Bookstore owners have solution for ongoing air conditioning issue: They’re moving the business

After weeks of sharing their air conditioning crisis with customers and this week with multiple local media outlets, the owners of The Best Bookstore in Palm Springs have decided to solve the problem themselves: They’re moving the store.

Co-owners Paul Bradley Carr and Sarah Lacy said Tuesday they are planning to move their independent bookstore from 180 East Tahquitz Canyon Way after their landlord, Lyle Commercial Properties, refused to pay for repairs to the broken air conditioning system. The unit failed during the July 4th weekend, leaving the nearly 1,000-square-foot store without cooling during Palm Springs’ summer heat.

“They said, yeah, we’re not doing that. We don’t do that,” Carr said about the landlord’s response to a $13,000 repair estimate. “And I said, well, you did last time and they said, ‘No, no, we don’t do that.'”

The bookstore, which opened in November 2022 as Carr and Lacy’s first brick-and-mortar business, previously had air conditioning issues in the back annex about a year ago. Carr said the landlord replaced that unit without question, telling them “that’s on us.”

An HVAC technician who examined the current damage told Carr that someone had disconnected the unit and that the condenser was destroyed, though it’s unclear whether the disconnection caused the damage or if someone disconnected an already broken unit.

Danny Grathwohl, a co-owner of the property management company, told The Desert Sun this week that the lease language clearly makes tenants responsible for such repairs and that the company has explained this to Carr. Grathwohl said the landlords have offered to pay 50% of the repair costs and have also offered to let the bookstore owners out of their lease early, which he described as going beyond their legal obligations.

Carr and Lacy aren’t planning on footing the bill for the AC repairs. But they are taking the landlords up on the offer to end their lease early. The new location, which Carr hopes to sign a lease for this week, is not being disclosed just yet. However, it is nearby, meaning the bookstore will continue to be a downtown staple.

That’s good news for their loyal following, judging by the fact response to their plight has been overwhelming. Carr said Tuesday that past and present mayors, Palm Springs City Council members, and code enforcement officials have visited the store offering support.

Fellow business owners, including the team from Gallivant in La Plaza, have provided assistance and helped identify the new location. In fact, Carr said, it was a visit to Gallivant by the owner of The Post (and author of this article) that quickly led to securing the new space.

“People flooded in,” Carr said. “People posting online — can we contact the landlords on your behalf? We’ve had people come in and say ‘I want to buy a $500 gift card just to help you guys.'”

To fund the estimated $13,000 moving costs, the bookstore is launching a creative fundraising campaign featuring a permanent mural in the new store. Donors who contribute $1,000 will have their names included in the artwork, while smaller contributions will receive other recognition. Those interested in helping out can head to this website launched Tuesday evening by Carr.

The store is also running a “buy two, get one free” sale on all books to reduce inventory before the move. The sale continues until they relocate or run out of books, whichever comes first.

Currently operating with limited hours from noon to 5 p.m., the store uses swamp coolers and fans while keeping doors open to manage the heat. Indoor temperatures regularly reach 90 degrees, forcing Carr to send employees home on the hottest days for safety reasons.

Lyle has given them until Aug. 10 to vacate the space.

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