By Leslie Albrecht
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
UPPER WEST SIDE — Booklovers might be crying, but bargain hunters are smiling.
Fashion discount mega-store Century 21 confirmed Wednesday that it will take over the retail space that Barnes & Noble is leaving at Broadway and West 66th Street.
The clothing retailer will move into the 61,000 square-foot space in February, make some tweaks, then open for business in fall 2011.
Millennium Partners, which owns the retail space, said in a statement that it expects Century 21 to draw a "large volume of shoppers" to the Lincoln Square area.
"We believe that having Century 21 as an anchor in Lincoln Square will help drive a level of pedestrian traffic that our other retail tenants will benefit from," said Mario Palumbo of Millennium Partners in a statement.
Nearby retailers include Banana Republic, Pottery Barn, The Gap and Gracious Home.
The store will be Century 21's second Manhattan location. Its flagship store is at 22 Cortlandt Street in Lower Manhattan. It also has stores in Brooklyn, Long Island, Morristown, Paramus and Queens.
Barnes & Noble announced Monday that it's closing its Lincoln Square location because it can't afford the rent.
