The University of Houston-Downtown (UHD) Bookstore has completed "phase one" of its two-phase renovation project, and students will soon benefit from an upgraded and more inviting campus bookstore.

The store remains in its same location near the Portico entrance on the third flood of One Main Building. It will include an expanded market place, gifts section, Gator Shop for UHD apparel and other items, school supplies, textbooks, and new register counters for an efficient checkout experience.

Store manager Rebecca Brouwer said UHD students have much to look forward to.

"It's for them. We wanted to give them a new and improved bookstore and showcase school spirit," she said.

To complement the bookstore's new interior, its exterior will also receive updates. The bookstore will be enhanced by a double door entrance and a brand new storefront with frameless floor to ceiling windows—creating a welcoming vibe and a panoramic visual effect.

The campus bookstore is operated by Barnes & Noble College Booksellers which operates 770 bookstores across the country. According to Mary Torres, director of University Business Services, UHD and Barnes & Noble College Booksellers will share the expense of the renovations.

"It was time for renovations. This was something that needed to be done to meet the needs of our students and showcase where we are now as a University," said Torres.

To accommodate its growth, the bookstore will hire additional staff. In addition to its added features, the store will have a storage room to be added on the third floor. It will allow the store to house larger inventory and accommodate more students within the limits of resources. Other additions include two big screen televisions displaying digital signage on student marketing, promotional graphics, and music.

Phase two is currently underway. Services currently available to students at the bookstore will continue to be offered on the second level of the bookstore accessible by using the elevators located at the front of the One Main Building.

"We've had so much positive feedback from students with phase one, I cannot wait until they see the completion of phase two," Brouwer said. Renovations will be completed by mid-July 2017 before students return for the fall semester.

In October 2017, University students can expect a grand re-opening of the bookstore to celebrate the new changes. And, during fall 2017 Welcome Week, the bookstore will host its annual VIP Night, a student-only event.

"The goal is to provide new and returning Gators with a fun, social atmosphere to shop for textbooks and become familiar with the UHD Bookstore, topped off with extra discounts and free giveaways," Brouwer said.