The Barnes & Noble bookstore across from Tyrone Square Mall in St. Petersburg has served readers for more than three decades. Now its days are numbered, though no one will say exactly how many remain.<\/p>\n
BayCare Health System purchased the property at 2501 Tyrone Blvd. N. in January for $10 million. The nonprofit health care giant plans to convert the 15,800-square-foot building into a freestanding emergency room, part of a $30 million project approved through Pinellas County municipal bonds last August.<\/p>\n
The bookstore remains open for now. But whether Barnes & Noble will find a new home in St. Petersburg \u2014 or leave the city entirely \u2014 remains unclear.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are honoring an existing lease by the current tenant,\u201d said C. Todd Jones, BayCare\u2019s chief strategy officer and chief ambulatory services officer. He didn\u2019t say when that lease expires or when construction would begin.<\/p>\n
BayCare spokesperson Mary Marandi said the health system knows the timeline but won\u2019t disclose it.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe want to ensure Barnes & Noble has communicated the timeline with their team before we share any further details,\u201d Marandi said. \u201cWe wouldn\u2019t be a good and responsible partner if we disclosed something that hasn\u2019t been shared internally on their end.\u201d<\/p>\n
Barnes & Noble spokesperson Janine Flanigan offered little clarity.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe remain open with no imminent plans to close, and we look forward to continuing to serve our customers in the St. Petersburg store for as long as we are able,\u201d Flanigan said. She did not respond to questions about whether the company is searching for a new location in the city or when employees would be notified of the store\u2019s closing date.<\/p>\n
The Tyrone store opened in 1993 when the building was constructed. It is the only Barnes & Noble location in St. Petersburg.<\/p>\n
BayCare said the new emergency room will be affiliated with St. Anthony\u2019s Hospital in downtown St. Petersburg and will employ about 40 people. The existing structure will be repurposed rather than demolished.<\/p>\n
This marks the second time BayCare has purchased a Barnes & Noble property in Tampa Bay. In 2024, the health system bought a closed Barnes & Noble in Tampa\u2019s Carrollwood neighborhood<\/a> for $10.5 million to build an urgent care center.<\/p>\n In that case, Barnes & Noble found a new location about a mile away<\/a>. The company reopened in a former Bed Bath & Beyond space in April, roughly eight months after leaving its original Carrollwood store.<\/p>\n