pacific Coast Farmers Market Association which runs the Sunset District’s year-round Sunday market at 9th & Irving.

Some of the early locations under discussion/investigation include Lincoln Park, St. Anne’s home at Lake and 3rd Avenue, and Presidio Middle School.

If you’re interested in helping with the effort, join the Yahoo! Group. They plan to meet again in early July.

Good luck to the group! I would love to see a weekly farmer’s market in the Richmond. Would you?

Sarah B.

We’ve been hunting and gathering…all for you! We’ve collected a well curated assortment of clothing, accessories, and goods we’re almost ready to share. Our space should be “ready to shop” by early August 2010

According to their Facebook page, they plan to operate Monday through Thursday from 11 to 7, Friday and Saturday from 11 to 8, and Sundays from 11 to 6. They’re on the same block as Park Life so they’re in good retail company.

You can also follow them on Twitter. Good luck to Seedstore!

Sarah B.

On Thursday night, representatives from CVS Pharmacy and their developer, Landmark Retail Group, held a public meeting at 3132 Clement to discuss their upcoming tenancy and get feedback from the roughly 60 residents that attended.

The 36,500 square foot building has been unoccupied since 2006, when grocery chain Albertson’s abruptly vacated the premises. The lease has since been taken over by another grocery chain, Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market, and it was expected they would move in last year.

However due to the souring economy, their expansion plans for Northern California have slowed. Supervisor Mar spoke briefly at the meeting, saying he had met recently with Fresh & Easy and that they are still “totally committed to coming to Northern California.”

Fresh & Easy holds a 25 year lease on the entire building at 3123 Clement Street; CVS will sublet 40% of it (14,271 square feet). Barring any issues with the city and the Planning Commission, they plan to open their doors in the first half of 2011 with operating hours from 7am until 10pm daily. They will hire at least 25 new employees to start.

The interior space will be divided down the middle, with CVS occupying the southern side of the building and Fresh & Easy occupying the north end once they are ready to move in. CVS is already engaged in a co-tenancy with Fresh & Easy in many of their other locations.

The majority of remodeling for CVS will occur inside the building; only new signage will be placed on the exterior. The building itself is relatively new with modern amenities like a full-service loading dock and rooftop parking, so there is not much that has to be done to the physical plant.

CVS is full service pharmacy that also offers household goods, photo services, limited grocery, stationary, cards – all the things you would see at a typical retail pharmacy like Walgreens. There is also space for a potential “minute clinic” which could offer basic care and advice from a physician’s assistant. CVS also said if needed, they will arrange for home deliveries of pharmacy items within the immediate area of the store.

Like most full service pharmacy retailers, CVS plans to sell alcohol which caused concern among some of the residents. One neighbor worried about the sale of alcohol in such close proximity to the park, while another reminded CVS that George Washington High School and a couple of middle schools are close by.

The CVS representative responded that they have been selling alcohol nationwide for over 50 years, and as a result, have many policies in place and extensive training for their employees on how to handle liquor sales. CVS cashiers are required to enter a date of birth at checkout, so everyone, regardless of age, gets carded when purchasing alcohol. In addition, CVS does not sell fortified liquors or individual cans or bottles. To prevent shoplifting, every alcoholic beverage is also fitted with security capping.

The empty interior of 3132 Clement Street

CVS informed the meeting that they plan to request the right to operate up to 24 hours a day and would do so if the demand arises to serve the community. Some residents were not comfortable with this and questioned the need for 24 hour operation and what plans were in place for round the clock security.

Particularly vocal was the President of the Lincoln Park Neighborhood Association, who said his group was very against any retailer operating 24 hours a day in the neighborhood. He then informed the CVS representatives that they shouldn’t even bother pursuing 24 hour operation from the Planning Commission because “we’ll fight you on that…and we’ll win.”

Given Albertson’s near overnight abandonment of 3132 Clement in 2006 (“they left us out to dry”), one neighbor asked CVS what they planned to do in the event Fresh & Easy, the lease holder, changed their plans to open in the other half of the building.

CVS responded that though they are subletting their space from Fresh & Easy, they are entitled to take on the lease of the entire building if needed and pursue another co-tenant. The representative added that they are “very optimistic” about the business opportunity for CVS and that they are in for the long haul.

Overall, residents at the meeting were enthusiastic about CVS moving into the building, and many seemed relieved to hear that Fresh & Easy still plans to do the same. One resident said he was looking forward to having a pharmacy available for the elderly population in the area.

Another resident said she was glad to see some competition for Walgreens and also hoped that CVS would not insult its shoppers by putting some of its most basic items like teeth whitener and pain relief under lock and key, as some Walgreens do in the neighborhood.

