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| Architect's rendering of the Charter Books storefront | |
Bookseller Steve Iwanski is working to open Charter Books, a general-interest independent bookstore, in downtown Newport, R.I., before spring 2021. The store will sell books and gifts for children, teens and adults, and will have about 2,300 square feet of retail space across two floors, 4,200 square feet in total. There will be a dedicated area for children's storytime sessions and the inventory will feature categories pertaining to Newport's history and culture.
Iwanski, who grew up in Rhode Island before moving to the Mississippi Delta in 2010, became a bookseller at Turnrow Books in Greenwood, Miss., in 2014. He became the store's manager in 2016, and he explained that whenever he came home for holidays and vacation, he felt the desire to bring a store like Turnrow to downtown Newport. When he and his wife decided to move back to Rhode Island, he began looking into commerical real estate, and last summer found the perfect spot on Lower Broadway.
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| Charter Books in progress. | |
Noting that while there have been some setbacks and delays this year, Iwanski reported that everything is still on track. The location remains under construction and is being converted from a restaurant space to a retail space. Iwanski has set up a Bookshop.org page for the store and expects to operate online or via curbside pickup through the rest of the year. He noted that some of the shops nearby are hoping to host a holiday street fair, and so Charter Books may make its debut as a pop-up.
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| Architect's rendering of the Charter Books entryway. | |
The store's name, Iwanski continued, comes from the story behind the Rhode Island Royal Charter of 1663, which was authored primarily by Newporters and signed by Charles II. The name is a "tribute to the Newporters of 1663 who placed their faith, literally, in the power of the written word to enact change and secure essential liberties."
When asked about any plans for a food or drink component, Iwanski said the store is surrounded on all sides by great bars, restaurants and coffee shops, and he would "rather not compete with my neighbors in that department since they're already doing it way better than I could."
Two Airbnb suites will be located above the store, and while Iwanski will not own them, he will be managing the rentals for the property owners. The arrangement will allow the bookstore to offset its rent with revenue from the rentals, which Iwanski said will be especially valuable as the store gets on its feet. Eventually he'd like to offer trip packages and bookstore coupons for the Airbnb guests, but that will likely come a few months after opening.
Iwanski added that the community response has been great, with the store's neighbors excited to have new retail on the block. "The city of Newport has been welcoming and supportive, and so have my fellow R.I. booksellers at Island Books, Savoy Bookshop and Riffraff."