Northwestern students and Evanston residents will have another option in downtown Evanston for their pharmaceutical and basic food needs when CVS Pharmacy moves into the space once occupied by Wherehouse Music, 1711 Sherman Ave. in September.

“I’ve been looking at the space for a couple of years,” said Michele Dodd, regional director for CVS Pharmacy. “Wherehouse Music had been limping and finally when they went out out of business, we got the space.”

Dodd, who is from Skokie, said she is familiar with the area and was looking for a space close to campus for CVS to capitalize on.

“There are so many students from the East Coast who are familiar with CVS,” Dodd said. “We’re hoping it will do well with students and the local residents.”

CVS, which has more than 4,000 stores east of the Mississippi River, is expanding slowly into the Midwest, Dodd said. Chicago currently has about 40 CVS stores.

CVS will open another store in Evanston on the corner of Asbury Avenue and Howard Street as well. These are the first two CVS stores in Evanston.

Osco Drug, 1630 Sherman Ave., which eventually will move into a temporary location across from the new CVS store, declined to comment.

But Dodd hopes the central location will attract students and residents alike.

“Everyone hangs out in that area,” Dodd said.

Although Dodd said the store probably will not carry produce, it will sell milk, ice cream, and packaged and canned foods.

The store will also stock up on dorm supplies that are useful for students, she said.