New bookstore coming to North OKC

[Patrick]

Too bad it wasn't coming to Bricktown. I guess it will just be another square building! Oh well! With Barnes and Noble just across the street, I wonder if this store will survive. Probably. Anyways, I just wish it was coming to Bricktown. I'm tired of Memorial Rd. stealing all of the thunder from downtown. Although I like to see development, I'm not a big fan of Memorial Rd. development, because it just furthers the cause of urban sprawl, and steals thunder from Bricktown.
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New bookstore coming to north Oklahoma City
View the pictures
Posted: Friday, November 19, 2004

OKCBusiness NewsWire

New bookstore coming to north Oklahoma City
Books-A-Million, the third largest book retailer in the nation, will make its debut to the Oklahoma City market in January 2005.

The bookstore, which is headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., will open its metro location in the former Just For Feet building at 2300 W. Memorial Road, located in the Quail Springs Marketplace shopping center.
Renovations on the 17,000 square foot building began Nov. 3 and are scheduled to be completed early January, in time for the Jan. 21 opening. Mark Williams, of DH French Construction Company, is the project manager in charge of renovations.
Blanton Properties is representing the property.
Joe Muggs Cafe will occupy 2,000 square feet of the renovated building. Joe Muggs is Books-A-Million's most recent store concept and features gourmet coffees, teas, desserts and brewing supplies.

Books-A-Millions was founded in 1917, and operates more than 200 stores in 18 states. Merchandise includes magazines, bargain books and greeting cards.

[Diogenes]

Damn!! I was hoping for a Half-Priced Bookstore.

[Midtowner]

B&N is the evil empire. They owned our campus bookstore and were sky high on prices.

[Patrick]

Well I was at UCO both before and after Barnes and Noble took over.....Barnes and Noble wasn't any higher than before when the school owned it. It always seemed like Thompson's was cheaper all the way around. For those who may be reading this and who aren't familiar with UCO, Thompson's is a local bookstore selling UCO text books off campus. It's right across University Drive from Old North.

[SoundMind]

I agree with Patrick. I also do not like the continued development on Memorial Road. As development continues westward on Memorial Road, so will urban sprawl. Oklahoma City needs to restrict development in outlying areas, thereby pushing developers to consider more inner city areas.

[Moondog]

I work down the street from that area and boy am I not looking forward to the holiday traffic. I'll be avoiding that area like the plague on my lunch breaks. I've been inside the Books A Million at Grapevine Mills. Not as nice as Borders or B/N.

That intersection is officially OKC's 71st and Memorial (Tulsa)!!! lol Especially now with Ultimate Electronics, Best Buy and Circuit City across from each other.

[Patrick]

Poor planning by our city if you ask me! Instead of zoning the entire area retail/commercial, the city should've divided things up a little....take NW Expressway for instance.....a little retail/restaurant area here, a few offices there. The city can thank themselves for the mess they've created at Memorial and Penn. At least in the NW Expressway and May Ave. corridor things are a little more spread out in different shopping centers at different intersections.

[metro]

As Mayor Mick Cornett recently mentioned on Cox Channel 8 with Dave Bialis. Re-zoning and restricting is not the answer much to my initial disappointment. As much as he is for urban renewal, he made a great case in that restricting the market is not the answer. We should let the market take us where it leads however we must make the inner city more attractive though several ways. One is beautification projects and code enforcement. The younger generation is going to want to live in the inner city for the most part any way. We must continue this effort such as voting for the renovation of the fairgrounds by voting for the motel tax on Dec. 14th.

[Luke]

I agree with the Mayor. I would certainly hope that we never turn down a national retailer in the name of sprawl.

[nurfe75]

Why not turn down a national retailer? Why not show these people we have some sense of style and direction? Why not let them think we have standards rather than just taking anything we can get? WHY OH WHY DO WE NEED ANOTHER CHAIN BOOKSTORE? Isn't it enough to have 3 metro B&N's and 2 Borders? Not to mention the half dozen Waldenbooks and great indie stores like Full Circle. We are cannibalizing existing businesses. We kiss B&N's ass to come to Memorial Road, then set up a competitor across the street. We already have proven we don't have any respect for unique OKC businesses--remember Bollingers? Guys, the solution is to make OKC a unique place to visit and shop. As it stands, the town may be cleaned up, but whether it is Bricktown or Memorial Road--all we have become is a collection of chain big box stores and superscreen movie theaters. We look like every other mid sized city in the US. No style

OK I'm done ranting. All this to say Books-A-Million sucks. We Don't need it. There is already a B&N and a Waldenbooks right across the street.

