Barnes & Noble to close downtown Naperville store this month before readying new store in Oswego

Barnes & Noble plans to close its longtime location in downtown Naperville by the end of the month to start making its move to a new location on Route 34 in Oswego.

Oswego village officials recently announced the store is set to open later this year in the space formerly occupied by DSW Designer Shoe Warehouse on Route 34 in Oswego. The store has been located at 47 E. Chicago Ave. in downtown Naperville since 1998.

The last day for the store at its current location is Jan. 21.

“It has truly been our honor and privilege to be your bookseller in Naperville for the last 25 years,” Barnes & Noble said in an Instagram post. “While we’re saddened to vacate our current home, we are so excited to stay nearby and in a beautiful new bookstore.”

Work is tentatively set to begin in January on Barnes & Noble’s new space, located at 2590 Route 34 next to a Best Buy store in the Prairie Market retail center. A cafe would be located inside the bookstore.

“I couldn’t be happier to welcome Barnes & Noble to our community!” Oswego Village President Ryan Kauffman said. ”Bookstores are one of my favorite spots. This new addition promises to be a haven for literature lovers and a vibrant hub for intellectual engagement. It’s not only a step forward in enhancing the cultural fabric of our town, but will also elevate and diversify our retail offerings.”

Barnes & Noble is just the latest business to fill a vacancy along Route 34. Vasa Fitness health club is moving into the long-vacant former Dominick’s building in the Oswego Commons shopping center on Route 34 in Oswego.

The space at 3010 Route 34 has been vacant since the grocery store closed in 2013.

“Once completed, they plan to offer a wide variety of amenities, including an indoor pool and spa; child care center; massage lounge; basketball court; racquetball court; functional training turf; boutique-style, high-intensity interval classes; and personal training,” Oswego Economic Development Director Kevin Leighty had previously said.

In addition, Orangetheory Fitness recently opened in the space at 1540 Douglas Road formerly occupied by Men’s Wearhouse in the Gerry Centennial Plaza. The building that previously housed Esporta Fitness in Oswego could be home to another fitness center or potentially a restaurant.

Esporta Fitness, which had been located at 201 Ogden Falls Road along Route 34, closed its doors Oct. 16. The 45,000 square foot building, which sits on 4.88 acres, was built in 2008.