Apothecary moving to railroad building

KENT — An iconic building on Main Street has a new owner and occupant. The historic railroad station has been purchased by Kent Apothecary owner Peter D’Aprile. Following the sale, the building will be the new home of Kent Apothecary.

In an interview with The Lakeville Journal last week, D’Aprile shared his plans for the move. He said the lease for the apothecary’s current space, on Main Street near the traffic light, will expire in October 2015. Several different buildings were for sale in town, but D’Aprile decided that the history of the railroad station building as well as the available space and parking options best fit what he wanted for a new location.

The plan is to use the entire building for the Kent Apothecary. Originally, plans were discussed to sell a portion of the building to the town for public bathrooms and a visitors center. However, the Board of Selectmen recently decided to pursue other options. 

The new space will allow D’Aprile to build a much larger pharmacy that is designed around how he especially likes to work. It will include an office, sit-down blood pressure machines and a space for customers to sit down and discuss with staff their medications or other issues such as the several new Medicare-type programs the apothecary offers. 

The increased space will also allow D’Aprile to carry a larger range of prescription drugs to help accommodate customers with more specialized or unique medication needs.

The store as a whole will also benefit from the move as it will provide a much larger space for retail items. Customers will have more room to maneuver around the aisles and find things they want on the shelves. It will also allow for more and better signage to help customers find what they are looking for. 

A wrapping station will also be constructed to help service customers throughout the year and especially, of course, during the holiday season.

The building is currently undergoing minor construction for the pharmacy and some bathrooms and other needs but it will maintain and incorporate the original pieces and feel of the building. 

D’Aprile explained his plan is to close at noon on a Saturday and use the remainder of the weekend to move everything over. 

His goal is to be completely operational in the new space by Halloween 2015, and he plans to potentially host a grand opening during the weekend of the 2015 Champagne Stroll, which will be sometime around Thanksgiving.

The railroad building was originally built in 1869 and served as a commuter station until it closed in 1973. For several years afterward, the tracks served a freight line, until they were shut down in the later 1970s. 

Some years later, the Housatonic Railroad reopened the tracks for freight trains traveling from Massachusetts to Connecticut. Most recently the building was the home of a doctor’s office. Prior to that, it housed Stosh’s ice cream parlor as well as a restaurant.