EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — A beloved Central El Paso bookstore has closed its doors to foot traffic following a notice of violation from the City of El Paso.
Jud Burgess, co-owner of Brave Books, said he and his wife have owned and operated two businesses out of the property for years so the notice came as a surprise.
“Up until from 2005 to 2019, I ran a graphic design studio out of here without any kind of problem with the neighborhood,” Burgess said. ” In the back of my mind, I always thought this day could come, but not after eight years of a bookstore and 21 years of owning the building and running a business in one form or another out of this bookstore.”
Burgess said his bookstore has become an attraction for in-state and out-of-state visitors.
“We just meet people every single day that are from El Paso, people that are from the outskirts, from Marfa, and just from all over the US traveling through El Paso,” Burgess said.
KTSM reached out to the City of El Paso to inquire about the reason for the notice and a spokesperson said someone filed a complaint.
“The City does not routinely inspect every property to determine whether its current use aligns with its zoning. When an issue is reported or otherwise comes to our attention, staff reviews it and works with the property owner to address any requirements.”
Burgess said he did not know who filed the complaint and noted that he didn’t think it was any of his neighbors.
“I know my neighbors,” Burgess said. “We all look out for each other.”
The spokesperson also mentioned that the City was working with the bookstore to address zoning requirements while allowing the bookstore to continue operating.
Burgess said his business had closed its doors and that he would contact the City to clarify if he could re-open his doors to in-store shopping.
Burgess said he will work with the City to reach compliance but mentioned it will take time and money.
“It’s hard to tell what all this is going to cost, because you pay regular fees for zoning permits and things like that. Then you have to modify the building to accommodate, let’s say, the ADA requirements.” Burgess said. “It could get very expensive and for small business people like us, it could it could be a make-or-break situation.”
For now Burgess said he has reverted to selling books through social media to keep his business and reading alive.
“I’ll literally deliver them to their front doorstep,” Burgess said. “It’s a lot of work and gas is not cheap, so it’s just rough. But it keeps me busy and it keeps me feeling like our bookstore is still moving ahead. We’re not going to just like close our doors and just vanish.”
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