Barnes & Noble Inc., the big New York-based bookselling chain that also owns the B. Dalton Bookseller chain, plans to close the only B. Dalton store remaining in Spokane.


That store, which is located downtown, at 702 W. Main, is expected to close on Dec. 31, says Debra Williams, a Barnes & Noble spokeswoman. The company has decided to close the store because its lease is going to expire, the rent is being raised, and it no longer will be fiscally feasible to operate the outlet, she says.


Barnes & Noble doesnt have plans at this time to replace that 18-year-old B. Dalton store or to open a Barnes & Noble store in the downtown area, Williams says. The 33 people who currently work at the downtown B. Dalton store will be given an opportunity to work for the new Barnes & Noble store thats to open Sept. 1 at NorthTown Mall, Williams says.


In connection with opening the new NorthTown Barnes & Noble, the big bookseller also closed its 23-year-old B. Dalton store at the mall.


The Barnes & Noble store will be able to provide a larger inventory and greater amenities than the B. Dalton at NorthTown did, Williams says.


The about 40 employees who had been working at the B. Dalton store at NorthTown also will be given the opportunity to work at the 28,000-square-foot Barnes & Noble store there. That store, which also will feature a Barnes & Noble Caf with both indoor and outdoor customer seating, will employ 75 people. The B. Dalton store had occupied about 4,500 square feet of space at the shopping mall.


Barnes & Noble operates more than 375 B. Dalton bookstores. Barnes & Noble acquired B. Dalton Bookseller stores from Dayton Hudson Corp. in 1987.