The Barnes & Noble update is causing a stir among community members. Almost one year after its closing, the former bookstore space is still vacant but will again be occupied, this time by two financial businesses. Fidelity Investments and Wells Fargo are to replace it, which has received mixed feelings from locals.
The bookseller, once a staple to many, shut down for good on Jan. 21, 2024. In their farewell post on Instagram, they said, “While we’re saddened to vacate our current home, we are so excited to stay nearby and in a beautiful new bookstore.” With Barnes & Noble having so much history and loyal customers, how and why did the new additions come about?
The change
For 25 years, the Barnes & Noble in Downtown Naperville was a prominent brick and mortar bookstore. However, after more than two decades, it packed up and relocated to Oswego. As for the reason why it left, Janine Flanigan, senior director of store planning and design for Barnes & Noble, told the Naperville Sun’s Tess Kenny that, “It was simply that the landlord chose not to renew the lease.”
With this change came the search for what would take its place. In an interview with Sara Kopinski, Community Planner for the City of Naperville, she said that city staff doesn’t participate in tenant selection or deliberations for private properties of any kind.
However, Kopinski added that the team has been engaging in a different way.
“City staff reviews potential new tenants for compliance with the City’s Zoning Ordinance and for consistency with the Naperville Downtown 2030 Plan,” Kopinski said. “City staff works closely with the Downtown Naperville Alliance (DNA) and Naperville Development Partnership (NDP) which focus on marketing and the mix of retail uses in the downtown.”
The process
A real estate agency has been managing the plan of ushering in the two financial businesses.
Information obtained by the Naperville Sun through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Request revealed that talks surrounding prospective tenants were raised approximately as early as January 2023. Additionally, in a now publicized late October email exchange between Nathan Tonnies and Naperville Development Partnership President Christine Jeffries, Tonnies disclosed further details about the process and layout.
“Lease was signed with Fidelity for the Barnes space … they will be taking a big chunk of the second floor with their entrance/retail experience on a small portion of the ground floor,” Tonnies, who represents property landlord LLJ Venture, based in San Diego, wrote to Jeffries. “And … Wells Fargo signed their lease for the rest of the ground floor to do a retail bank branch there.”
Community reaction
While there may be enthusiasm for this fresh development, many locals are mourning a loss to the community.
NCC students like Emma Wadley, ‘25, relied on the wide selection of materials for her class projects. Moreover, the Barnes & Noble relocation from Naperville to Oswego has impeded her schoolwork.
“It is definitely too far. I had to do an assignment with magazines, and Anderson’s didn’t have any,” Wadley, ‘25, said.
Along with current students, alumni are reflecting on their time at their neighborhood bookseller.
“I normally went to hang out and to look at books. If I was ever bored I would go there,” Tahbata Zuniga-Diaz, ‘24, said. “As an alumni, the special thing about it was connecting with other English students.”
NCC staff have also expressed their concerns with the swap from a bookstore to financial businesses.
“The ability to walk around downtown, have a coffee, browse the books and stop by all the shops matters for NCC students,” Dr. Jennifer Smith, English professor and English Department chair, said. “There are so few places in contemporary America for young people just to be, so I worry about the loss of yet another space. As a professor, I am worried about the rise in anxiety and depression among my students, and part of what that might be is that they’re not spending as much time hanging out the way you’re supposed to when you’re young.”
What’s next
At the moment, there is no telling when Fidelity Investments and Wells Fargo will settle into their new spot. Yet, Tonnies told Kenny he is “excited” to bring these businesses to the city.
Regarding the previous dweller, the bookstore chain is not permanently going away from the retail scene. However, NCC students and staff have lost a favorite shopping, reading and lounging spot with this Barnes & Noble update.
