By LYNETTE HAALAND, Four Points News
The plans to bring CVS Pharmacy to Four Points are closer than ever with the clearing of nearly 8 acres at RM 620 and Bullick Hollow Road, across from RM 2222. The most recent change has been the demolition of the former 7-Eleven convenience store.
As reported by Four Points News last fall, CVS Pharmacy purchased a contract to buy one of two lots on the property at 7300 N. RM 620, according to Jim George of GDF Realty Investment, Ltd. in Austin.
The sale to CVS closed the week of July 21, George said.
Plans call for the 24-hour, 11,000-square-foot pharmacy to be built first on 2.3 acres of the site.
“CVS is start building very shortly. I believe CVS will be in operation before the end of the year,” George said.
Construction would have come sooner but the site, which is divided into two lots, had to get approved first.
The developers had until January to address issues, fix problems, get variances or remove items from their wish list of options before the city would approve the plan.
A significant delay was encountered with the strict watershed ordinance laws which cover drainage into streams and lakes around the Austin area. The larger lot in back is grandfathered using less-restrictive codes, while the smaller CVS lot must comply with today’s strictest codes.
In January, the City of Austin Zoning and Platting Commission approved the site plan by GDF Realty that includes the construction of a hotel and retail buildings.
“We want to build a project which gives competition to Walgreen’s and which serves people who are traveling on the other side of the roadway,” George said. “CVS is very excited to serve the area.”
The site plan also states a 4-story hotel could be 53 feet tall and some 65,000-square-feet in size. George’s team is marketing the property to hotel developers who will buy the lot and build their hotel.
“The CVS store should be open by the end of the year. By at time the roadway that will connect both parcels to Bullick Hollow and 620 as well as the water control features for both parcels will be finished,” he added.
“We have several bidders for the ‘hotel’ parcel, but have been waiting until the CVS facility is under construction to make a deal,” George said.
George said the goal would be to “serve the hospitality needs of Concordia University, 3M, Four Points Centre and the surrounding communities with this hotel and restaurant combination.”
Rich Keith helped on this report.