The CVS representatives plan to hold one or two more community meetings to address concerns about operating hours and security. But first, they’ll file requests for conditional use permits, followed by a hearing with the Planning Commission which is also open to the public.

While CVS moves forward with their development, we should also hear more news soon from Fresh & Easy. At the meeting, Supervisor Mar said that in a couple of weeks, Fresh & Easy will be “making some important announcements.” Let’s hope it’s to say they’ll be moving in along with CVS, or at least very soon after.

Sarah B.

Plans showing the subdivision between CVS and Fresh & Easy. Click to enlarge

Plans showing the layout of the CVS store. Click to enlarge

Just received this in my inbox. Promising news! – Sarah B.

On June 24th at 6pm, CVS Pharmacies will be holding an Open House to discuss the proposed location of a new CVS Pharmacy store at 32nd Avenue and Clement Street. The Open House will be held at the proposed store site at 3132 Clement Street.

Prior to formally beginning the Planning Department’s approvals process, CVS Pharmacy is meeting with the community to present information about the proposed store and to listen to the neighbors’ responses and concerns. CVS is excited to reoccupy this vacant building and begin to meet their new neighbors.

To RSVP, request translation services, or for more information about the meeting, please contact Dave Jensen at djensen@bergdavis.com.

The property at 2900 Fulton at 5th Avenue is under development.

After the Alexandria Theater, the dilapidated building at 2900 Fulton and 5th Avenue is an issue that Supervisor Mar hears about most from residents. That’s because since it went vacant in 2002, the run-down building has been a magnet for graffiti and garbage.

This week, many neighbors are breathing a sigh of relief because developers began demolition to make way for a mixed commercial and residential property.

The building’s bottom floor will accommodate a 700 square foot commercial space, while the top three floors will consist of four condominiums. The building will also include garage space for the residents.

Richmond District historian John Freeman first told me about the new construction. Having lived in the neighborhood most of his life, he remembers when a Safeway was located there.

“Safeway must have remodeled the building in the early 1930’s, but they closed and boarded it up during World War II,” John recalls.

In 1946 or 1947, John says that an independent grocer, Lucky Market, opened. They were a small chain that had other stores in the city. The market later became Shop-Rite, an early link in the 7-11 franchise chain. It closed in 1968.

The building was then vacant for a few years, but eventually became a laundromat/dry cleaners from 1972 to 2002 called Fulton FabriCare.

Who will occupy the new retail space on the ground floor remains to be seen, though when John chatted with one of the builders on site, they indicated they were open to a variety of commercial options, be it coffee shop, office space or retail store.

After eight years, it’s nice to finally say goodbye to another eyesore in the neighborhood. Now we just need to make headway on that other market on Clement Street and 32nd Avenue…

Special thanks to John Freeman for providing the information and photos for this article.

Sarah B.

The Fulton streetcar passes in front of the Safeway at 2900 Fulton, 1938. Photo courtesy of John Freeman.

If you’ve ever stopped in Cal’s Pet Supply at 22nd & California, you’ve likely given Odie a few pets throughout the years.

In his later years, he favored the upholstered perch in the front window where he got plenty of sun and visits from shoppers. No matter how he was feeling, Odie always had a purr ready.

Roy Schmall, the owner of Cal’s, found Odie in front of the store 22 years ago. SFWeekly had a nice writeup on Odie’s legacy, mentioning that he had a propensity for wandering into traffic and he didn’t meow, at least in Roy’s presence, until he was 18!

My heartfelt sympathy goes out to Roy on his loss. Odie was our neighborhood’s elder feline statesman and he will be missed.

Sarah B.

The dapper dames of Paul’s Hat Works at 6128 Geary recently received a grant from the San Francisco Convention & Visitor’s Bureau as part of their Neighborhood Membership Grants program.

Recipients for the grant were chosen for their unique “Only in San Francisco” nature of their businesses, their potential to attract visitors to their neighborhoods and their commitment to participate fully in the program.

The grant comes with a complimentary one-year membership to the SFCVB which will bring Paul’s some exposure online and in publications put out by the Bureau. The ladies will also get to attend lots of SFCVB events gratis where I’m sure they’ll be busy not only picking up business knowledge, but also smartly outfitting any and all men they can with smart hats.

According to the SFCVB, tourism, which is San Francisco’a largest industry, generates more than $8.5 billion annually for the local economy. 23 businesses applied for the grants, only 8 were chosen.

Congratulations to the all the Pauls! If you haven’t had a chance to pop in and see their great store, I highly recommend it. For a virtual tour, check out the video above.

Sarah B.

Abbie Dwelle (left), Wendy Hawkins and Olivia Griffin pose for a portrait in the work area of their shop.
Photo: Stephen Lam / The Chronicle (Click the photo to see more pics of Paul’s Hats)