Three Northwestern alumni plan to open a DVD and video-game rental store on the ground floor of Norris University Center by Spring Quarter, an outlet that would provide students with an on-campus alternative to Blockbuster and Hollywood Video.
Construction at the southeast corner of the ground level begins today and should finish by Feb. 21, said Steve Guinta, Norris’ assistant director of facilities management and maintenance.
Owners said Monday that their self-funded and independently owned store, named Cat’s Corner Video, will open after planning details are completed.
Michael Cruz, McCormick ’02, and Jake Brick, McCormick ’01, thought of the idea after finding it frustrating to rent a video close to campus. Ashees Jain, Weinberg ’99, joined them in organizing the project in July.
“We want to provide a service to students that we felt was lacking when we were on campus,” Jain said, adding that Blockbuster is a far walk for many. The closest Blockbuster store, located at the intersection of Chicago Avenue and Dempster Street, is about seven blocks from South Campus.
Jain said he expects the video store to carry 400 to 600 DVDs, including new releases, and a limited selection of video games. Jain said expanding the store’s collection will depend on student demand.
Students won’t have the option to browse the shelves on their own, since the store will operate out of a tiny closet-like space. Instead, students renting a DVD will give their request at a window.
The shop will operate like a normal video rental store, but the DVD rental fees will be lower than at chain rental outlets, Jain said.
The owners are in the process of creating a Web site, which would allow students to view a list of available movies. Eventually, students might even be able to order the DVDs or games from the online site, Jain said.
Jain would not comment on the profit he and his partners expect from the venture.
Norris administrators have discussed adding a video store to the university center for several years, Guinta said, but the idea did not move forward until Brick and Cruz approached officials with their plan about two years ago. The proposal was discussed at a January 2002 meeting of the Norris Advisory Board.
“It’s a pretty exciting time,” Guinta said. “We’ve wanted a (video store) for a while. Now, we’ll get it.”
Mike Fong, Associated Student Government student services vice president, said an on-campus video store was a top concern among students when ASG conducted the Norris expansion survey in November.
On Sunday, the store’s owners distributed a detailed questionnaire at Norris to gauge student opinions on favorite movies and video games.
Several students said an on-campus video store would be convenient, especially since many students do not have access to a car.
“I don’t go to (Blockbuster) simply because it’s so far away,” said Tom Kluz, a Weinberg junior. “I’d find (the new store) convenient. Some nights you just want to take it easy.”
Weinberg sophomore Amy Stallard said she’s eager to see the store’s stock.
“I would definitely rent from them, but only if they had a good selection,” she said.
