A Boston Coop

The Harvard Cooperative Society has decided to cross the Charles once more, and will open a new retail store in downtown Boston this fall for the approximately 25,000 Harvard alumni who live and work in the Boston area.

James Argeros, general manager of the Harvard Coop, said yesterday the major reason for opening the new store on the street level of the Shawmut Bank Building at One Federal Street is that the Harvard Club of Downtown Boston is on the top floor of the same building.

"We were certainly persuaded by the presence of the Harvard Club," he said, adding, "The store will essentially be designed to appeal to the alumni."

The new 7500-square-foot Coop, one-tenth the size of the Harvard Square store, will be the first Coop that is not based in an academic community and that does not emphasize textbook sales.

"We plan on selling more mature clothing, both men's and women's, and on having departments for men's furnishing and insignia clothing," Argeros said. "If we have room, we may also put in small record and framed art departments."

Richard A. Vitali, the general manager of the Harvard Club of Boston, said "I think it will be good for both the Club and for the Coop. I've almost come to think of the University and the Coop as one and the same."

The new store, which will be the sixth Coop, is tentatively scheduled to open between August 15 and September 15.