Prairie Avenue Books & Powell's Books Close

Prairie Avenue Books, at 418 S. Wabash, a touchstone institution for architects in Chicago and around the globe, closed its doors on August 31st.

Powell's Books, at 828 S. Wabash, closed on Sept. 1st, ending a run of more than 30 years in the neighborhood.

Prairie Avenue Books owners blamed the sales tax in Chicago as a primary reason for their closing, while Powell's owners blamed the increasing neighborhood rents for shuttering the South Loop store. For the full story by the Chicago Journal on: the Prairie Ave. closure, click here; the Powell closure, click here.