"There are no plans to close either of the centers located in Central Park," Gary Ellingson, Walgreen area distribution center manager based in Orlando, tells GlobeSt.com. "The Jupiter center is needed, in addition to the Orlando center, because of the expected store growth in Florida and the Southeast." Walgreen has 695 stores in Florida.

Ellingston says all of the Orlando center's 552,000 sf is being used "and will continue to be used." Walgreen has occupied the distribution center space at 2455 and 2467 Premier Row since 1981.

Prior to the Jupiter site opening, Walgreen had over 800 employees working at the two Orlando centers, with about 250 as temporary workers, Ellingson says. The company has transferred about 50 employees to the Jupiter location and plans to keep the remaining staff at its Orlando centers. Ellingson says the company is not currently hiring new employees.

Michael Polzin, Walgreen media relations director at the company's Illinois headquarters, tells GlobeSt.com he has no idea how many Orlando employees might be transferred to the Jupiter center but says there is no question that "both sites are needed to handle Florida."

Polzin adds Walgreen has 12 distribution centers nationwide, each averaging between 500,000 sf and one million sf, for an estimated total of nine million sf.

Orange County Property Appraiser records show the Walgreen distribution centers in Orlando are jointly owned by Walgreen Co. and Walando Associates LP, both based in Deerfield, IL.