The old Barnes & Noble, 333 E. Grand River Ave., has a user, according to East Lansing Planning & Community Development Director Tim Dempsey.
Construction has been underway for about two weeks on the vacant building, where a look through the front doors reveal that the escalators have been removed, while brown paper covers the windows.
Christman Company, the owner of the location, declined to comment but there are rumors that Jackson National Life Insurance Co. will use the 35,000 square-foot building for office space.
Dempsey said an official release is planned for next week.
“The challenge of leasing that space … is because of its sheer size,” Dempsey said. “Its difficult to find a user to occupy all of that space.”
The building has been vacant since January 2012, when the Barnes & Noble went out of business.
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