Moving is a “ton of work,” even when it’s just next door, says David Worlsey, co-owner of Words Worth Books in downtown Waterloo, Ontario.

In late March, Worlsey and co-owner Mandy Brouse organized a crew of 30 staff and volunteers for the two-day move from Words Worth’s old location, where the store operated for 20 years, to its new space on the other side of the wall.

Words Worth isn’t the first independent business in the Waterloo area that has been forced to move or shut its doors, as speculation over the region’s new light-rail transit plan has caused commercial rents to surge in the city’s downtown core. But when the bookstore’s annual lease came up for renewal, Worsley was still shocked by the proposed increase. “Going from $24 a square foot to $36 is going to have a profound effect on a business,” he says.

Hoping to remain on the busy main street, Worsley and Brouse approached the city for assistance. They were directed to Words Worth’s next-door neighbour, Terry Hollohan, owner of Bent’s Foto Source. Hollohan was planning to retire from the photography business, and his storefront would soon become available.

Hollohan, who also owns the building, was “more interested in finding a stable tenant” than raising rent, Worsley says.

According to Worsley, the new Words Worth space is approximately 100 square feet smaller than its previous location, but is better lit and has higher ceilings. All’s in place for a “normal spring season,” he says: “It’s cheaper, the place looks better, and there’s a landlord that isn’t asking for the moon.”