CVS Dismisses Lawsuit Against Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation

Pittsburgh, PA — March 7, 2002 — CVS Pharmacy, Inc. and its Pittsburgh-based developer, Gustine Properties, Inc., voluntarily dismissed their federal lawsuit against Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation (Landmarks) and various other community groups and citizens that have opposed CVS’s plan to demolish ten buildings in the national historic district in Homestead, Pennsylvania. The Homestead Borough and West Homestead Borough, as well as certain Borough officials, were not dismissed from the lawsuit.

The suit, which was filed in July of 2000, charged that Landmarks and others violated CVS’s constitutional rights by seeking to block the demolition of buildings in the historic district to make way for a new CVS pharmacy and parking lot.

Representatives of Landmarks said they hope that other retail chains and their developers will be discouraged from filing what critics have called SLAPP suits (Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation), in which developers aim to silence local opposition groups by forcing them to spend large sums of money to defend themselves in court.

Landmarks is hopeful that CVS, Gustine, and Homestead will work together on a solution that would avoid the demolition of the buildings in the historic district. In the interest of promoting such discussions, Landmarks will, at this time, withhold additional comment on the voluntary dismissal of Landmarks and the other defendants.