The Book Shop in Hayward, Calif., may have to move, either within its building--the historic Green Shutter Hotel, which is being renovated and converted to apartments--or elsewhere, according to the East Bay Times.
News that the developer talked with the store last month about possibly relocating to a different part of the hotel "ignited concerns from longtime customers and residents who fear that Red Bridge Partners SF, the San Francisco-based developer renovating the hotel, will displace the longtime business," the newspaper wrote. The store is leasing on a month-by-month basis.
Still, Red Bridge Partners founding partner Jeff Jurow told the newspaper, "I have been very clear with the city in both closed-door sessions, so to speak, with the city manager, economic development department and even some council members that it is our desire to see the bookstore remain as a tenant at the Green Shutter....
"Now, there are of course no guarantees because they need to be able to pay rent... but we're not seeking to even ask them to pay more rent. We're not trying to squeeze them in any way, shape or form, because I would like to preserve them as a tenant."
He added that the relocation proposal was made to address "extensive construction, seismic improvement, plumbing, electrical and basically, major building systems work that needs to be done in the Book Shop space, and it is not feasible to keep them operating during that time."
The store, which sells new, used and rare books, was founded in 1960 and has been in the Green Shutter Hotel since 1992. The store been owned since 2009 by Carl and Marilyn Baker-Madsen and Alison and Sherman Lewis. Renee Rettig is the manager.
