Dollar General store is coming to Fort Fairfield

3 months ago

FORT FAIRFIELD, Maine — An empty building that once housed Walgreens in Fort Fairfield will soon be home to a Dollar General store.

Crews from Calito Development Group, a Torrington, Connecticut-based developer of sites for national retailers, said Monday that Dollar General would move into the space.  

Dollar General’s public relations department confirmed the news Monday afternoon.

“At this time, we are currently finalizing our due diligence phase for a new Dollar General in Fort Fairfield, ME that would be located on Main Street,” a representative, who did not give their name, said via email.

The company expects the next phase of work to begin in the coming weeks. Stores typically employ six to 10 staff members, the representative said.

The discount store’s corporate career website lists Fort Fairfield among its locations to search for jobs.

So far, the town has nothing concrete in the form of a deed, lease or mortgage, said Tax Assessor Tony Levesque.

Workers were busy inside the building early Monday afternoon.  

The former Rite Aid store was sold to Walgreens in 2018. Walgreens also acquired Rite Aid stores in Caribou, Fort Kent, Houlton, Presque Isle, Van Buren and Madawaska.

The former Rite Aid store became a Walgreens in 2018 when Walgreens Boots Alliance acquired the assets of Rite Aid. That included more than 2,000 stores, including sites in Caribou, Fort Kent, Houlton, Presque Isle, Van Buren and Madawaska.

The Fort Fairfield store closed in February 2023, and has been empty since then. 

Dollar General operates other Aroostook County stores in Van Buren, Caribou, Limestone and Washburn.

This story has been amended to repair an incorrect link.