Want to buy the Derwood CVS?

Have you ever wanted to own a CVS Pharmacy? Now you can. Become the landlord for the CVS at 17651 Redland Road in Derwood, in the Redland Plaza shopping center. It will only cost you $5,600,000. CVS has 21 years remaining on their lease here, according to the sale listing. $280,000 annual rent with step increases are in your future, along with all the cash register tape you can handle.

Rockville Town Square CVS to close

The hits just keep on coming at Rockville Town Square. Another major tenant is on the way out. CVS Pharmacy "will be going out of business April 27th 2022," a sign in the elevator reads. The sign is directing customers to the Ritchie Center CVS at 799 Rockville Pike, once the Town Center location has closed. I suspect residents of the Town Center may consider switching to the Walgreens less than a block away.

CVS has been showing an increasing will to close locations in recent years, aiming to trim 900 stores, even as it vies with Starbucks for ubiquity across America. It's certainly possible that property owner Federal Realty could bring in another drugstore tenant to this space, although having that Walgreens really whittles down the options. The real estate firm has been trying to increasingly add resident-focused amenities and services like markets, spas, and home decor retailers to its properties, shops that can provide more practical necessities without requiring a car to go outside the development.

Surveillance robots that capture license plates appearing in Rockville retail parking lots

Montgomery County's increasing crime has apparently now gotten the attention of corporate boardrooms across America. Surveillance robots have begun popping up at major retailers and big box stores across the county in the late months of 2020. Walmart has been deploying these robots in their parking lots nationwide for several years, but they haven't been seen here much until now. The particular model pictured here at the CVS Pharmacy at 7809 Wisconsin Avenue in Bethesda is by LiveView Technologies of Orem, Utah.

If you haven't seen one of these up close, you may have heard it without even being on the CVS property. The robot talks out loud all day and all night, and can be heard over a block away, if not clearly. 

What is the robot doing? It is filming you, and capturing your license plate. No information on how long it stores your license plate, or what is done with that video, is posted on the robot. You can see that any movement within a certain radius of the robot triggers that blue laser light. There are thermal sensors, and the retailer has remote 24-7 access to the cameras and license plate information. A business can even use the same speakers the robot uses to jabber all night long to address patrons and trespassers alike from a remote location.

The robot has been seen recently at CVS stores in Rockville, Kensington, Silver Spring and Gaithersburg. There are two at the Lowe's in the Kentlands area of Gaithersburg.

Coronavirus test now available at CVS Pharmacy on Rockville Pike

Starting this morning, you can be tested for Covid-19 at the CVS Pharmacy at 799 Rockville Pike, which is located in the Ritchie Center. To get your test, register first at CVS.com.