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Revitalizing Garfield
June 15, 2007
The corner of Garfield Street and Pacific Avenue is starting to look less like a construction site and more like the future home of PLU’s bookstore.
The exterior of the structure is largely complete, while the interior is slowly taking shape as walls are painted and lights and flooring are installed. With large brick columns, cement floors and walls of windows that let in loads of natural light, Mark Mulder, director of auxiliary services, said the interior space has “an urban feel.”
The bookstore, renamed the Garfield Book Company at PLU, will be the anchor tenant in Garfield Commons, a 32,000-square-foot retail complex. It is part of a plan to reinvigorate Garfield Street businesses by increasing pedestrian traffic on the street.
Along with items typically carried by college bookstores, the new store will provide products for the greater Parkland community, such as a large general book section and a children’s learning area, Mulder said. The store will also carry fair trade global products and Pacific Northwest gifts.
The new bookstore is estimated to open sometime in July. A grand opening celebration is scheduled for Labor Day weekend.
On a recent tour of the bookstore, Mulder pointed out several amenities that will make for an improved customer experience. The Fireside Lounge will be a cozy space set to feature comfy seating, a fireplace, a stage and a kitchen for cooking demonstrations. The Perch will feature a second-floor seating area with views of the entire store and, on a clear day, of Mount Rainier. There will also be a community room, which will be used for larger events and textbook overflow.
Other tenants slated to occupy Garfield Commons include Firehouse Coffee, Farelli’s Gourmet Wood Fired Pizza, Desert Sun Tanning, a UPS Store and Emerald City Smoothies. These businesses will open at various times throughout the summer and fall.
Garfield Commons is a joint project between PLU and Lorig Associates. Lorig Associates has also worked with the university on South Hall, Xavier Hall and the newly opened Morken Center for Learning and Technology.
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The bookstore, renamed the Garfield Book Company at PLU, will be the anchor tenant in Garfield Commons, a 32,000-square-foot retail complex. It is part of a plan to reinvigorate Garfield Street businesses by increasing pedestrian traffic on the street.
Along with items typically carried by college bookstores, the new store will provide products for the greater Parkland community, such as a large general book section and a children’s learning area, Mulder said. The store will also carry fair trade global products and Pacific Northwest gifts.
The new bookstore is estimated to open sometime in July. A grand opening celebration is scheduled for Labor Day weekend.
On a recent tour of the bookstore, Mulder pointed out several amenities that will make for an improved customer experience. The Fireside Lounge will be a cozy space set to feature comfy seating, a fireplace, a stage and a kitchen for cooking demonstrations. The Perch will feature a second-floor seating area with views of the entire store and, on a clear day, of Mount Rainier. There will also be a community room, which will be used for larger events and textbook overflow.
Other tenants slated to occupy Garfield Commons include Firehouse Coffee, Farelli’s Gourmet Wood Fired Pizza, Desert Sun Tanning, a UPS Store and Emerald City Smoothies. These businesses will open at various times throughout the summer and fall.
Garfield Commons is a joint project between PLU and Lorig Associates. Lorig Associates has also worked with the university on South Hall, Xavier Hall and the newly opened Morken Center for Learning and Technology.
Image Gallery
Click on any of the images below to see an expanded image.
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