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The Bookies Bookstore, Denver, Colo., will be relocating later this year to 2085 S. Holly Street after 35 years in its E. Mississippi Ave. location. The Bookies' owners recently purchased the nearly 13,000-square-foot building.
The bookstore will occupy about 6,000 square feet of space on the first floor, with additional warehouse space for future expansion of the nonprofit BookGive, and indoor parking for the recently acquired fully electric bookmobile. BookBar Press will also be joining the Bookies in the new building as it rebrands and expands to offer a variety of author publishing services.
"We'll be expanding on the concept that Sue Lubeck created in her home basement over 50 years ago, providing educational titles and materials to Denver families," said owner Nicole Sullivan. "Our new location will allow us to offer more programming and services, truly creating an education destination, while integrating our nonprofit and small press into our daily store operations. We are all so excited for this next evolution of one of Denver's beloved literary institutions and look forward to continuing to serve Denver families and educators for years to come."
The Bookies will be holding a large sale in the months ahead of the move, and anticipate being in the new location in time for holiday sales season. The new space will offer the same inventory of books, games, toys, and educator supplies, as well as gathering spaces for events, storytimes, book clubs, and readers. A grand opening will be announced at a later date.
The building has been home to Lehrer's Fireplace and Patio outlet and World Taekwondo College for more than 40 years. While Lehrer's is consolidating into its other two locations, the Tae Kwon Do studio will remain.
On the bookstore's blog, Sullivan wrote, "A new location was at the top of my list of improvements for The Bookies when I took this on. Running a small business is increasingly difficult--bookstores even more so with our notoriously low margins--and owning your own property increases the chances that your business will keep the doors open longer. We began looking for a building for The Bookies soon after purchasing the business, knowing that it would be no small task to find the right space in the right location. We didn’t want to downsize too much or get very far from our current community and loyal customer base. We also didn’t want to ask staff to commute farther than what they’ve been used to for so many years....
"Anyone who knows me knows that I love preserving stories and history so it is fitting that this building, truly a labor of love, is passing into the hands of another decades-old business known to many of Denver’s families. What started as a roughly 3,000-square-foot space has expanded over the years to now include a back showroom, warehouse and a second floor. This stand-alone building on Holly and Evans has great visibility, lots of parking, and is easily accessible from anywhere in Denver."