Eugene’s iconic Tsunami Books has occupied its current building on Willamette Street for 30 years. Now, its general manager says it’s time to own, not rent.
Long a venue for books, concerts, plays, lectures and simply milling about, Tsunami Books is located inside a concrete brick and wooden structure built in 1949.
Scott Landfield, the store’s general manager, told KLCC that the monthly rent is about $8,500. They’ll launch a GoFundMe drive on May 1.
“We do have good building owners,” said Landfield. “The building itself was not for sale, but when we approached them with an offer to buy it, they were very positive and I feel like we’ll have a good time working out a proper deal.”
The immediate goal is to hit $200,000 in two months. The fundraising will engage donors from beyond the bookstore’s South Eugene neighborhood.
“We’d like to everything done by November, although if it drips into 2027 that’d be alright,” added Landfield. “Preferably through importing $5 at a time from every book lover in America.”
Landfield says in late February when American bombs and missiles began hitting Iran, including a school where 168 students were killed, he “fell apart mentally.” Keeping up appearances for customers during a time of war and unrest wore him down. Now he’d like to have a “win” for the community and said if they succeed in buying the building, workers will be owners.
As for the state of the building, Landfield says they’ve done remodeling over the years including an improved parking lot and a new roof. He’s particularly proud of the repurposed materials, which includes shelves made from the bleachers of “30 schools or universities” in the area, and a stage floor made of wood from the Amazon jungle.
“We had one of Brazil’s greatest guitarists here,” recalled Landfield. “When I told them that, he gave one of the greatest performances of his life.”
Landfield says in general, people “put on their best hats” when they come into Tsunami Books. He says being an educated, gentle, progressive crowd, “they’re appreciative of what we have.”
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