Everyone wanted a Trader Joe's, but the Castro is instead getting a CVS in the long vacant Market-Noe Center (formerly home to Tower Records). This week, via the Planning Commission and Castro Biscuit, we get a rendering of what's to come, which includes a slight update to the drab and dated concrete exterior.

The update is also, well, kind of drab, but maybe it will be more cheery in full living color.

The Planning Commission is set to vote on the proposed CVS at their Thursday meeting, and city planners have recommended it for approval. As the Castro Biscuit points out, this is a little odd given that there are already plenty of pharmacies in the neighborhood (we can name five, but they say there are seven), and because they recently nixed a proposed Starbucks that wanted to go in a block away at Market and Sanchez.

But under new regulations regarding formula retail, which were proposed by Sup. Scott Wiener, the key metric is a 20% saturation of formula retail uses within 300 feet. The CVS just sneaks in by being 400 feet away from the nearest Walgreens.

[Castro Biscuit]
[SFA]