[~~*DarlingDiva*~~]

Hey now guys,

We went down to Grapevine Mills Mall in Dallas and they had one of those books a million stores in there it looked awesome.I do think they might actually have a million too.
DarlingDiva

[mranderson]

I interviewed for the new Books A Million. I had no idea when they would open, as the woman did not tell me.

Will I shop there? Doubtful.

[Patrick]

I think nurfe75 makes excellent points. By the way, welcome nurfe75 to the site!

There is nothing unique about Memorial Rd. It's just a row of chain stores like every other city has. In fact, IMHO, it looks no different from 71st and Memorial in Tulsa!

Now compare Barnes and Noble, to a local treasure, Full Circle Bookstore....there just isn't any comparison. The atmosphere at Full Circle just can't be found at a chain store like Barnes and Noble. It isn't your typical bookstore.
Unfortunately, Bricktown is becoming more and more chain, and I hate to see it. There's nothing special about a chain restaurant/store!

It's not like a person from out of state would go home and tell everyone how good the food was at Abuelo's in Bricktown! Why? Because they have them every where. A person, however, might go home and tell everyone about this cool local Mexican restaurant called Chelinos in Bricktown, or a cool sports grill called Coach's overlooking the ballpark.

We need to stop being like so many other cities and start trying to create a unique image for ourself.

It's restaurants like Nonna's, Cattlemen's, Applewoods, Deep Fork Grill, Pearl's, Chelino's, etc. that make dining in our city special, not traditional chain restaurants which everyone else has.

[BG918]

I'm a very pro-local business guy, especially when it comes to restaurants and clothing stores. But I have to say I like chain bookstores. Why? You can go in and read books/magazines/newspapers as long as you want and you don't have to buy anything because chains can allow that. I used to frequent Novel Idea Books in Tulsa (a local store) and they would get on to you for reading and not buying. I usually get something at the cafe at Borders or B&N because I enjoy reading with a cup of coffee or chai, but I never feel obligated to do so. But that's just my opinion.

I would really love to see a Barnes & Noble in downtown/Bricktown. They are the most "upscale" of the chain bookstores and would fit in well in Bricktown, preferably where there is currently a parking lot by the Harkins theater. Of course I would want to counter the chain bookstore with a few local shops or a restaurant around it though.

[Midtowner]

Y'all think B&N is upscale? You need to travel more

I can't even remember the name of the place, but the last time I was in Portland, OR, I visited a bookstore that had four floors. Each floor was as big as 4 B&N/Border's stores. Incredible place. It's as much a tourist attraction as a book store.

If something goes into Bricktown, that type of establishment, and not some chain store will be exactly what the doctor ordered.

[Patrick]

I'm with you Midtowner...unfortunately, Barnes and Noble is typically jsut another suburban type store. If a Barnes and Noble did locate in Bricktown, I'd only hope they'd build a multi-level structure.

[Midtowner]

I think you'd all agree that the property in Bricktown is a valuable and limited commodity. I know a McDonalds would probably do just fine down there. Or maybe an Old Navy, or a Wal-Mart Supercenter.

But c'mon.

Those types of businesses can exist anywhere else (and they do). Bricktown needs to offer visitors a unique Oklahoma City experience. Not the same 'ol crap you can find in every other city in the US.

B&N, whatever chain store in my opinion is NOT wanted.

What would be really cool would be for the library to open a branch down there and then operate a coffee shop at that branch's location.

I know that'd never happen, but hey, that'd be cool.

[Patrick]

Too bad the downtown library wasn't located on the canal!

[Midtowner]

Too bad the downtown library wasn't located on the canal!

Nah, it's too big. I'd rather have a branch down there.

With a coffee shop. And not a freakin' starbucks.

[Patrick]

Sounds like a great plan to me! So Midtowner, would you like to make a donation to the library system to get the ball rolling on this project? LOL!

