Barnes & Noble closed its store in Roxbury, N.J., last week after 26 years in business "and will not be reopening nearby in the Shops at Ledgewood Commons as planned," Tap into Roxbury reported, adding that the decision "throws a wrench into a plan, approved by Roxbury officials, wherein the Barnes & Noble building was to be razed and the bookseller was to move into a nearby part of the mall that formerly housed a Sports Authority and is now being renovated.
"Yes, we can confirm that they pulled out," said Dan Ivers, a spokesman for the Shops at Ledgewood Commons developer Advance Realty Investors.
"The manager just told us they are not going forward with the lease in the new building. She looked like she was taken completely off-guard by the decision," said a member of the staff, who were offered positions at other B&N stores if they wanted to transfer.
Roxbury Mayor Bob DeFillippo said he was caught off guard as well: "As recently as a couple of weeks ago, I was at a planning board meeting and Advance Realty came in to discuss their plans and there wasn't a word mentioned about Barnes & Noble."