About this Case Study

Challenge

On Monday, April 27, 2015, Baltimore City descended into chaos with violence, vandalism and looting following the funeral of a young man who had died in police custody under questionable circumstances. By the time the mayor declared a citywide curfew and the National Guard arrived, numerous city businesses had been left broken, burned and/or inoperable in the aftermath of a highly charged situation.

A Rite Aid near the city center was one of those business victims. Located on a main boulevard near the University of Maryland Medical Center complex as well as a community, it had been destroyed and all of its products were either stolen or severely damaged. The store’s management was committed to reopening and serving its customers as quickly as possible. Lobar Associates, one of Rite Aid’s preferred contractors and also a WillScot customer, was contacted to develop a temporary site to serve Rite Aid customers as they rebuilt their store, and they passed the lead to us. After quick but careful review of the proposal, WillScot was selected by Rite Aid because they were best positioned to deliver a quality solution that met the urgent timeline of the project and help Rite Aid return to serving the community.

Solution

A 68' x 24' converted modular classroom from our “ready” line” was delivered on site within five days of the written order. The modular contained one restroom as well as a number of our essentials such as a switch back ramp, deck, steps, security screens, door bars skirting and two restroom systems with four-times-a-week service and weekend service. After onsite meetings, a 40' x 8' container office was also enlisted for use by the construction project manager as an office and a safe, secure heavy duty storage space.

Besides the tight timeline we also faced a tight fit. The modular had to share available but very limited space on Rite Aid’s parking lot with the busy contractor’s equipment as well as with an adjacent building that shared the lot. Allowing for an area for cars to park was important because on street parking was not an option. Our in house driver and a trusted vendor did an excellent job of maneuvering the portable space into a position that did not disrupt or impede the fl ow of workers or Rite Aid customers.

The temporary pharmacy was stocked and open for business within three weeks after a devastating loss. Until the store reopens later this year, our modular solution will help Rite Aid to continue delivering critical health and wellness services to their customers and community.