[Midtowner]

Sounds like a great plan to me! So Midtowner, would you like to make a donation to the library system to get the ball rolling on this project? LOL!

Nah, maybe we can use some of that extra hotel tax money for it after the state fair's bond is retired

Of course, with the coffee shop, it could at least be partially self funding.

[BG918]

Of course a unique 4 story local bookstore right on the canal would be awesome, but you can you see it actually happening? That would have to be a serious investor to do something like that, but it would be a huge attraction. Bookstores are very under-rated as attractions, more people need to realize this and make them more interactive i.e. build a larger coffee/shop cafe area with more tables and couches, expand the idea of music listening stations, and add more specialized book sections within the store.

[Midtowner]

My friend, if you're ever in Portland, Oregon, this place is amazing. I got this from this site:

http://www.bootsnall.com/namericatra...1powells.shtml

Powell's City of Books
Portland, Oregon Travel Guide
By Drew Dyck

Powell's is far more than just a bookstore; it's an essential part of the Portland experience. In a market dominated by the big chains, Powell's refuses to conform. Powell's is independently owned and sells new and used books side by side. It offers a huge selection of books while retaining the personal feel of a smaller store.

Powell's City of Books (1005 W Burnside Portland, OR 97209) is the central location and trust me, the title is apt. The store is enormous – the largest independent bookstore in the world!

Powell's occupies an entire city block and stands 4 stories high. Inside books are stacked to the ceilings. The store has a spacious coffee shop, and unlike other bookstores they don't freak out if you like to munch snacks and peruse books simultaneously. On the top floor, you will also find an extensive collection of rare and collectible books. Powell's also regularly features readings by prominent authors.

History
In 1970 undergraduate Michael Powell borrowed $3,000 and started his first bookstore in Chicago. He met with almost instant success. Within two months he had repaid the loan. But Michael needed a vacation.

Michael's father, Walter Powell, came from Portland to help his son with the business. Walter enjoyed book-selling so much that when he returned to Portland a year later, he started his own store. In Portland the business exploded, and in 1979 Michael moved to Portland to join his father.

The business grew rapidly. In 1980 Walter and Michael moved the store to a larger location. A former used car dealership and car repair shop on 10th and Burnside became Powell's City of Books.

Walter died in 1985, but his legacy continued to grow. In 1994 Powell's launched a website. Within two years, Powell's entire inventory was listed on the web.

Today Powell's has seven locations, over a million titles and world-wide acclaim. It's a favorite spot for Portlanders and a major attraction for those visiting the city [Editor's Note: If I accidentally wound up locked in a Powell's I could subsist for days on coffee and print.]

Atmosphere
The Powell's attitude is extremely laid-back. The store is filled with earthy and intellectual types. The employees wear whatever they want, grow any length of hair but all have one thing in common: a passion for books.

There's almost an anti technology sentiment at Powell's, and anyone who sneaks noisy cell phones or beepers onto the premises is likely to be tackled. It's a friendly environment though – just don't disturb the reading!

People come for the huge selection, but they also like the fact that Powell's is locally and independently owned. Portlanders take pride in Powell's because it is something of an anomaly in the industry: a monster bookstore that hasn't lost that personal touch.

[mranderson]

Of course a unique 4 story local bookstore right on the canal would be awesome, but you can you see it actually happening? That would have to be a serious investor to do something like that, but it would be a huge attraction. Bookstores are very under-rated as attractions, more people need to realize this and make them more interactive i.e. build a larger coffee/shop cafe area with more tables and couches, expand the idea of music listening stations, and add more specialized book sections within the store.

How about something similar to the M&M attraction in Las Vegas or World of Coke in Atlanta? It could contain a bookstore, gift shop, cafe, and museum of books with a section dedicated to Oklahoma authors. THAT would be unique.

[wally]

Bricktown is really unique. I would look nice with a big attraction like M&M. I have been to the won in Las Vegas and that place is huge. It also has the largest seltion of M&Ms you'll ever see. It also has a big gift store. World of Coke is also in Las Vegas and it had a 60 fT. rock wall in it for you to climb. If they built something like that in Bricktown the area would be busier than ever.