The closing of the Bronx’s Barnes & Noble in 2016 left local book lovers without a go-to bookstore, and now many are wondering when it will make its return. 

There were reports it would return within three years, but there is still no luck. 

The store, previously located at Bay Plaza, has been replaced by Saks Off Fifth Avenue. Now, two local college students have started a petition to bring it back. 

Jaeydon McBayne and Hadiyah Braithwaite say they have already received over 500 signatures. 

They say the goal is to get as many signatures as possible and for elected officials to help encourage Barnes & Nobles to come back to the Bronx. 

Braithwaite is an avid reader and says she often finds herself going to Manhattan to get books. She thinks the community deserves more. 

"I just want them to give the Bronx a chance. I want them to remember that book lovers are here too. We love to read, and we deserve our own bookstore. We deserve a place to go and have kids fall in love with reading again,” said Braithwaite. 

After the bookstore closed in 2016, many were under the impression it would return to the Bronx within the next three years - including Assemblyman Michael Benedetto, who serves in the area. 

He says it appeared to be an empty promise and that there is no indication it will return. However, he also says he hopes that changes. 

"It's just a matter of Barnes and Noble having the will and the respect of the people of the Bronx to come back. The people of the Bronx have proven time and time again that they need the best of all that is out there, and a bookstore is one of them,” said Benedetto. 

He says it doesn’t have to be Barnes & Noble. He’s encouraging any bookstore to come open in the Bronx, saying it is a much-needed necessity. 

News 12 reached out to Prestige Properties, the owner of the Bay Plaza Shopping Center, but hasn't heard back yet.