Following the early morning commercial fire which destroyed several small businesses on Bainbridge Avenue, located between East 205th and East 206th Streets in Norwood on Oct. 10, 2023, and which damaged the CVS pharmacy adjacent to those businesses, the store has since reopened.

 

As previously reported, workers were seen working on the interior of the then-shuttered pharmacy on Wednesday, Feb. 21, signaling a potential reopening.

 

The branch, located at 3125 Bainbridge Avenue, was not demolished like its adjacent neighboring businesses were but did incur some damage as a result of the fire, as reported at the time.

When we asked one of the workers by when they estimated the store would reopen, he said maybe in another three weeks.

 

Amy Thibault, a CVS representative, later said, “Work is underway to repair damage from a fire that occurred at our Bainbridge Avenue store last fall. An exact open date is still unclear, but we hope to open sometime in early spring. In the meantime, customers and patients can visit any of our nearby CVS Pharmacy locations for their health, wellness, and pharmacy care needs.”

 

Prior to the reopening, local clean-up group, Guerinos against Graffitti*, had called on local elected officials to ask Bainbridge Realty Associates LLC, located at 280 East 204th Street, to maintain the fencing around the adjacent demolished site, and for CVS to keep the sidewalk clear along the strip.

The cause of the fire, as reported, was arson, according to the NYPD. Bainbridge Bakery, one of the small businesses destroyed in the fire, has since reopened across the street from its original location. Norwood News continues to follow up with the FDNY for more information on the fire investigation.