The illuminated signs atop Hillcrest’s former Rite Aid will soon come down, marking the final step in the property’s long vacancy as the site is put up for sale by real estate firm CBRE.
The sign reading, “pharmacy,” has already been removed, but the “Rite Aid” and “Thrifty” signs remain as reminders to residents of what served as the neighborhood drug store.
Facing billions in debt, the major drugstore chain filed for bankruptcy in October 2023 amid legal issues related to the opioid crisis, eventually closing the Hillcrest location.
The Uptown Community Planning Group met on July 8 to discuss its hopes for the Robinson Avenue parcel, bordered by Fifth and Sixth Avenues in the heart of Hillcrest. The plot is over 55,000 square feet, including both the vacant building and the LAZ parking lot.
Board member Michael Neville has been in contact with the company since January, but has not been told what is in store for the former Rite Aid.
“They couldn’t talk to me about it then because it was in negotiations,” Neville said. “Now, it’s back on the market again. We can’t have another Rowyn, it destroys the neighborhood,” Neville said, speaking of the large development across the street from the Rite Aid on Sixth.
Neville recalled residents left Hillcrest after the eight-story building blocked the view from nearby buildings.
“If they were to put up another building like this, where are people going to walk their dogs, let alone park their cars?” Neville said.
“An office I worked in for seven years was in that row of businesses up and down there. If you look at the business’s interface with the community on Sixth Avenue, it feels like a wall,” board member Michael Singleton added.
The neighboring land now for sale occupies a prominent corner near the center of Hillcrest’s commercial district, surrounded by different kinds of restaurants and stores.
Several members shared concerns over adding density without making space for public amenities, potentially making Sixth Avenue more of a “wall.” Other speakers noted the City continues to encourage additional housing near transit and commercial corridors.
Without a clear understanding of the location’s future, the discussion was opened to public comment.
Bill Keller, a former member of the Downtown Community Planning Council and retired owner of Le Travel Store, urged the Hillcrest planning group to lead and push the city to build what will most benefit residents, or, as Keller describes it, “good density, not crap.”
“Public space is a critical thing. The city is very slow to do public spaces, and that part of Hillcrest really needs public space. It takes you 20 minutes to get to Balboa Park to walk your dog,” Keller said. “Tell the City, make a deal, find a developer; maybe you can go higher, build something really great.”
Keller pointed to Little Italy’s piazzas, public spaces that highlight the neighborhood’s history and Italian culture.
“Come on, Hillcrest! People can’t afford these rents now,” he said. “They’re not going to want to live there, even if the rent is small, if the area is ruined.”
Neville said he hopes the property is developed into an upscale project that supports restaurants and entertainment while preserving neighborhood character.
“Where else are people supposed to walk? The Rowyn building is a real eyesore, it’s this Soviet-style structure,” Neville said. “I’m thinking of a thriving area for restaurants and entertainment; stabilize it with something luxurious.”
No redevelopment proposal has been submitted to the city, and no timeline has been announced for the sale or future use of the property.
