Gilroy
– A six-week closure for Gilroy Crossing’s Barnes
&
amp; Noble Booksellers means students shopping for books and
other school supplies will have to go elsewhere.
Gilroy – A six-week closure for Gilroy Crossing’s Barnes & Noble Booksellers means students shopping for books and other school supplies will have to go elsewhere.
Damages from a two-inch main water pipe burst last Thursday turned out to be worse than store managers initially estimated, said Mary Ellison, the store’s community relations manager.
Crews from San Jose Construction Co. Inc., which built the retail center, worked through the weekend to vacuum standing water, dry the carpet and assess other damage. Store manager Kelly Waterson said last Thursday she hoped the store would reopen last Saturday, but after further judgment, repairs most likely will require replacement of all carpet and bookshelves.
“We hate to disappoint Gilroy residents, and we’re disappointed, too,” Ellison said. “But we’re here to stay. We’ll be back as quickly as possible, and we’re working with full crews to get done what needs to get done.”
Although the 23,000-square-foot bookstore wasn’t open last year when school began, Gavilan College spokesperson Jan Bernstein Chargin said she thinks some students will be surprised when they make the trip to Barnes & Noble.
“I think people will be disappointed, especially if they haven’t visited the store yet,” she said. “But it’s more of a disappointment than an inconvenience.”
The incident did not affect any other Gilroy Crossing retailers, as the water main ran only through the bookstore. The flood drenched the children’s section, and water also reached the storeroom and offices, Waterson said. The only area unaffected was the store’s cafe, which is tiled.
The burst was the first plumbing problem the store has encountered since its June opening, Ellison said. She attributed the incident to faulty soldering, but officials from San Jose Construction could not be reached Wednesday.
When customers call the store, they are directed by an automated answering service to the nearest Barnes & Noble on Almaden Expressway in South San Jose.
The store employs a total of about 50 part- and full-time employees. District Manager Greg Chavez said it’s too early to predict where those workers will go in the meantime.
“We’re a big operation, so we have the measures in place to get things up and running quickly,” he said. “We’ve had such a great response from the community since we first opened. We feel comfortable that no one will be displaced. Right now, we’re focusing on how quickly we can get back to the community. We’re intact.” Chavez also said the store could not yet assess specific figures on merchandise damage.
