Owner: Third And Franklin LLC

General Contractor: Kirby Nagelhout Construction Co., Bend

Contact: 415-247-7377

Details: Construction has started on Bend’s first Walgreens pharmacy at Northeast Third Street and Franklin Avenue.

The nearly 15,000-square-foot pharmacy is expected to open next summer, said William Ruecker, an architect for Portland-based Baysinger Partners Architecture.

“Each Walgreens is completely different. It is built for the community it is in,” Ruecker said. “It’s going to be a beautiful building and will be a nice addition to the Bend community. Walgreens is excited to be there in Bend.”

San Francisco development company Seven Hills Properties proposed the Walgreens project in October 2012, according to The Bulletin’s archives, and the city of Bend issued a building permit, which estimated the value at $1.4 million, Oct. 31.

As of May, Walgreens operated 8,096 drugstores, according to its website. In fiscal year 2012, the company opened a total of 212 new locations, acquired 54 locations and had plans to increase its stores by 1.5 percent to 2.5 percent in 2013. A second Bend Walgreens, on U.S. Highway 20 and Northeast 27th Street, has been proposed and is going through the city’s land-use approval process.

—Rachael Rees