Khristopher J. Brooks

Just when East Villagers had started to think that all hope was lost to save the St. Mark’s Bookshop, the store’s owners said today that their landlords at Cooper Union are reconsidering lowering the rent by $5,000.

“They said the decision is under reconsideration,” said Bob Contant, co-owner of the 33-year-old book store.

On Tuesday, Mr. Contant told The Local that Cooper Union President Jamshed Bharucha and Vice President T.C. Westcott had  told him and his partner Terry McCoy that there was nothing the school could do about their $20,000 rent. As other outlets ran with headlines such as “St. Mark’s Bookshop DENIED Rent Reduction From Cooper Union,” a Cooper Union representative insisted to The Local that the matter was not yet settled, and that a final decision would come by the end of the month. Reached today, Mr. Contant said he was scheduling a meeting with Ms. Westcott for next week.

Today, Cooper Union spokeswoman Jolene Travis reiterated that a decision about the rent had never been officially reached. She had no information about next week’s meeting.