Halloween Bazaar to Take Over Borders Book Store in Utica

Ghosts and ghouls will replace books and coffee when Halloween Bazaar opens Sept. 1 at the site of the former Borders book store in Utica.

Halloween Bazaar owners Jim and Elissa Burda of Orchard Lake are just waiting for the final city inspections before opening the seasonal retail store.

Halloween Bazaar was open last year in Utica, inside the CompUSA building.

But the Burdas worked out a deal with the Borders landlords who happily obliged to fill their vacant building – even if it is just for a few months.

In fact the Burdas, who run the family-owned Halloween Bazaar, have three locations and have made a habit out of taking over large vacant buildings.

A second Halloween Bazaar location will open in Shelby Township on 23 Mile Road, where Circuit City used to be. The third location will be in Novi.

On Tuesday, the Burda’s request to place an inflatable balloon outside its new location was denied by the Utica City Council because it violated the city’s no secondary sign on a mixed usage area.

The council did approve the Burda’s request to put up an “Open Soon” sign on the side of the building and a “Grand Opening” sign off Hall Road.

The Burda’s also own MotorCity Fireworks in Monroe.