Dec. 23, 2015 By Jackie Strawbridge

Demolition is planned for the former CVS building at 31st Street near Ditmars Boulevard, city records show.

The CVS Pharmacy at 22-08 31st St. closed earlier this year. As the Astoria Post reported in January, the store’s customers were referred to another CVS only steps away, at 31-01 Ditmars Blvd. The pharmacy’s prescription records were also transferred there.

Owner Michael Hirschhorn said that after demolition, a building providing close to 50,000 square feet of retail space across a basement and three stories will be constructed there.

He estimated that construction will start in March 2016.

“It’s a very hot retail corridor right now, and demand has been pretty strong,” Hirschhorn said. “There’s a strong residential component there yearning for different retail, better retail, and hopefully we’ll provide that.”