Corcoran's to Relinquish Space to Urban Outfitters

For more than a century, Corcoran's has provided Harvard Square shoppers with home furnishings and clothing, but as the store cedes its space to Urban Outfitters this month, it will become a haven for plastic dinosaur shoppers and funky clothing consumers.

Owner Paul R. Corcoran '54, whose grandfather opened the original store in Central Square and relocated it to 14 Brattle Street in 1949, said Corcoran's is closing for "purely economic reasons." He said the lease expired and that the landlord wanted more rent than the store could afford.

"I have no quarrel with my landlord at all, and he'll be getting fair market value," said Corcoran.

According to Corcoran, rent in Harvard Square has doubled over the past five years and general merchandise shops like his have more trouble than specialty shops selling the volume necessary to afford such rents.

Corcoran, who also owns The Harvard Shop, which specializes in Harvard insignia, said Corcoran's employees will be offered jobs at The Harvard Shop.

Harvard students may miss Corcoran's since, as Corcoran said, "much of what we sold will no longer be available in Harvard Square."

"Curtains, sewing notions, madras bedspreads, and bedding will be more difficult, if not impossible, for students trying to furnish their dorm room to find in the Square," said Corcoran.

Taking over Corcoran's former site will be Urban Outfitters of 11 Boylston Street in Harvard Square. The two spaces are connected underground by their basements. The store has been in Harvard Square since 1981 and specializes in clothing and novelties.

Urban Outfitters' merchandiser Eileen Waters said the store will locate women's clothing on the top floor of Corcoran's former space and that it will sell men's clothing on the first floor. She said Corcoran's old basement will house two departments called Urban Renewal and Urban Basement, a sort of "bargain basement" version of the store.

Waters said Urban Outfitters would be hiring more employees to compensate for the expansion.

"It will be close to having a whole other store," she said, adding that Urban Outfitters will begin expanding in January.