City council has approved zoning for a new pharmacy in a derelict historic building in McCauley, despite protests from residents that it will attract addicts and violence to the neighbourhood.

Mint Health and Drugs hopes to set up shop in the 75-year-old Phyllis Grocery building, at 10631 96th Street. The now-vacant building sits across the street from the Mustard Seed Church, which operates a soup kitchen.

Residents who presented at City Hall on Wednesday pleaded with councillors to ban the business from moving into the neighbourhood.

"Pharmaceutical use is a very serious problem in our neighbourhood," said McCauley Community League president Phil O'Hara, who was disappointed with council's decision.

He said the store is in an area where there are many homeless people and addicts, and his fear is that the pharmacy will incite theft and muggings.

"That's a very vulnerable part of the neighbourhood," he said. "There are vulnerable people that will be accessing that pharmacy."

Coun. Tony Caterina told residents he was offended by their assertions that a pharmacy wasn't needed in that part of town.



Caterina said he lived in McCauley for decades, and visited the Phyllis Grocery store as a child.

"You're making grocery stores and pharmacies out to be bad things," he said.

Historic elements to be restored

Peter Poon, director of Mint Health and Drugs, said he's no more concerned about theft at the new location than he would be in any other part of the city.

He said he hopes the business will have the opposite effect than what residents fear, and help revitalize the area.

"We want it to be the kind of business that generates good foot traffic in the area," Poon said. "We want it to bring people back to that part of the neighbourhood."

The vote to approve the zoning for the pharmacy was unanimous.

Mayor Don Iveson said because of the way the bylaw is worded, pharmacies have not been singled out as a reason to restrict commercial zoning.

"We've never encountered this situation before, where pharmacies are associated with any kind of risk," Iveson said.

The Phyllis Grocery building in the McCauley was built in 1941. (Laura Osman/CBC News)

Coun. Scott McKeen said the historic nature of the building was a big factor in his decision. Right now, the building has broken windows, graffiti and garbage littering the property.

Mint plans to spend $650,000 to restore the property, while maintaining the historic elements of the building.

"There's an opportunity here to have a heritage building saved, restored, and reused," he said.

Mint will still need to apply for a development permit and business licence before it can move into the neighbourhood.