The Bowdoin Bookstore will potentially open the doors to its new Maine Street location during Parents Weekend.
The store will carry similar items to those sold at the bookstore in Smith Union: Bowdoin apparel, books written by Bowdoin professors and alumni, and goods from local retailers.
"The College saw the Maine Street Station area as an opportunity," said Director of Dining and Bookstore Services Mary Lou Kennedy. "It is an ideal retail location."
Kennedy cited Williams and Darmouth as examples of schools with off-campus stores.
"Williams and Dartmouth have bookstores with a presence in their respective communities," said Kennedy. "We'll be accessible to an entirely different population."
With the opening of an additional bookstore, residents of Brunswick, high school students, and visitors will have an opportunity to purchase Bowdoin merchandise at a more central location.
Assistant Director for Bookstore Operations Cindy Breton said "There will be candies and chocolates from local companies. We will also have many new sustainable and eco-friendly products. And of course, items that have to do with Bowdoin."
Breton explained that the customers will play a key role in determining what will be sold.
"We'll start with what's popular. We will be hearing from customers and people in town. We always ask students for their input."
There are, however, several differences between the bookstore in Smith Union and the new one on Maine Street.
"At the new bookstore, there will be information about the Bowdoin campus. There will be campus maps as well as a few selective products from the Art and Arctic Museums, which will be sold as a marketing tool," said Kennedy.
The materials in the bookstore will draw additional visitors to the Bowdoin College Museum of Art, among other campus attractions.
"It's synergy if you will," said Bookstore Manager Jason Harvie. "We'll give the museum's visibility to people in the community. We'll display their hours and notify people in the community of the great resources right in front of them."
Kennedy said that there will be opportunities for students, especially those experienced in the retail industry, to work at the new store.
The building that houses the new location is not owned by the College. The property itself is owned by Main Street Station and the College is leasing the building (like Scarlet Begonias, the previous users of the space, did).
Bowdoin hired their own internal architects and construction crew to create the store.
The store was designed by Bergmeyer Architects and was built by Warren Construction.
Kennedy, Breton and Harvie have been actively engaged in the project for six months.
"I've worked on a lot of projects. There's always challenges and it's fun to work through them," said Kennedy.
The College Store will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday though Saturday.