The Book Worm Book Store is a local, independently owned book store in Powder Springs, Georgia. This store has been a staple in the community for decades. In 2020, in the midst of a global pandemic, Julia Davis took over as the new owner. She has breathed new life into the store by flipping the inventory from largely used books to mostly new books, hosting events and book clubs, and beginning an annual Book Fest. One of the things that is most highly anticipated is the Story Garden. There is a beautiful green space on the property that was going to be utilized for a community garden where people could plant and harvest what they need, and this space could also be tied into book events. All of these things brought a new community to Powder Springs. People drive hours to visit the store and participate in community events. You walk in as a customer and truly leave as a friend. I am one such friend of The Book Worm. I have been attending events for years and recently have supported in other ways, volunteering time and resources as needed. As a monetary sponsor I have been provided with updates to the garden and other aspects.

The Book Worm Community Garden plans are now at risk due to building plans revealed by the City of Powder Springs. Their plan will take away most of the parking lot and all of the green space. The parking lot belongs to the city, but The Book Worm and the property on which it sits is owned outright by Julia. The city is planning to erect large walls and a huge retail space that will shadow The Book Worm as well as the photography studio nearby. They are also attempting to use a portion of the property that belongs to The Book Worm. The city approached Julia with a proposal to build a deck on The Book Worm’s property in place of the Story Garden. Julia declined this proposal because it would erase what the community has worked towards. After this, the city said they would move it to their property and put the wall on their property line, but now the wall will block access to The Book Worm and sunlight to the garden. The green space that currently exists behind The Book Worm will be turned into a small concrete amphitheater of sorts. There is already a large amphitheater across the street so the purpose of this is unclear. Book Fest is the last week of April and they have already begun the construction. The Story Garden was to be part of Book Fest’s activities. We had to find an alternative off-site to use for these activities, only a month prior to the event. Julia had submitted written and visual plans and applied for grants for the Story Garden in 2023. The grant the city provided Julia for the Story Garden was a matching grant. Julia put a call out to the community to help her match the grant so the garden could begin. She was advised that things would be addressed at city meetings and were coming along, but now the city is doing this- on Julia’s property where the Story Garden was to be located, and according to the same plans (more or less) that were originally proposed by Julia. Their plans also show a large wall separating their amphitheater space and The Book Worm.

The city has not been open with their plans. One day customers showed up to The Book Worm and there was a demolition crew in the parking lot. No one knew what was happening. When a sign (advertising the new retail building to come) on the sidewalk next to where the demolition was beginning garnered attention from Book Worm customers, it quickly disappeared. This planned building does not belong next to The Book Worm. It will be a logistical nightmare. It does not look like it will physically fit in the space they want to put it. There are also larger ramifications for the community. Parking is already limited in this area, so building this on an existing parking lot takes away parking for The Book Worm and other businesses downtown, but there would also be additional parking needs for the businesses going into this new building. During construction, roads may be blocked and police resources would be needed there for directing traffic and such. There are several beautiful historic retail spaces that sit empty on Marietta Street, so building a brand new retail space while those are available is unnecessary. The Book Worm’s Story Garden was meant to add beauty and peace to the downtown area of Powder Springs. In addition to the monstrosity of the new retail building, the new outdoor space will contain little to no green space. Since this is all concrete and asphalt, there will be no drainage for rain. The proposed deck/seating area is raised, meaning it would drain off of the deck right onto The Book Worm Property. This would lead to a variety of issues, from pests to flooding.

The Book Worm has become a place of refuge for many. It has become a place where friends gather and where tough conversations can be had to help bring the community together. The City of Powder Springs appears to be intentionally pushing out a small business that has provided growth to this area as well as personal connections to so many people. When people come to The Book Worm, they often visit other downtown establishments, bringing more to the local economy. The purpose of walls is to act as a boundary, to divide, to keep out. This is the opposite of The Book Worm’s mission: where love is shared as much as stories. If the city puts up walls around The Book Worm it will make it more difficult for Julia to serve the community, people will lose their safe place, and Powder Springs could lose an important asset. It is imperative that this demolition and construction is halted and these plans are revisited before irreparable damage is caused- literally and metaphorically.