An “ambitious” project that would’ve opened up a second location for Harvard Book Store, whose ownership group includes John and Linda Henry, won’t come to fruition due to the “lingering effects of the pandemic.”
“We are writing to let you know that we are unable to proceed with the construction of a second bookstore at the Prudential Center,” the store’s ownership wrote in a release Friday. “While that project has now been canceled, we are investing in improvements at our flagship Cambridge location, which has always been the heart of Harvard Book Store.”
Harvard Book Store, a popular bookstore in the region, announced in July 2022 the “beginning of a new chapter in our 90-year history” as the business intended to add a second store after signing a “long-term lease” with Boston Properties, owner of the Prudential Center.
But the project has come to a screeching halt. In the July 2022 announcement, co-owners Jeff Mayersohn and Linda Seamonson anticipated the store to open by the spring of 2023, which they called “quite an aggressive goal, given the scope of the project.”
“Despite exploring all available options, the lingering effects of the pandemic have continued to create considerable challenges for construction projects of this size and scope,” ownership wrote in Friday’s release. “With ongoing disruptions to the supply chain and escalating costs, our ambitious 29,000-square-foot expansion would ultimately prove unsustainable.”
The company looked to add its Prudential location in a former Barnes & Noble, a space that Mayersohn and Seamonson said would’ve been five times the size of its Cambridge store. Some of the plans included a “large section dedicated to children’s literature” and a “state-of-the-art event space” for its speaker series and community activities.
“Bookstores matter,” ownership stated Friday. “They are an integral part of a deeply engaged community; places you turn to for inspiration, adventure, and learning. Our top priority has always been to remain a healthy, thriving, independent bookstore — one that can continue to grow and serve our community for many years to come.”
With the Pru expansion falling short, ownership is continuing to focus on upgrades to its Harvard Square location. Those improvements include enhancements to its “in-store experience” ranging from its author event series and “excellent inventory.”
Boston native Mark S. Kramer founded Harvard Book Store in 1932 after he borrowed $300 from parents to open a small shop that sold used and bargain general interest books on what is now known as John F. Kennedy Street in Cambridge, according to the company’s website.
The company has operated other stores throughout its history, including the first bookstore cafe in Boston, Harvard Book Store Cafe on Newbury Street. But after opening in 1980, the cafe’s lease “could not be renewed … leaving the store we have today as our sole operation.”
John Henry, principal owner of the Red Sox and the Boston Globe, and his wife Linda joined the Harvard Book Store ownership group in 2021, according to the company’s website.
“While we are disappointed in this outcome,” ownership wrote of the Prudential project not becoming reality, “we are grateful to the many talented and creative individuals who worked with us along the way. Most of all, we’re grateful to the literary community of Boston who have expressed so much support in anticipation of a second Harvard Book Store location.”
