This article first appeared in The Berkley Spectator.

In 2023, Rite Aid began closing its stores nationwide, leaving hundreds of buildings vacant and thousands of employees out of work. In Berkley, the end of Rite Aid, arrived in September 2024. The closure created uncertainty for the 13,000 square foot building and its long-time employees.

This is not the first major transition for the 12 Mile property. The Berkley Theater first lit up its iconic marquee on Thanksgiving Day in 1941 and served as a gathering place for over 50 years until the T-Rex roared and the credits rolled in Jurassic Park, its final film.

With the departure of Rite Aid, the property’s ownership group decided to sell the building, rather than look for a new tenant. Rumors circulated that it might become a dollar store, causing concern in the community that a dollar store would hurt local businesses, impede the city’s branding efforts and even risk the removal of the theater marquee.

Instead, the marquee will now advertise the entertainment taking place inside:

“In good news, the owners of Rochester’s Roxy Theater struck a deal for the building and plan on opening a live music venue and event space,” said Katie Kutscher, a member of the Berkley Chamber of Commerce.

Kutscher expects the building’s transformation into a music venue to bring more visitors into Berkley, with further positive impacts to the area. “Activated spaces in downtown areas bring economic value, visitors will spend money in restaurants and stores surrounding the venue, as well as create jobs!” Activated spaces are businesses, cultural institutions and public areas that attract positive publicity, generate foot traffic and help generate interest in local shops and restaurants.

Beyond the brick and mortar, the end of Rite Aid marked the beginning of an exciting new chapter for Pharmacist Alvin Ng. After 25 years as a Rite Aid pharmacist — the last 12 in the Berkley — he was “notified of the closure at the same time that Rite Aid made this information public knowledge.”

After 25 years with Rite Aid, where to next? With the support of his community and clients, Ng decided to take the leap and go into business for himself.

“The support from the community motivated me to give this idea a second thought after Rite Aid finally closed.” The first step was to find a convenient, affordable location where he could open a new pharmacy. He found one nearby — 3345 Coolidge Hwy just south of 12 Mile — and named it Coolidge Pharmacy.

He applied for all the necessary licenses, set up contracts with the major insurance carriers, and identified a drug wholesaler. Coolidge Pharmacy officially opened for business May 5, 2025 — then he just needed a way to let people know.

“A challenge that I encountered early on was how I would advertise the business and what would be the best platform to use in doing so. Initially, we used only social media to advertise, but that in itself was not the best approach.” He supplemented his digital marketing with postcards to residents in the area.

Ng quickly learned the importance of time management for a small business owner — “understanding when to delegate tasks to other professionals to help reduce the workload and free up some time to focus on other aspects of the business, and most importantly, focus more on family.”

Just as Berkley residents are nostalgic for the films they saw at the theater, Ng looks back fondly on his time working on 12 Mile. “I miss being able to work with all my coworkers at Rite Aid. I also miss all the customers that came into the pharmacy throughout the years.”

Downtown Berkley has witnessed some major changes and will now have a live music venue to complement its restaurants and shops. Plus, people can still get their prescriptions (and flu shots!) right down the street at Coolidge Pharmacy.