Sandbox VR fills vacant CVS storefront to spark Winston-Salem revival
An immersive tech experience takes over a shuttered pharmacy at Fourth and Trade streets in a bid to drive foot traffic back to the city center.
A former CVS pharmacy in downtown Winston-Salem has been repurposed as a virtual reality experience in an effort to revitalize a vacant commercial storefront. The project transforms a retail gap into a tech-driven destination designed to draw visitors back to the city's core.
Sandbox VR has taken over the space located at the corner of Fourth and Trade streets. The CVS location closed in 2024, leaving a void in the downtown landscape. Sandbox VR was scheduled to open its doors in August 2024, replacing the traditional pharmacy model with immersive, high-tech entertainment.
The struggle for downtown space
This transition is part of a broader effort to address the challenge of vacant commercial spaces in downtown Winston-Salem. The closure of established retail chains like CVS often leaves significant holes in urban corridors, creating "dead zones" that can discourage pedestrian activity and impact neighboring businesses. By filling this specific vacancy on Fourth Street, the city is attempting to pivot from traditional retail toward experience-based commerce.
A new model for urban renewal
The move represents an experimental approach to urban revitalization. Rather than waiting for another traditional retailer to occupy the space, the city is leveraging immersive technology to attract a different demographic of visitors. This shift reflects a growing trend in urban planning where "eatertainment" and tech hubs are used to fill the gaps left by departing national retail chains, aiming to create a more resilient and diverse downtown economy.
Looking ahead
As Sandbox VR begins operations, city officials and business owners will be watching to see if the immersive experience successfully increases foot traffic for surrounding storefronts. While the physical space is now occupied, the long-term success of this model depends on whether tech-centric attractions can provide the same consistent utility as the pharmacy they replaced, or if they serve as a temporary bridge toward a new kind of downtown ecosystem. The outcome will likely signal whether Winston-Salem can successfully transition its urban core from a service-oriented hub to a destination for digital entertainment.