Rather distinctive Walgreens drug stores are to Miami Beach what cafecito stands are to Calle Ocho. Can you ever really get enough? Apparently not, because it looks like plans by Jordache Enterprises and Demandt Architecture, the architecture firm known for designing the wackiest of Miami Beach's Walgreenses, to convert the historic Bon Air Hotel into yet another Walgreens have kicked back up again after a previous deferral by the Preservation Board, reports exMiami. Board members will review revised plans for the store in July, which currently exceeds the location's 1,350 SF code limit by about 1,600 SF (that will require a separate approval).
While this is far from Demandt Architecture's most, ahem, distinctive, Walgreens location, mostly out of deference to the building's historic architecture, the mix of "rustic hotel lobby" and "where can I find the Neosporin" initially seems a bit odd. Sure – the pristine white shelves don't feel too foreign in the renderings, but what happens when they're filled with toothbrushes, toilet paper, and Tylenol? On the other hand, is this not a totally creative way to do adaptive reuse? Ahh, the art of finding new and unusual locations for Walgreens stores.—Margina Demmer
· Here's How Walgreens Plans To Convert Ocean Drive Hotel Into A Store [exMiami]
· All Walgreens coverage [Curbed Miami]