City Drug heads north, corner to get facelift

FORT COLLINS – Major changes are in the offing for one of Fort Collins’ most historic corners.

The building and business on the southwest corner of Mountain and College avenues have both been through many changes over the past century and another is just ahead. In September, the owners of City Drug will begin moving the 136-year-old business to a new location on North College Avenue. The owner of the building at 101 S. College Ave. will begin the renovation he envisioned more than 10 years ago when he purchased it.

“I’ve been waiting for years to complete the renovation of the building,” Fort Collins developer Les Kaplan of Imago Enterprises Inc. said. “I knew I could be patient.”

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Kaplan purchased the building in 1998 from Art and Harold Grovert, the former owners of City Drug. At the time, the Groverts had in place a long-term lease agreement with the Wilkens family, who purchased the pharmacy business in 1991. The second story of the building has been occupied by the Bohemian Foundation, which will soon move to the new four-story building going up at Mountain Avenue and Walnut Street. Renovations to the office space have already been made, so the ground floor is next.

Kaplan planned the upgrades to the building around a photo of renovations made in the 1940s. He believes that the granite surround and Poudre Valley National Bank sign are still up behind the City Drug sign. The biggest change will be the addition of two windows on the north side of the ground floor and possible addition of a sign for the ground-floor tenant.

Seeking high-quality tenant

Kaplan said the renovations will begin once a ground-floor tenant has signed a lease, which he hopes will be before the end of the year.

“I’d like to either see a high-quality restaurant or high-quality retail,” he said.

Nick Christiansen, principal at Chrisland Inc., has been seeking that tenant for the past few months.

“The initial response has been very significant,” Christiansen said.

While the top story has been looked at by local attorneys and other professional services firms, the ground-floor search continues. So far, there have been four serious proposals from prospective tenants – all restaurants. Christiansen indicated that interest has come from local businesses as well as from those with no presence in the Fort Collins area.

“It looks like it will be a restaurant, which makes a lot of sense given the activity in the area,” Christensen said, adding that nothing has been finalized yet.

Kaplan plans to apply to the Fort Collins Downtown Development Authority for assistance with the façade improvements. He has already held preliminary meetings to show the group his plans.

“They love it,” he said.

Siblings Berni and Barbara Wilkens have also been working for several months to renovate space just a few blocks up the street. The pair, who own City Drug along with parents Sylvia and Charles Wilkens, plan to have the business open in its new spot by Sept. 7. The old space will have to be vacated by November.

Sharing space

City Drug will share its new site at 205 N. College Ave. with current tenant Fort Collins Floral, with the drug store taking over renovated space most recently home to a guitar store. Berni Wilkens, who is the registered agent for property owner Choice Corner Property LLC, said the building now has more efficient lighting and windows and will have interior access to the flower shop.

The Wilkenses have hired Mel Paulson, owner of Building Ventures Inc., to complete the renovations and help with getting the proper permits. In all, the renovations will cost around $50,000.

At around 3,000 square feet, the new City Drug will be about half its current size, but the Wilkenses plan to continue offering all its merchandise and services as well as adding some new ones.

“We have room to rent space to a massage therapist, nutritionist or other complimentary service,” Berni Wilkens said.

He acknowledges that the move, albeit short, will be a challenging one, in part because City Drug has been in its current location for more than 40 years. He said that his family did try to purchase the building at 101 S. College Ave. “but it didn’t come together.”

The move doesn’t worry the family, though. City Drug, under seven different owners, has already had eight different locations. This next move will make No. 9. Berni Wilkens feels the move will be good not only for the business but the community.

“I think it will be a nice move for Old Town, too,” he said. “It will be nice to have some success across Laporte Avenue.”