Pitt bookstore returns to old location, boasts news features

After a yearlong renovation,  Pitt’s bookstore is open and ready for the fall semester under a new name. 

The University Store on Fifth opened at the University Book Center’s previous Fifth Avenue location Monday. In July of last year, the store moved to a building near the corner of Forbes and Meyran avenues to allow construction and expansion within the store.

According to the store’s manager, Kristin Hopkins, the store will host a grand-opening celebration in October. For now, the store is open and operating while giving the staff time to hire employees, fill the store with books and work out any kinks in its operation. 

“I’m really impressed,” junior Meghana Patil said of the renovations. “It looks like a real bookstore.” 

Now the newly renovated Book Center is more than just a place to hunt down textbooks for class. There are now sections for children’s books and leisure reading, open areas for customers to sit and read books and a merchandise area filled with Pitt gear. According to Hopkins, the renovations involved ridding the store of its office area and expanding back so that the store would wrap around the quad.

In July 2012, Pitt’s Board of Trustees approved more than $9.4 million for the Book Center renovations. At the time, the money was expected to come from Pitt’s auxiliary reserves. The renovations are the first for the bookstore since it opened in 1960.

Pitt spokeswoman Cara Masset said that the renovations cost $9.5 million in total. Pitt plans to lease the temporary bookstore location on Forbes Ave. to Verizon Wireless.

Junior Gordon Wyrostek explored the new book store’s layout on his first day as a Computer Services and System Development employee and commended the renovations. 

“I think the new inclusions are really awesome, and I think people will enjoy getting everything in one place,” Wyrostek said. 

The first floor now includes a CSSD location, a cafe and a printing press where students can print their own books. 

Hopkins said the store saw a steady stream of customers on its first day, though employees are still in the process of stocking bookshelves and unpacking textbooks. 

Students are happy that the Book Center is once again easily accessible. 

“It’s definitely better that it’s back in its original spot,” junior Felix Nguyen said. “It’s the center of campus.”