Walgreens alcohol pitch may fall flat in Gurnee

Walgreens is trying to resume selling alcohol at its stores nationwide, but its request may not fly in Gurnee.

Attorney Irene Bahr said at a meeting Monday that some Gurnee officials gave her the impression Walgreens would be successful when it approached the village about a liquor license in November because of changes in the works for a local ordinance.

Gurnee's local liquor law now prohibits alcohol sales at pharmacies, convenience stores and gasoline stations. Walgreens falls within that classification.

However, the proposed changes to Gurnee's approximately 30-year-old local liquor law still could thwart Walgreens' effort to sell beer and wine in the village because of a newly crafted definition of convenience store.

Convenience store is defined in the proposed ordinance change as a place "to quickly purchase consumables including gasoline, limited groceries, pharmaceutical items and/or other sundries for sale."

Bahr took issue with the definition in a statement on behalf of Walgreens toward the end of a roughly two-hour presentation Monday on the proposed liquor law revisions.

"I'd really like you to reconsider if we are a convenience store," Bahr told Gurnee officials. "We really are not a convenience store."

Bahr said Walgreens stores average about 12,000 square feet. She said anyone who appears younger than age 40 is asked for identification if they want to buy beer or wine, and Walgreens employees receive comprehensive training for alcohol sales.

Village Attorney Bryan Winter said a drugstore such as Walgreens would need a segregated area for beer and wine sales. He said officials may alter the convenience store definition before the new liquor law goes to the village board for a vote.

Walgreens stopped selling alcohol about 10 years ago, but the company announced last summer it would apply for licenses across the country to gradually return beer and wine sales to its stores.

Last month, the Palatine village council established a new liquor license classification for drugstores. Mount Prospect granted permission to two Walgreens to sell beer and wine late last year.