A Twin Cities Independent Bookstore Will Close

By Maryann Yin 

The BookcaseThe Bookcase, an indie shop based in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul area (nicknamed the Twin Cities), will close on October 18, 2014. The establishment first opened in 1963.

The StarTribune reports that many patrons, including local author William Kent Krueger and former Governor Arne Carlson, feel great sadness over this loss. Owner Charlie Leonard posted a letter on the store’s website. Here’s an except:

“This has not been an easy decision to make, but the challenges that we have faced — especially over the last couple of years — have become insurmountable. Changing shopping habits and the physical reality of the redevelopment and road construction that have been ongoing in downtown Wayzata for several years now have caused a dramatic drop in sales. It was a drop that we hoped we could weather — as we have a great deal of excitement and enthusiasm for what the ‘new’ Wayzata is going to look like in a few years. But, in the end, we can no longer afford to stay in business.”