After more than 25 years of marriage, Archie and Pat Kutz say they’re finally ready to move in together. At work, that is.

Owners of the Lift Bridge Book Shop and Lift Bridge Kids on Main Street, Brockport, the Kutz’s will merge the two stores over the next few weeks. Separated by just a few doors on Main Street, the two stores will move in together in the recently vacated Mark and Dale’s store.

While the overall square footage of the old and new locations will be about the same, the advantage to the Kutz’s is to be able to better share resources. The advantage to customers is that parents and children will be able to browse through materials under the same roof.

The main entrance will remain on Main Street, but a secondary entrance from Market Street will lead directly into the Kids’ part of the store. That entrance will be open during the day, but likely locked during evening hours for security reasons.

For those who remember the basement of the former Working Man’s Store, the Kutz’s are re-opening that space for retail use. Downstairs will be text books, posters, art supplies, literature and reference materials. Eventually, a coffee bar will also be located downstairs. Pat said she will try to keep all Kids’ materials on the first floor to accommodate parents with strollers.

Designing a new, combined store lay-out that is convenient for inventory, staff and customers has been a challenge, the Kutz’s say. But an even bigger challenge is what to do with the second story Main Street façade. The couple would like to make the building blend better with the architecturally detailed buildings that surround it. That process will occur over time.

The move will also occur gradually, starting the day after Memorial Day. For those who love to be lost in book store inventory, Pat has a sign-up sheet for volunteers who would like to help move stock to the new store. Archie is maintaining text book inventory for SUNY Brockport’s second summer session at the current location, but hopes to have the move mostly complete by Father’s Day.

The Kutz’s plan to keep both stores open during the move, the only dates in doubt are June 7 and 8 when the computer systems are merged. It’s best if customers call before making the trip on those two days, Pat said.

Long thought of as one of the best places to shop during the annual Sidewalk Sale, the Lift Bridge Book Store will offer even more deals this year. What the Kutz’s don’t want to move will be sold by the bagful during the Sidewalk Sale.

The move creates two new open spaces on Main Street. The Kutz’s leased the old Lift Bridge Book Store space, but own the Lift Bridge Kids’ space. Both will be available for lease when the move is complete. Downtown merchants are relieved that the old Mark and Dale’s Store front, one of the biggest spaces on Main Street, will be filled.

Danielle Windus-Cook and Lynda VandenBerg-Mora, the real estate agents who listed the building, said their focus on selling the building was with the already established merchants. "We visited them all," VandenBerg-Mora said, "emphasizing the opportunity to expand into a bigger space and having an anchor on Main and Market streets."