Neighbors lament permanent closing of Walgreens at Capitol and Teutonia Jan. 15
MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- A vital community resource on Milwaukee's northwest side will soon close its doors for good.
A sign at the Walgreens on Capitol and Teutonia says its last day will be Jan. 15.
It caught a lot of people by surprise when we broke the news to them.
There were lines at the registers, and it seemed like there were plenty of shoppers. But all those people will soon have to figure out a new way to shop for essentials.
Jullian Parker is one of them. He told us, "It's going to hurt a lot of people, I feel."
Parker was picking up his uncle from the store. His uncle is one of many people without transportation of their own who will soon have to find an alternative.
Parker said, "It's going to impact a lot of people. This is where they get their medical stuff at. They're going to have to move. What if they don't have cars?"
Inside, a manager said he and other employees were not allowed to talk on camera. A security guard also said she couldn't talk.
Signs posted at the entrance said all prescription records will be available at all Walgreens locations.
But many shoppers say they're also losing ease of access.
One shopper named Jane told us, "If they shut it down it's going to be horrible business. It's convenient to the public. Older people, people that can't get around in the neighborhood."
Once the Capitol and Teutonia location closes, the next closest Walgreens will be two miles away at Capitol and 51st, a 45-minute walk.
Jane said people will now "have to travel further distance to get the things they need."
Walgreens operates nearly 9,000 stores in the United States. But this summer the company announced it would close 150 US locations within the next year to cut costs.
Those closings are expected to save roughly $800 million, but that's of little consequence to neighbors losing access to food, toiletries, and medicine.
Parker said, "I feel sorry for a lot of people who don't have transportation to get to where they have to get to."
We reached out to Walgreens for more information on why this store was chosen to close and how decisions like this one are made.
Walgreens did not respond, but if they do, we'll update this web story.