Northtown Books and Dandar’s move into former Pacific Outfitters building

Northtown Books and Dandar’s Boardgames and Books were preparing to reopen together in the former Pacific Outfitters building at 737 G St., just off Arcata Plaza, with fire pit removal set to begin July 6. The move gave downtown Arcata a concrete next step after the January fire that wiped out the shops’ former shared H Street location.

The two businesses were set to split the 6,000-square-foot former Hatchet House building just south of Café Brio, returning to the side-by-side arrangement that customers knew from H Street. Dandar’s planned to occupy the north side of the space and Northtown Books the south side. Dandar’s had also spent time at the Jacoby Storehouse while the permanent storefront came together.

Dandar’s told customers it was “very excited to get into our new storefront at 737 G St.” That new address matters because the move is not just about replacing lost square footage. It puts two independent retailers back in a walkable stretch of downtown near the Plaza, where bookstores, game shops and other local businesses help set the pace for foot traffic and evening activity.

The January 2 downtown Arcata fire destroyed seven businesses, damaged five others and left the Arcata Fire District with an initial damage estimate of about $18 million. Among the businesses destroyed were Northtown Books, Dandar’s Boardgames and Books, Global Village Gallery, Vanilla Sky Company and Hensel’s Ace Hardware’s candy, kitchen and paint shops. Apartments upstairs were also lost, deepening the impact beyond the storefronts themselves.

Cleanup work at the fire site near 10th and H streets was later cleared to proceed after insurance companies released the property to the owners in May. The City of Arcata said it was working to streamline permitting and help identify a qualified contractor for the demolition and removal of fire debris. County supervisors also approved an emergency declaration over runoff concerns involving ash, debris and potentially hazardous substances from the fire.

Mad River Union reported that insurance covered the Northtown crew’s lost income during the closure, a small but telling sign of how tightly the books, the lease and the rebuild are tied together. The test now is whether 737 G St. becomes a durable downtown reset for two familiar names, or simply a temporary reshuffling while Arcata’s commercial core continues to recover.