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New
Academic Superstore Opens Doors
A
groundbreaking Barnes & Noble Collegiate Bookstore recently
held its formal grand opening in downtown Wilkes-Barre.
The new bookstore consolidates the King’s College
and Wilkes University campus bookstores into a single, shared
facility, approximately 20,000 square feet in size, on the
ground floor of the Innovation Center @ Wilkes-Barre on South
Main Street.
“This is an amazing example of collaboration
between two first-class institutions that might otherwise
be viewed as competitors,” said Larry Newman, vice
president of Economic and Community Development. “Their
willingness to work together embodies the reasons why Downtown
Wilkes-Barre is succeeding.”
The new Barnes & Noble “academic superstore” will
meet the needs of local students as well as the community
at large. The new store features a full selection of general
trade books; a local authors section; a full-service Starbucks
café; and lounge chairs and tables. It also houses
spirit logo merchandise for both King’s and Wilkes;
full textbook services – both new and used – for
the city-based schools; and online capability.
The new business is the largest retail store to locate
in Downtown Wilkes-Barre in decades. It is also
Barnes & Noble’s first Pennsylvania downtown
location, outside of Pittsburgh and Philadelphia.
The Innovation Center @ Wilkes-Barre is a mixed-use building
that offers retail, class “A” office space and
a technology incubator, all of which are owned by the Greater
Wilkes-Barre Development Corporation.
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