Fears of Collegetown Bagels fans can be put to rest — the student staple eatery will move across College Avenue into the Cornell-owned Sheldon Court Building at 420 College Avenue, the store announced in a press release Friday morning.
After Student Agencies — who owns the building where Collegetown Bagels currently operates — announced plans to tear down the aging structure and rebuild a luxury apartment building in its place, CTB owners faced a decision on how to move forward.
While the plans for the new building at the corner of Collegetown do include retail space, owner Gregar Brous told The Sun in August that they were exploring new options, including some of the open real estate along the street.
CTB’s new space will be the first floor of Cornell dormitory Sheldon Court, a 119-year-old building home to 164 upper-level students on its five floors. Part of the building is currently empty, and CTB will manage the renovations to the space.
After they are complete, this new location will include ample outdoor space — CTB’s current patio is a popular gathering place, and owners as well as local government officials have expressed concern about losing that outdoor public space in a renovation.
“At Collegetown Bagels we pride ourselves on being a central gathering place for locals, students, and visitors to all converge and feel at home. We are excited to continue to be a community gathering spot for decades to come,” Brous said in the press release
In addition to the outdoor space, the new 4,900-square-foot build out will feature exposed brick and fireplaces within the indoor space.
The press release did not state when construction would start on the Sheldon Court location, or when the new store would open to customers. The current building is slated for demolition on June 1, and owner Gregor Brous previously expressed interest in a concurrent opening and closing if a move were made.
The locally-owned bagel chain, whose first location opened at 413 College Avenue — currently home to gift shop Bear Necessities — in 1976, now has locations in East Hill and on the Commons. Their downtown location also moved addresses this year, opening in the City Centre building with swanky decor and another space expansion.
The CTB press release states that the company was “hoping to remain in the current space through reunion” post-renovation, but that that outcome “may not be possible.”
Kyle Karnes ’91, the CEO of Student Agencies, told The Sun in the fall that while talks were ongoing with CTB at the time, the student company was also exploring other options.
Brous said in the release that the company is “thankful to have found a new long-term home.”
John Carberry, the University’s senior director of media relations and news, said in the release that Cornell was “very happy” that the bagel shop had picked Sheldon Court.
“We look forward to continuing to have CTB as our neighbor and as part of the Collegetown community,” he said.
The new location in the Cornell-owned building will still offer beer and wine, the press release stated. The store, while famous for its bagels, also offers a variety of coffees, teas, and Ithaca Bakery pastries.