The good news is, The Bookcase of Wayzata is not closing. But the Twin Cities oldest independent bookstore is leaving its charming storefront at the corner of 607 E. Lake St. Its new home will be just a couple blocks down in the Wayzata Village Shoppes, across the street from the residential and retail development under construction, which Bookcase owner Charlie Leonard described as the “new downtown Wayzata.”
For the sake of all Wayzata businesses—and the people who shop, eat, play and work there- I hope it’s an extension of downtown, rather than eastward shift. This summer, I felt like Lake Street finally regained the mojo that had been missing in recent years. And let’s be honest: Nothing compares to a lake view.
In a letter to customers, Leonard was frank about the Bookcase’s financial struggles, and practical needs, like convenient parking. “With the changing dynamics of the book world, as well as the changing face of retail in Wayzata, we have worked hard to maintain the level of service you have become accustomed to, while at the same time working to define what our future could look like…it has been clear for a few years that our needs were such that eventually relocating the store to a space that better suited our needs was essential to our future.”
Expect a big sale leading up to the Bookcase’s last day in its current location, on Sept. 29 .The Bookcase is scheduled to open in its new location, 824 E. Lake St., on Monday, Oct. 1. Meanwhile the Bookcase space at 607 E. Lake St. has already been claimed by Shelly Storch Fine Jewelry.