A large chain link fence has been established at the abandoned CVS off Snelling and University Avenue.
The CVS permanently closed on April 1, 2022 after seven months of recovery due to looting spurred by George Floyd’s murder on May 25, 2020. The CVS location has been vacant of activity since, with boarded windows and doors, but an open parking lot and area for people to gather. On Oct. 18, residents of St. Paul noticed the fence was being installed around 4:00 p.m. Now, Oct. 20 the fence has been fully constructed, similar to the one across the street at Allianz Field. The fence has been a controversial issue brought up across various platforms. The CVS is no longer in use as a building or a business, and the city of St. Paul decided to bar people from using it as a shelter. The city instead invested in hostile architecture aimed at the homeless to restrict access to the parking lot of the abandoned CVS. The timing of the fence has been under scrutiny as well. The fence was created during fall as the temperatures begin to rapidly drop, a time when homeless folks or others in need would desperately require shelter from the storms and cold. Due to this sudden displacement homeless individuals and families will require more resources from the city of St. Paul. To stay up-to-date on CVS coverage, visit hamlineoracle.com.