Is time running out for the Curious George store?

The iconic Curious George store at the corner of Brattle Street and John F. Kennedy Street in Cambridge may move out of the neighborhood sometime in 2018.

Adam Hirsch, owner of “The World’s Only Curious George Store,” a 20-year-old staple in Harvard Square, said he knew the move was coming but hasn’t thought much about it yet.

“We don’t have an answer to what we do now as a viable and profitable business,” Hirsch said. “We’re a mom-and-pop shop. We don’t have deep pockets to do another buildout; to create a store today and to do that again is beyond what we can afford.”

A new landlord has purchased the building and has recently revealed some designs as to what will become of the location that houses several other retailers who will have to move as a result.

Hirsch said the desire is to remain in the Harvard Square area somehow, which is where Curious George creators Hans Agusuto Rey and Margaret Rey lived when they came from Europe, despite the high cost of rent.

“We feel we pay a market rate for where we are today but that market rate is increasingly becoming a moving target in the upward direction,” Hirsch said. “So that is also a concern as we find a place that we can make work.”

Hirsch said he has gotten the sense that locals and international visitors alike would also like the store to remain a part of the Harvard Square experience and is open to suggestions on what to do next.

“The question is when, what are our options and how can we remain as an enjoyed experience and a special experience in Harvard Square? That’s something we’re working at … it’s still unanswered,” Hirsch said. “We are receptive to any support we can get.”