Kristianne Meal, the president and owner of Rust Belt Books, is continuing her effort to sell the bookstore, 415 Grant St., in order to focus on other ambitions.
Meal is looking for eligible applicants to purchase the business and continue opening the doors for everyone. The business and building are listed at $379,900. It has been for sale for most of the past year.
“Well, that comes down to somebody who has the finances to buy the business and wants to negotiate and come up with something,” Meal said.
With Rust Belt being a “niche business,” responsibilities associated with bookstore ownership may be difficult for some applicants. Meal said what the future of Rust Belt would look like if a sale does not come through.
“If it doesn’t happen then I will sell the inventory myself and we’ll pack Rust Belt Books up into our hearts, which is OK, too,” Meal said.
Since taking ownership of the bookstore in October 2004 from previous owner, Brian Lampkin, Meal has expanded the bookstore’s business to include services such as book selling through Amazon, while offering a variety of titles and hosting events in the store's backroom.
“From music poetry, theater, performance art,
gatherings, this has provided a kind of a place for the subculture that doesn’t
have access to bigger venues, to take risks, and do their art,” Meal said. By Carly Lawson
