This Season Syracuse Shopping for a Bookstore

Syracuse, New York, is going through somewhat of a downtown renaissance. In the past five years the downtown has added, and continues to add, residential housing units; in the past eight years, a net total of 83 retail shops have opened there. Today, downtown Syracuse can offer consumers almost anything they want … except for one thing: "The only missing component is an independent bookstore," said Stacey Griffin, economic development specialist for the Downtown Committee of Syracuse (DCS). Griffin told BTW that the not-for-profit, professional downtown management organization is trying to attract an independent bookseller to downtown Syracuse.

At present, Syracuse and its suburbs have few independent bookstores. The last independent bookstore to reside in downtown Syracuse, Economy Books, closed over 15 years ago, Griffin reported, and recently, My Sister Words, a feminist bookstore situated outside of town, shut it doors, as well. There are only two chain bookstores in the area, both of them outside of town.

Now, with a burgeoning, vibrant downtown, Griffin said the situation is ripe for an independent. "People come to expect the kind of things downtown that you wouldn't see in a mall," Griffin explained. "We think an independent fits that mold." She noted that Syracuse has 30,000 employees and more than 1,500 businesses and professional firms, with "unique [downtown] retail sectors" such as Armory Square. There's also the recently renovated Clinton Square, where DCS plans to hold festivals in the summer and offer ice skating in the winter. "With entertainment and cultural activities unmatched anywhere in the region, downtown Syracuse continues to thrive as an exciting, vibrant place to work, live, shop, and be entertained," she said.

While Syracuse might be a great place to live -- if maybe a little cold and snowy in the winter -- finding someone to open an independent bookstore is nonetheless a tall order. "We've been calling independents [in the central New York state region] telling them we're looking," Griffin told BTW. "It's not the easiest thing to find people who want to open a bookstore…. We're going by word-of-mouth." She added, "We have a couple of spaces we've identified as good for a bookstore."

Importantly, DCS is offering incentives to open an independent bookstore in downtown Syracuse, as it has for other businesses. For one, DCS created a retail grant program -- new businesses that meet the qualifications for the grant will receive $5,000 toward improvements to the space, Griffin said. Qualifications include signing a five-year lease and creating a "solid" business plan.

Furthermore, DCS will assist the potential owner in finding a space for the store; will help point the potential owner in the right direction in terms of financing; offers public relations and marketing for the downtown area in general; and serves as a liaison between downtown businesses and the city.

Additionally, much of downtown Syracuse is located in the "New York State Empire Zone." This zone was designed by the state to stimulate job growth and business development, and, as such, businesses in this zone that add employees receive state tax credits. Also, part of downtown in a "Federal Empowerment Zone." Businesses located in the federal zone that hire someone who resides in this zone (a low to moderate income area) receive a federal tax break.

For more information on DSC, or opening an independent bookstore in Syracuse, contact Stacey Griffin via e-mail at [email protected], or via telephone at (315) 422-8284. To visit DSC's Web site, click here. --David Grogan