Jump to content

Recommended Posts

For years I have been wondering if Sears will ever do something with this eyesore located in midtown. It has so much potential, I guess at one point it was actually considered a beautiful building. Sears really needs to think about bringing it back to its original form. Something needs to be done. I would prefer to preserve the building, instead of razing it . What do you all think?

Article found in the Chronicle today.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/life/main/5924010.html

''It's hideous!" fumes my friend V., warming up to one of his favorite rants: the unbearable ugliness of the Sears on Main Street.

"It's right there on the light-rail line! At the entrance to the Museum District! At one of the few places where Houston can look good to visitors!"

V., I have to admit, has a point. Sears' tan metal siding, blotched with graffiti cover-up, gives the building's upper floors the beaten-down air of an aging ministorage unit. But even that beats the urban battle fortifications at ground level.

Someone, it appears, worked hard to make the department store defensible, able to repel invading hordes of shoppers intoxicated by Vanessa Hudgens' back-to-school ads. At the Wheeler side of the building, two sets of glass double doors, blacked out and locked during business hours, present an ominous face to the street. Opaque gray film makes the official entrance's glass doors, facing Main, only a little less scary. Bricks fill almost all the former display windows; burglar bars and more of that gray film cover the plate glass that survived. Only the most intrepid seekers of Kenmore appliances would dare breach such a bulwark.

What's the deal, V. wonders. Does Sears think that the urban shoppers that store serves deserve less than, say, the suburbanites at the Memorial City Mall? And for that matter, hasn't someone at Sears noticed that Midtown has gentrified around the store? Isn't there a retail audience yearning to be better served?

"Don't just return," exhorts the Hudgens back-to-school ad for Sears. "Arrive."

V. would like that Sears to do just that.

...

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 5 years later...

If it wasn't there there wouldn't be a department store for miles.

Why are we concerned about a lot with a building on it when that building is surrounded by empty lots.

No wonder We develop so sparsely. We have 100 lots, ten with buildings on there, instead of trying something on the other 90 we just keep rebuilding on the occupied 10.

Why not build a Target next door first and when they put Sears In financial trouble then ask why Sears is still there.

You should be thankful Sears is there. After Macy's closed they are the only ones accessible to a lot of people using public transit

  • Like 7
Link to comment
Share on other sites

If it wasn't there there wouldn't be a department store for miles.

Why are we concerned about a lot with a building on it when that building is surrounded by empty lots.

No wonder We develop so sparsely. We have 100 lots, ten with buildings on there, instead of trying something on the other 90 we just keep rebuilding on the occupied 10.

Why not build a Target next door first and when they put Sears In financial trouble then ask why Sears is still there.

You should be thankful Sears is there. After Macy's closed they are the only ones accessible to a lot of people using public transit

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just because something is there doesn't mean it should be. That Sears is in horrible condition, and has a huge amount of land that is under utilized. In addition, Sears is hemorrhaging money. I am not saying it should be torn down. Just redeveloped. Did you know underneath the cladding there is Art Deco detailing? Imagine the possibilities for that space!

Edited by Dakota79
  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just because something is there doesn't mean it should be. That Sears is in horrible condition, and has a huge amount of land that is under utilized. In addition, Sears is hemorrhaging money. I am not saying it should be torn down. Just redeveloped. Did you know underneath the cladding there is Art Deco detailing? Imagine the possibilities for that space!

If it us under utilized how would you clasify the parking lot directly east or that huge grass tripple lot to the south? Or the empty lots to the Southwest? Or those lots west around the plaza? Or that empty lot to the north. This thing is surrounded by nothingness on all points of the compass. Its not like we are pressed for space in that location.

