Book Center likely to stay at U.

Don't count out the Pennsylvania Book Center. Negotiations between the store and University City Associates, Penn's for-profit real estate arm, have taken a turn for the better, and the 35-year-old independent bookstore now appears likely to remain on campus. The Book Center last week signed a non-binding letter of intent for the former location of Sam Goody in the 3401 Walnut Street complex, according to Achilles Nickles, the store's owner. In January, the store signed a letter of intent for a space on the 3900 block of Walnut Street next to the Cinemagic movie theater, but negotiations for a lease fell through. University Plaza, which currently houses the store on the 3700 block of Walnut Street, is scheduled for demolition this summer to make way for a new Wharton School building. "There are some things in [the letter] that I'm not happy with," Nickles said. "But hopefully we can work it out. It looks promising." He added that most financial issues in the lease have been resolved. UCA Managing Editor John Greenwood was unavailable for comment. Under the letter of intent, the store would remain open until 6 p.m. on weekdays and keep some weekend hours as well. Currently the store is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. The extended-hours requirement comes as part of Penn's efforts to keep stores open evenings and weekends and make the area a leisure-time destination. The Book Center is the only remaining University Plaza store that has been offered space elsewhere on campus. Classical Choice, which was also offered space on campus, chose to move to a Center City location. The store cited high rent rates as the motivating factor in its decision to move. The Book Center's arrival in the 3401 Walnut complex would complete an overhaul of the retail face of the complex during the past year. Everything Yogurt, Bain's Deli, Software Etc. and Metro Hair have all left the complex. Foot Locker and Cinnabon will vacate their locations in the near future. In their place, the University has signed University Jewelers and Salad Creations, is negotiating an expansion with the Gap and is on the verge of signing Auntie Anne's for the Cinnabon space. UCA has not yet told University Plaza tenants by what date they will have to move out. That date is expected to be sometime in June.