Fans of the shuttered Harry W. Schwartz Bookstore in Shorewood will be happy to hear that a new North Shore bookstore/café is in the works. According to Keith Schmitz, the proposed venture, dubbed Open Book, will be a co-op, like REI and Outpost Natural Foods, that would fill the void in the community left by the closing of Schwartzs Oakland Avenue store. If you were bummed out by Schwartzs closing, you can get excited about this, Schmitz said.
Those spearheading the effort are looking for a 4,000-square-foot space for a bookstore, café and general meeting space, tentatively to open in the fall. Schmitz said former Schwartz employees will likely work at Open Book, and selections will cater to the areas readerscurrent affairs, history, quality fiction, some gently used books and kids books. Lisa Zupke, who managed Schwartzs Oakland Avenue shop, has already signed on.
Organizers will hold a community meeting on July 1 to discuss support and strategies. For more information, go to their website at www.openbookcoop.com.
