Village Books & Paper Dream, Bellingham Wash.’s long-time bookstore, will open up a second location this fall. In an announcement made Tuesday evening, co-owner Chuck Robinson said the new store will be located in the recently renovated Waples Mercantile Building on Front Street in Lynden, Wash., north of the current store.
The building was purchased by Bellingham architect Jeff McClure and his wife Debra following a fire that gutted the structure in 2008. The McClures, along with Teri and Matt Treat, formed Forefront Ventures to renovate the building and add a 35-room inn, which the partnership will operate. Village Books & Paper Dreams will operate in about 3,000 square feet, with a combination of books, gifts, and cards. "We're thrilled to be opening in Lynden," said Robinson. "We've been exploring the possibility of a second location for some time, and were excited to learn about the project that Jeff, Debbie, Teri, and Matt were launching."
Village Books, founded by Chuck and Dee Robinson, will celebrate its 35th Anniversary in June. The Robinsons opened Paper Dreams in the fall of 1982 in an adjacent location on Eleventh Street in Bellingham's Fairhaven Historic District. In recent years the two stores have been opened into one another, and have become more integrated in merchandising, management, and personnel.
"The mission of our business has been to help build community," said Robinson. "We've spent 35 years doing that, mostly within the city of Bellingham. We now look forward to joining the great city of Lynden and northern Whatcom County, in contributing to strengthen those communities."
Over the year, Village Books has received many awards, including multiple Mayor's Arts Awards and Washington State's Outstanding Philanthropic Small Business Award, and was recently named one of five finalists for the PW Bookstore of the Year.
