EAST VILLAGE — St. Mark’s Bookshop is looking for some last-minute help as it prepares to open a new chapter.
The East Village institution, located at 31 Third Ave. near East Ninth Street, is in the final weeks of an Indiegogo fundraising campaign to help the store move to a more affordable spot in the neighborhood.
As of Tuesday, with 18 days left to go in the Indiegogo campaign, the drive had raised more than $35,000 of the store's $50,000 goal.
The money will help the bookstore move at the end of May from its home of more than 35 years to a smaller space at 135 E. Third St. near Avenue A, as well as to build out the 1,300-square-foot storefront, said co-owner Bob Contant.
“It’s going to be about half the size of where we are now,” Contant said, “so it’s going to be smaller, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing in this economy.”
Contant also said the new store will “look a little different.” The space will have a modern and streamlined design, with a white interior and a curved wall that will run the length of the store.
“It’s going to be a nice-looking store,” he said.
In 2011, the struggling bookstore won a rent reduction from its landlord, Cooper Union, at its current home, but the $17,500 monthly rent was still too much for the business, Contant previously told DNAinfo New York.
The Indiegogo campaign runs until May 16, with incentives for those who contribute at least $25, according to the website. Supporters can also donate directly to the store, Contant said.
