Halloween City Coming to Former Borders Site in St. Charles at the End of Summer

The site of the former  on the east side of St. Charles is expected to be occupied again by the end of the summer—at least temporarily.

Halloween City recently signed a temporary lease, which will be in effect from August until November, said Neil Johnson of Sperry Van Ness, the company that owns the property.

“There is new, temporary life for the ,” said Johnson.

While not a permanent fill for the large retail space, the seasonal use is being seen as positive news for the retail area.

“Every time something fills in, and it’s new, it brings new visibility to the area,” explained Lori Hewitt, president of the St. Charles Chamber of Commerce.

Hewitt said people who come to the Halloween City might notice other nearby retail storefronts, such as , that they didn’t realize were there before.

“Even if it’s temporary, it’s great for the economic vitality of the city,” she said.

Borders Bookstore liquidated its inventory last spring, and closed its doors in April after the corporation filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy in February. The St. Charles location was on a list of locations selected by the company to be shuttered.

The process of finding a permanent occupant for the store can be lengthy due to the complicated nature of lease negotiations with larger retail spaces.

“Those big stores (require) a lengthy process,” said Johnson.