Barnes & Noble announced plans to close its Bay Plaza store at the end of this year. The New York Daily News reports that this Bronx-based branch first opened its doors in 1999.
The owners of the space that the store currently occupies wants to bring in another retailer. According to News 12, the closing of the Bay Plaza store means that there will be no bookshops in operation within the borough.
In 2014, the same bookstore was able to avoid a shut down due to the actions of the community and Bronx borough president Ruben Diaz Jr. At that time, Diaz was able to convince the property owners to extend the store’s lease for two years.