River City Reading Room will open next Wednesday, April 22, in Peoria, Ill., the Peoria Journal Star reported.
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| Chuck Levesque | |
Located at 315 Main St. in downtown Peoria, River City Reading Room will offer mostly new titles with a small selection of used books. Owner Chuck Levesque plans to carry general-interest titles for all ages while highlighting books about Illinois and by Illinois artists. The store will also have a gallery wall featuring the work of local and regional artists.
"I want this to be a real third place," Levesque told the Journal Star. His event plans include author readings, art exhibits, and salons. "It will be a place that's not home and not work, but just a place where people can gather."
Levesque started visiting the Peoria area some 12 years ago and decided to open a bookstore there after retiring from his previous career working for a homeless services organization in Chicago.
"I decided that I wanted my next venture to address my dual interests of building community and entrepreneur-ism," he explained. "I thought an independent new-book bookstore downtown would be a great fit."
The store is not far from Bradley University, and Levesque plans to offer a 10% discount on book purchases to all Bradley students, faculty, and staff.
Following the April 22 opening, Levesque will host a reception on April 25 for those who helped him open the bookstore.