Roots in Foodselling - Arbor Drugs #29/CVS #8029, Wyandotte, Michigan

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f3/Wyandotte%2C_MI_location.png/320px-Wyandotte%2C_MI_location.png

This post will look at retail in Wyandotte, Wayne County, MI.
 
Kroger Michigan Division #312 / Arbor Drugs #29 / CVS #8029
2025 Fort Street, Wyandotte, MI
Driving distance and time from downtown Detroit: 14.9 miles, approx. 21 minutes

This is the next part in a series of posts chronicling the relocation history of the tenants of 14155 Eureka Road in Southgate. Today's post brings us to where the Kroger that originally occupied that building had relocated from...and that brings us to a background on the history of this Wyandotte building.

Kroger #312 grand opening ad in the June 20, 1957 Southgate Sentinel. (credit: Downriver History & Facts)

Kroger #312 was Wyandotte's most recent Kroger to open on June 26, 1957, and was located in the city's fast-growing West End at the southeast corner of Fort Street and Ford Avenue. For those of you unfamiliar with the area, Ford Avenue is the easternmost portion of Northline Road, and yet many people, including MDOT and the Wayne County Road Commission, call it Northline too, despite every single Wyandotte-installed street sign on Ford Avenue only calling it Ford Avenue. Rite Aid #4545 is located at the opposite end of Ford Avenue.

Kroger #312 shortly after its opening. (credit: Downriver History & Facts)

Like many of Kroger's stores of the period, it featured a side-oriented main entrance (facing 23rd Street, a residential street one block east of Fort Street), wide windows, and a barrel roof. Kroger remained in this location until 1981, when it moved to 14155 Eureka Road, and Arbor Drugs swooped in and wasted no time in reopening the building as store #29 in 1982. Arbor Drugs would give the aging building a refreshed facade, and lasted long enough to become CVS #8029 in 1998 following that chain's acquisition of Arbor Drugs.
 
Around 2008, CVS gave the facade another refresh into what you see here. In 2013, the store became home to Downriver's first (and currently only) Minute Clinic. That's the background information on this KroborVS store, so let's head inside...

In 2019, CVS remodeled this store into the decor package that's seen here, the same package we previously encountered at store #8213 in Southgate.
 
#8029's pharmacy is housed in this counter at the far back of the sales floor.
 
Minute Clinic...err, CVS HealthHUB is located adjacent to the pharmacy counter, occupying half of the east wall of the building.

The front of the store as seen from the center actionway. Arbor Drugs downsized the front windows into their present size.
 
Making our way to the front, the northwest corner of the building houses the grocery department.

Looking in the opposite direction from the previous photo provides us with this view.
 
To conclude our tour, this outdoor HealthHUB container appears to have recently been erected as a product of gaining the ability to provide COVID-19 tests.
 
We wrap up our post with a look at how this store has changed through the years from ground level, courtesy of Google Street View:
 
CVS #8029 - October 2020 - A MinuteClinic has been added to the store.

CVS #8029 - July 2013 - Shortly before the MinuteClinic addition.

CVS #8029 - August 2007 - Before the store remodeled away from the Arbor Drugs-era facade seen here.

CVS #8029 - July 2007

And now some historic satellite photos, courtesy Google Earth and the DTE Aerial Photo Collection:
 
CVS #8029 - March 2021

CVS #8029 - May 2010

CVS #8029 - April 2002 - By this time, CVS signage has replaced Arbor Drugs signage.

Kroger #312 - September 1981 - Two months later, Kroger would move out to make room for Arbor Drugs #29.

Kroger #312 - May 1961 - This may have been taken before the store opened for the day.

Future Kroger #312 - April 1952

Until next time...
 
August 18, 2021 Update: On August 18, 2021, a signage swap was performed at this store, explaining the bare appearance of the first exterior photo at the very top of this post, which was taken the day this post was originally uploaded.
 
Signage swap in progress on August 18, 2021. The current CVS logo has been installed on the Fort Street wall and HealthHUB signage has replaced Minute Clinic signage.

Location: 2025 Fort St, Wyandotte, MI 48192, USA

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