After 56 Years, Auburn University's Beloved Anders Bookstore is No More

After more than 50 years in business, an Auburn University institution reached its final chapter.

Anders Bookstore, which has stood on West Magnolia Avenue since January 1966, shuttered for good last week. According to Opelika-Auburn News, the store will be demolished to make way for a 177-room Graduate Hotel—the chain's first Alabama location.

"An Auburn icon closed its doors this week," the Auburn Alumni Association announced on Facebook on March 16. "Thank you to Anders Bookstore for being such an integral part of Auburn and Auburn University for almost six decades!"

The Anders family sold the bookstore in 2005. After growing up working in the store with his father and grandfather, Auburn Mayor Ron Anders Jr. famously served as the CEO of the bookstore for 20 years. As AL.com points out, it's also where Auburn cheerleaders' famous Iron Bowl rugby sweaters got their start in 1985.

"Really going to miss them," one Facebook commenter wrote. "Great store and people."

"So sad. Such great memories of that place," another chimed in.

The new five-story Graduate Hotel will have an event space, coffee shop, and several other amenity areas for guests.

In January, Hartshorne Plunkard Architecture principal Jillian Agdern told the city's Downtown Design Review Committee that the new building will follow the Georgian architectural style. According to Opelika-Auburn News, the aim is to "mimic other structures downtown and on Auburn University's campus" that have similar architecture.

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"The goal of this design was to create a new building that feels as if it has always been there," Agdern explained.