Borders To Close a Lot of Chicago-Area Stores

By Chuck Sudo in Arts & Entertainment on Feb 16, 2011 6:23PM

Borders, the second-largest bookstore chain in the country, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy today. It also looks like they'll be closing stores throughout the country as they work to restructure their debt.

The new year hasn't been kind to Borders. their Michigan Avenue store has already been shuttered. Time Out Chicago's Jonathan Messinger notes that Borders' Hyde Park store is also getting ready to close, and a call he placed to Borders corporate headquarters directed him to bordersreorganization.com, which said it would post the full list of store closings by 2 p.m. Chicago Magazine Director of Digital Strategy Scott Smith confirms the closing of Borders on 95th Street.

If this list of full store closings is accurate, one should also expect Borders locations in Lakeview (2817 N. Clark St.); Evanston (1700 Maple Ave.); at 6103 N. Lincoln Ave.; Uptown (4718 N. Broadway); and Lincoln Park (755 W. North Ave.). That isn't taking into account more closings in the surrounding suburbs.

Aside from the lost jobs that will result from these closings, Borders also served as an anchor for retail development in most of the neighborhoods these affected stores are located. Smith notes that Wishbone is opening a location near the soon-to-close Borders on 95th. the Borders on North Avenue is across the street from the new gem in the neighborhood, the Lincoln Park Apple Store. For aldermen in these wards, the heat will be on to find new tenants for the former Borders stores, lest they become boarded up eyesores for an extended length of time.