Borders Books and Music will open its new location Maple Avenue on Saturday, bringing longer hours and larger facilities to patrons.
The move to the newly constructed building at 1700 Maple comes in response to general manager Gideon Berger’s dissatisfaction with the old location at 1629 Orrington Ave. Borders closed its doors there Monday in preparation for the move.
“The (old) store was never designed right for a bookstore,” Berger said.
Formerly a Walgreen’s drugstore, the old location lacked adequate parking and was on a one-way street, Berger said.
He said the new store should be more attractive to customers because of its proximity to the Century Theatres complex and the El and Metra tracks.
Along with the more suitable location, Berger also said the new store will have many features not offered at the old one.
Some of these features include a larger assortment of movies as well as a larger cafe, gift store and stationery shop. Customers also will have the opportunity to sample music by scanning CD bar codes at listening stations.
Berger said he couldn’t comment on whether or not he expected the new store do better, but he said, “We wouldn’t move if we thought we were going to do the same amount of business.”
Berger said one of the biggest benefits for the new store will be the nearby Maple Avenue parking garage, where customers will have one hour of free parking and will be charged $1 for each additional hour.
The store will stay open from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and from 9 a.m. to midnight on Friday and Saturday.
Borders had only been open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. when it was on Orrington.
The new opening for Borders is the latest development in the Church Street Plaza project, which includes the movie theater, Hilton Hotel and Optima Views condominiums.
Bruce Reid, managing partner with Arthur Hill & Co., the developer of the Church Street Plaza, said he was excited about the new addition to the area.
“Any number of successful projects have shown that a bookstore across from a movie theater is very successful,” Reid said. “It makes for an appealing combination.”
Reid said the Borders location was originally supposed to be a Virgin Megastore, but the people from Virgin never developed their plans.
“I don’t know exactly how Borders got involved,” Reid said. “But I think (the store) will be an excellent outcome for the project and for the city of Evanston.”
Although Reid said he feels the project will be successful, Borders originally was unsure.
The corporation sought about $150,000 in sales tax rebates from the city to assist in the move. This request was voted down by Evanston City Council in February.
Despite Borders’ move to a more attractive location, employees at the nearby Barnes & Noble Booksellers, 1701 Sherman Ave., said they were unfazed by the this weekend’s competition.
“When a brand new bookstore opens, it makes a difference,” said Barnes & Noble assistant manager Mary Othic. “But Borders has always been here … it’s not like there’s a new store coming in where it wasn’t before.”
