Good news for those who love to curl-up with a good book: Bookstore chain Borders Group Inc. plans to debut a huge new "concept store" in Allen this August. The store will be located at the giant new development called Watters Creek at Montgomery Farms, which is on the SW corner of Highway 75 and Bethany Drive. Specifically, Boarders will be located right next to the Market Street supermarket with an entrance facing their shared parking lot and another around back from the walking paths and streets in the Watters Creek development. Borders is said to be opening an additional 13 similar stores this year nationwide. They said the new Allen store will create 65 jobs and, I'm guessing, immense joy for book worms all over Allen and surrounding cities. They also said the concept store "represents a significant enhancement over existing Borders stores" and that it will feature a new interior look along with Internet-based services in the store. It sounds to me like they're trying to create the book store of the future. Obviously, Boarders doesn't think the Internet and the latest, portable, "digital books" (that let you download new books without ever visiting a store) will be the end of the traditional book store. We tend to agree, so my wife Sarah and I are looking forward to the new store.

"With its many avid book, music and movie lovers - together with its vibrant culture and rich history - Allen is a wonderful community for a concept store, and we are anxious for customers to start enjoying all that the store will offer this summer," said Vince Vizza, vice president of real estate for Borders Group.

Within the new store, Allen (and surrounding community) residents should get to enjoy:

• A digital center where customers can make their own CDs and download books and music to publish their own books, explore their family history and create photo books.
• Special areas for cooking, wellness, travel, graphic novels and children's sections that feature books, DVDs and related merchandise as well as programming shown on 32-inch LCD screens and computer kiosks.
• A Seattle's Best Coffee cafe that will serve beverages and fresh food.
• A Paperchase shop selling notebooks, journals, wrapping paper, greeting cards and other gifts and stationery items from U.K.-based Paperchase Products Ltd.
• Internet access available storewide through an alliance with T-Mobile.
• Self-serve search stations so that customers can check the availability of a title and its location in the store. Bonus: After Borders launches its Web site this year, customers will be able to order items at the kiosk and have their order shipped to their home or to the store. I'm asuming, perhaps, items that are not in stock or maybe even gifts wrapped and sent directly to someone special.

Click Here for Border's Press Release.

Ryan Cave, The "Caveman"
Truth, Honor & Personal Integrity
214-789-9366
www.CaveRealty.com