Most of you reading this know about the devastating fire in Downtown Hillsboro that horrified our citizens on January 2nd, 2022. The Weil Arcade went down in flames, taking many businesses with it and over 30,000 SF of retail and office space that had stood strong on Main Street since the early 1920s. A fire started by a mentally ill human who now will spend decades in prison. A fire that took the life of local man Ronnie Knapp, who was in the building when it went up. A fire blocked the road and adjacent businesses for months. What we lost as a community was considerable, but time, money, and the hard work of building owners like Kit Jense, Jay Weil, and Bob Herb have brought us almost back.
Farmer’s Markets, Art Walks, and festivals have returned. An awesome food cart park has replaced the burned old building, and people are back. New businesses have joined the old in what has become a buzz of activity and excitement, the likes of which Hillsboroites have not seen in decades. But there is one more step that must be completed. The Hillsboro Pharmacy must return.
Last year, I wrote this in-depth look at the old Pharmacy, built in 1873, and how the fire had caused its closure. It has been the heart of downtown Hillsboro for nearly all of that time, not because of the Pharmacy but because of the people who work there and the Soda Fountain, which served breakfast and lunch for many decades. But more was served up there- the day’s news, the locals’ opinions, and a sense of community that is hard to quantify.
Here is that story.
When The Hillsboro Pharmacy Returns Our Hearts Will Be Healed
Now, over two years later, the Hillsboro Pharmacy is still not open. Building permit issues and waiting for the fire damage to be removed have held up the work. The exterior is done, and the interior now has the classic Black-and-White Checker board that was so iconic of the business. It won’t be long now before the doors will open once again.
However, news came this week that sent shockwaves through our community. News spread that the Pharmacy, which has moved to 2nd Street where it is today, was closing and not coming back. After the initial panic set in, I contacted the owners and received clarity. An Official message was sent out to clarify things:
Dear fellow Hillsboro Pharmacy and Fountain patrons,
It is with a heavy heart that we announce permanent closure of our pharmacy. Your prescriptions will be transferred to Walgreens at 955 SE Baseline St, Hillsboro, OR, 97123 starting May 30th, 2024. You can contact them at 503-615-8384. We apologize for any inconveniences this may cause and are so thankful for all of your love and support these past several years. Please feel free to contact us at 503-648-1811 for any additional questions or concerns. We will still be in our physical location until June 11th, 2024 if you wanted to visit us one last time.
On a more positive note, please look forward to the re-opening of the Fountain, coming soon this Summer (2024)!!
Whew—that last sentence was a relief. While many of us will miss the Pharmacy, we will all be able to enjoy a grand breakfast, snag a grilled cheese or burger, and savor those incredible milkshakes or a Green River! This is great news!
It is Sunday, so I just wanted to send some very positive energy to the Pharmacy staff and thank them all for all the years of service and to all of you in our Community. The fountains’ return is the final and perhaps most important piece of the comeback in our Historic Downtown.
So many people, who meant so much to each other, and to us; while I’ve only had 20 years into it, my wife had 65 YEARS of those sandwiches, as a child, later as an young woman paying for her own meals with her own money from her own job, decades later, with me, her new husband in tow . . . together, we were the new kids on the block, and never felt intrusive, nor unwelcome . . . . . special shout out to Kathy and her ” special” apron, whose humor, warmth and all-round unaffected “Dairy Women of Oregon” efforts represented the best of what a town ought to be, a community, even if we didn’t always LIKE each other, we all liked to be known by each other . . . . thanks guys, we still remember choosing between yellow and white, and we still have some mustard and ketchup tubs in use as I type . . . . . Thank you, Larry and Kaye
It has been a long time, that I have been going there with a Tuesday Night Market, I have tried their Ice Cream & Coke Floats. It was Tasty.
Good News is, It’s good to make a comeback. Permits are Very Slow to get their Ceiling Fixed & the New Flooring. It is going to be different. Everything is Changing.
Bad News is, Pharmacy has Announced to Permanently Discontinue the Medicines. After a Bad Guy set the Weil Arcade on Fire & killed an Employee. He will be in Prison for Life without Parole. It’s now just going to be Food Carts. It was on Flames since January 2nd 2022.
Next Level is not too far away, but it’s way better. They got lots of Pinballs & Arcade Machines. I suggest for you to go to Next Level next to the Hillsboro Airport Complex.
It’ll just be called Hillsboro Fountain, Pharmacy is Discontinued to transfer to Walgreens.
Mark, THe person who died in the fire was Ronnie Knapp. He was not an employee. He was someone with some mental health issues who accessed the building to sleep in the upstairs.
Everything is changing and that is always the way of the world- but the changes here in Hillsboro have become too much too fast. And we need to take pause.
Thanks and I will see you at the Fountain!
I’m now interested to see what happens to the other side of Second.
You have excellent progress coming down from Main: Edward Jones, DITA, the gym and Lucia’s all seem to be in fine shape. But White Birch moves south, the Pharmacy spot opens up again, the KoP continues to use that ground-floor storefront for hoarding and Mamancy looks as if it’s going to be on an island hoping someone sees it from The High Ground roof deck.
It could use a combination of love/incentive… and I’m sure the library annex and little shops at 233 Washington and Rune and Board wouldn’t mind a more natural connection to a suddenly thriving corner of town.
Is there any follow or new news to the reopening of the fountain? They said summer 2024, and we’re closing in on the end with no information or opening in sight.
The racks of items and gifts are moving back in. Signs are going up- its happening. I am sure its not mroe than 60 days out now. I will get an update now.
Any updates?!
Well I raised my camera up to 9 feet to see over the papered up windows- I am seeing an Asian restaurant built out, and the SOda Fountain is partly back where it was, but from the looks of things this will never be the same. I will reserve judgement until it is done and open, which appears a few months off still.