Northtown Books and Dandar's to Reopen Side by Side in Renovated Hatchet House

Nearly three months after a wind-driven fire erased a half-block of downtown Arcata and left two beloved bookstores in ash, Northtown Books owner Dante DiGenova signed a lease on March 25 for the former Hatchet House building at 737 G Street, just south of Café Brio on the Plaza. Dan Gilkey and Doranna Benker-Gilkey, who co-own Dandar's Boardgames and Books, will sign alongside him to share the 6,000-square-foot space.

The arrangement mirrors what the two shops had before the January 2 blaze consumed their H Street storefronts along with five other businesses and seven buildings in total, causing an estimated $18 million in damages. "We're going to divide it in half," DiGenova said. "Same orientation, with Northtown on the south and Dandar's on the north." He described the G Street address, vacant since the Hatchet House closed at the end of 2024, as close enough to the Plaza to draw foot traffic without the congestion of being on it. "This is kind of the perfect location for us," he said. "Close to but not on the Plaza."

Getting back in the door won't happen overnight. DiGenova said he expects access to the building May 1 and is targeting August for the reopening, though he added "July would be ideal." Before then, contractors must internally subdivide the building, and a new glass vestibule will be built along the G Street facade. The bifurcation will not split the space evenly; HVAC constraints give Northtown roughly 200 extra square feet, a tradeoff Dandar's accepted. A 3D rendering of the new layout has been completed but has not yet been made public.

The path to 737 G Street was not straightforward. Both shops considered the now-vacant Allen Building near the Arcata Theatre on H Street, but internal reconstruction costs made that option prohibitive. Dandar's, which had relocated to downtown Arcata from Valley West only months before the fire, has been operating an interim location in Jacoby's Storehouse while Northtown continued its search. Insurance has covered staff wages throughout the disruption. "Everyone's been getting paid," DiGenova said.

Northtown Books has served Arcata continuously since 1965, making it the county's oldest bookstore and one of its most durable cultural institutions. That six-decade run makes its displacement by fire and its planned revival at a new address a story Humboldt County has been watching closely since January. Dandar's, despite being newer to downtown, had already built a devoted following for its sci-fi and fantasy inventory, manga, tabletop games, and tarot cards before the fire cut its initial run short.

The shared space at 737 G Street positions the two shops to cross-promote events, readings, and community programming without competing for the same customer. For anyone marking a calendar now: plan for July or August, watch both stores' announcements for a firm grand-opening date, and expect to find Tovi, DiGenova's poodle, back behind the shelves.