Walgreens Readies for Maryland Expansion

BALTIMORE -- Maryland is the target of Walgreens' new expansion plan, with a dozen stores slated to open over the next 12 months, according to a Bmore Media report. A Pikesville store in Baltimore County will open on April 7, followed by locations in Baltimore City and Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Frederick, Montgomery, Prince Georges and Washington counties.

The drugstore chain currently operates 60 stores within Maryland, but the state is one in which Walgreens has the least penetration, said Walgreens District Manager Andrew Militello, who noted that the company's nationwide expansion has slowed.

The first new store, located at 1510 Reisterstown Rd., will hold a grand opening event on April 19. Free giveaways and children's events will be offered to the public. The store will provide 23 new jobs, with more to potentially be added in the future, said Militello.

At 15,000 square feet, the Pikesville store will be larger than a standard Walgreens and include a renovated interior and exterior façade, plus a large parking lot. The site was chosen for the sizable senior population nearby, as well as its proximity to the Baltimore Beltway (Interstate 695).

"This is a tremendous site for us," Militello told the news outlet. "It's a prime spot in Pikesville [with] easy access from surrounding neighborhoods."

Sites for the upcoming new stores include the Johns Hopkins University campus, Cockeysville, Federal Hill, Hyattsville, Laurel, Perry Hall, Odenton, Rockville and two Hagerstown locations.