On a side note, does metro own that lot the wheeler station is located on? The tracks kinda bisects the lot

Link to comment
Share on other sites

When I saw this new thread I had a glimmer of hope they were going to do something with this building. I think this one is beyond renovation. Similar to someone's comment above, I was driving down main the other day with a friend and they were shocked the Sears was actually functioning.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The problem is that Sears Holdings is continuing to circle the drain, and it's a fair bet they won't be around all that much longer.  They are certainly not going to want to spend the money to restore it.  When and if Sears fails, a location like this one isn't going to be a valuable part of the restructuring package.  Unfortunately the omens for this building are very bleak. 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I read that the building was no longer owned by Sears and they're leasing it (hence, not a lot of investment in the building). If Sears pulls itself back together (unlikely but possible), the Midtown Sears would probably be updated on the inside. If Sears not only pulled itself back together but bought the building, they would likely sell it (land value's high) or at best, renovate the exterior to something modern/boring. If Sears died and the store closed entirely, the Art Deco facade would be restored and it would be torn down for yet another boring development.

 

Sears and this building probably don't have a lot of years left, but the demise of both will probably be hand in hand.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I read that the building was no longer owned by Sears and they're leasing it (hence, not a lot of investment in the building). If Sears pulls itself back together (unlikely but possible), the Midtown Sears would probably be updated on the inside. If Sears not only pulled itself back together but bought the building, they would likely sell it (land value's high) or at best, renovate the exterior to something modern/boring. If Sears died and the store closed entirely, the Art Deco facade would be restored and it would be torn down for yet another boring development.

 

Sears and this building probably don't have a lot of years left, but the demise of both will probably be hand in hand.

 

You've posted this bad information about the Sears property ownership before and I've corrected you before.  (On the earlier occasion you told us the property was owned by Rice University.)

 

The midtown Sears property is owned by Sears.

 

Sears has not been investing in any of their stores for quite some time, whether owned or leased (I think they own most of their stores).  That is just one of their many many problems.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You've posted this bad information about the Sears property ownership before and I've corrected you before. (On the earlier occasion you told us the property was owned by Rice University.)

The midtown Sears property is owned by Sears.

Sears has not been investing in any of their stores for quite some time, whether owned or leased (I think they own most of their stores). That is just one of their many many problems.

I remember having that discussion. What I find more interesting from your link, though, is that the physical condition of the building is considered "unsound".

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I dig this Sears. I pass by it everyday on 59. The fiesta sign at night really throws in the pizazz.

No, I don't have anything against it. If they remerchandised it and restored the facade, well, that'd be awesome. But between the woes of Sears Holdings and the poor condition of the building, it isn't likely it will be around for much longer.

Edited by IronTiger
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sears renovating by taking off cladding from great art deco architecture---GREAT IDEA!

The Renovation (Great paint job) of old Cleburne Cafeteria--Great idea

More Great ideas are needed for this section of Midtown.

I'm hoping that Half-price Books will move into this area "If and When" the location on Westheimer and Montrose gets booted.

Edited by trymahjong
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sears is pretty much occupied trying to figure out whether they can make their stores relevant in the 21st century.  I wouldn't expect them to devote any effort to renovating individual locations (especially individual locations where they don't have any competition), anytime in the near future.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Given that houses in far better condition in the Loop are being knocked down for new townhomes, unless this Sears is a huge success, it really makes a lot of economic sense to close this location, knock down the building, and sell the land.

 

Something very tall would have to go here... Perhaps mixed use.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Given that houses in far better condition in the Loop are being knocked down for new townhomes, unless this Sears is a huge success, it really makes a lot of economic sense to close this location, knock down the building, and sell the land.

I don't know how well this location is doing---but in my experience of visiting the store . . . the parking lot  usually has a lot of cars and there is always a line to check out.  The downstairs where the tools are always seems to have  people in the aisle.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

What I find interesting about this discussion is that there seems to be an assumption that this is a community decision. Sears gets to make the decision about how they operate that location and whether they think that they need to do any renovations.

This is a classic example of how lack of competition causes entropy. They aren't doing anything with the store because they have no competition. People shop there because it's close and they don't have a better alternative. Sears doesn't do anything because they are getting good revenue and they have no reason to invest in the property.

If you really want Sears to either upgrade their store or vacate the premises, then someone should open a power center with a Target and a Kohl's 1/2 a mile a way and watch how quickly changes come to the Sears property.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...