Two New England indies are experiencing change. Bank Square Books in Mystic, Ct., is adding a second location, while Connecticut's Monte Cristo Bookshop is being converted into a nonprofit co-op.
On Wednesday Bank Square announced, via its Facebook page, that its new store will be in Westerly, R.I., six miles away from its current location.
The new two-story, 2500 sq. ft. store—a joint project with Dan King and Chuck Royce of 10 Canal, LLC—will be located in the historic Martin House on Canal Street. It will include a small café.
This is the second expansion for Bank Square in less than a year. Last fall the bookstore more than doubled its space to 6,600 sq. ft. by adding a second store front to its existing one.
The new location will provide Westerly with a general independent bookstore after The Other Tiger Bookstore was forced to close in April, because of owner Robert Utter’s health.
New London's Monte Cristo Bookshop, meanwhile, will be converted into a nonprofit co-op to be run by a nine-member board of directors. Michael Whitehouse, who oversaw a similar transition for Phoenix Games to Worlds Apart Games in Amherst, Mass., will serve as executive director.
Monte Cristo co-owner and co-founder Christopher Jones announced in June that the store needed to find a buyer this summer or close. He plans to hold a public meeting next week to discuss details and solicit volunteers for the nonprofit.
