Northshire Bookstore's location in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., partially reopened Thursday after having been closed since July 4 due to sustained, significant water damage from a leak originating in one of the apartments above the store.
In a statement, Northshire COO Scott Austin said (via WNYT): "We welcome back our loyal customers and first-time visitors alike, and thank everyone again for their patience these past few weeks while we worked around the clock to mitigate water damage caused by a unit in the floors above us. We are pleased to say that remediation efforts were successful and the environment has been tested and deemed safe for our staff and customers to occupy, browse and shop."
On Wednesday, Northshire posted on social media: "We're back, 'Toga!.... Over the past few weeks, our amazing team has shown incredible resilience. Because of their hard work, the store is refreshed, restocked, and ready to welcome you back. Come browse the shelves of the main floor, catch up with our booksellers, and find your next great read.... A heartfelt THANK YOU to our community for your continued patience and support--we've missed you!"
The store's second-floor children's area is still under repair, but a number of children's items have been relocated to the main floor, "creating a Northshire Kids shop-within-a-shop," as the Northshire described it, adding that the hope is to reopen this space in the coming weeks.
In an e-mail sent Thursday, Northshire noted that while the bookstore incurred significant losses to its book and gift inventory, all damaged items have been removed and booksellers "have meticulously inspected all items currently in our store to ensure they are in perfect, brand new condition."