Duke Plans Raise Concern for Regulator Bookshop

Last week, at a public hearing in Durham, North Carolina, representatives of Duke University reported that, as part of a campus redevelopment project, the school has plans to open a new bookstore in an easily accessible area of the campus, only a quarter mile from The Regulator Bookshop.

The new bookstore is part of a $240 million, "decades-long plan to recast the central campus area," which would include 800,000-square-feet of residential space, along with commercial and academic buildings, as reported by Durham's Herald-Sun. At last week's meeting, Duke Provost Peter Lange would not rule out that the bookstore would be run by a chain such as Barnes & Noble or Borders, Tom Campbell, Regulator's co-owner, told BTW.

"This will be a huge store," said Campbell, noting that currently the campus houses two bookstores, one for textbooks and one for trade books. Under the plan, the two existing bookstores would be rolled into a much larger bookstore, which would be located at the corner of the main intersection of the new development in a three-story building. "The present bookstores are not easily accessible to people not on the campus. This store would clearly have a wider market," he explained.

At the public meeting, a number of residents voiced concern over the effect a book so close to Regulator would have. John Schelp, president of the Old West Durham Neighborhood Association, said the prospect raised red flags, the Herald-Sun reported.

And while Lange publicly acknowledged their concerns, Campbell said, "I'm not sure they know what kind of impact the bookstore could have. The Provost looked surprised when I explained to him the negative impact this bookstore would have on my business."

Campbell added that it was ironic that a university could potentially be in the "position of destroying a major cultural resource in its community by creating a huge bookstore and moving it to the edge of its campus."

At present, Campbell is weighing his options regarding Duke's redevelopment plans. He has requested a meeting with the university president and provost to talk about the plan in more detail and is waiting for a response.

It is clear, however, that many in the Durham community are staunch supporters of The Regulator, Campbell said. "One option is to organize our various communities to oppose the bookstore.... People in the neighborhood, [some] Duke professors, and people who shop here have said if you need help opposing this new bookstore to let them know." --David Grogan