City officials joined other area leaders and citizens Thursday morning in welcoming Commonwealth Pharmacy of the River City as the latest addition to the River District’s growing list of businesses. The pharmacy is located at 318 Craghead St.
Mayor Alonzo Jones said the pharmacy, owned and operated by Nathan Payne and Jeff Rodden, is unique.
“I use the word ‘unique’ because Nathan and Jeff not only are taking care of your medical prescription needs and stocking everything you would think would be in a pharmacy, but they also sell fresh produce and groceries and serve sodas, milkshakes, and hand-dipped ice cream from Homestead Creamery.”
Jones pointed out the pharmacy is located in the heart of the River District.
“In real estate, you hear the mantra – ‘location, location, location,’” Jones said. “I am certain that all of us here today would agree that the River District is a great location for a new business.
“We are in our ninth year of implementing an award-winning redevelopment plan for the River District. As you look up and down Craghead Street and throughout the district, you see the many changes that have taken place. The progress we have made is remarkable.”
Payne and Rodden are Danville natives and have more than 40 years of combined pharmacy experience in the community. They operate another location in Chatham.
The pharmacy on Craghead Street is open six days a week, with hours of 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday.
The River District includes the downtown and historic tobacco warehouse areas. Seven years ago, the City launched the River District Development Project to provide new amenities and to repurpose empty buildings for residential units and for starting or expanding businesses. Today, private investment is taking place as hoped, and it is outpacing public investment by more than threefold, with $35 million in public seeding and investment and $150 million in private investment.
