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| Future home of Back Cove Books. | |
Back Cove Books, a general-interest bookstore with a focus on community, is coming to Portland, Maine, this fall, Mainebiz reported. Owner Becca Morton, who worked as a bookseller at Portland indie Print for about two years, has found a 2,200-square-foot space in a historic building that dates back to 1897.
Morton told Mainebiz that she plans to tailor her inventory to the community's needs: "We're hoping to have a diverse selection in topics, characters, authors and storylines that are reflective of the community, or provide the opportunity to read something that is the exact opposite of you.”
The bookstore will be located in Portland's Woodfords Corner neighborhood, in the Odd Fellows Building. At various times the building was a Masonic temple, the city hall for Deering, Maine, and host to many commercial tenants, including a pawn shop and a bank. A vault still remains in the building, and Morton remarked that she's not sure yet which section will be housed in it.
Elaborating on the space, Morton said there are plenty of "nooks and crannies" where customers will be able to sit and "stay with us for a while." While the store won't sell coffee or food, she hopes customers will bring their own and the shop becomes "the 'third place' behind home and work where you can feel comfortable."
Morton noted that an increasing number of independent businesses have opened in the neighborhood, and a community organization called Friends of Woodfords Corner is working to help make the neighborhood more walkable. She'll be hosting the store's first pop-up appearance at local coffee shop Coveside Coffee from May 4 to May 15.