Sears closing in Bellevue

Greg S · Post by **Greg S** » Mon Mar 16, 2009 9:00 am

The OWH was a little slow on this one. Sears had a store closing ad in Sunday's paper:

Sears closing Bellevue store

http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=1 ... d=10587934

www.omaha.com wrote:The closing date is tentatively scheduled for May 31, according to a corporate spokeswoman.

The store is currently holding a going-out-of-business sale.

A Sears spokeswoman said the store was being closed for "business reasons." There are no plans to close the Sears locations at Oak View Mall or Crossroads Mall, she added.

Greg

Stargazer · Post by **Stargazer** » Mon Mar 16, 2009 9:27 am

For some reason I thought they had closed years ago!

cdub · Post by **cdub** » Mon Mar 16, 2009 9:38 am

You aren't the only one!

Post by **Brad** » Mon Mar 16, 2009 10:40 am

I thought it was closed too... Â That area needs massive redevelopment!

DTO Luv · Post by **DTO Luv** » Mon Mar 16, 2009 10:54 am

Get rid of everything along Fort Crook road and have a LRT line from Offutt to DT and let it all redevelop along there. I think that was actually a plan they had talked about in Bellevue.

Post by **nebugeater** » Mon Mar 16, 2009 10:54 am

Brad wrote:I thought it was closed too... That area needs massive redevelopment!

Man, if they are closed who has been taking my money when I run over there from work? Â Â :lol:

DTO Luv · Post by **DTO Luv** » Mon Mar 16, 2009 10:58 am

Bernie Madoff.

Post by **Brad** » Mon Mar 16, 2009 11:12 am

nebugeater wrote:Man, if they are closed who has been taking my money when I run over there from work? :lol:

True, that is nice and close to your work. Â Where will you go now? Â I can't think of another Sears type store around? Â Home Depot in Manaua? Menard's in Belevue?

Post by **nebugeater** » Mon Mar 16, 2009 12:16 pm

Brad wrote:
nebugeater wrote:Man, if they are closed who has been taking my money when I run over there from work? :lol:
True, that is nice and close to your work. Where will you go now? I can't think of another Sears type store around? Home Depot in Manaua? Menard's in Belevue?

We use mostly Craftsman for our non-powered hand tools for the entire maintenance staff and this has been handy. Â CB is the nearest now as long as they are around.

Post by **nebugeater** » Tue Mar 17, 2009 6:19 am

Stopped by Sears on my way home last night. Â The place was packed unlike any normal day there I have ever seen. Â Everyone is looking for a deal I guess, just weren't any to be found. Spent some talking to an employee that has helped me there a few times before. Â This employee was part time and could live without the job but also had the opportunity to move to another location so I didn't gather that there was too much bitterness. Â What I did learn though is that the store was and is profitable. Â Until a few weeks ago there was no plans to close the store. Â In fact Sears, at their cost, had plans to do a major remodel of the store this summer. Â The lease on the building was due for renewal and the realty company that owns the building went after a major increase in rent. Â Nothing could be negotiated and this ended up in the decision to close the store rather than invest in it by Sears. Â It was this persons opinion that the property was of more value to the owner as a write off than a rent generating business. Â The odds of something coming into this building are slim at best. Â The employees learned of this three weeks ago after many weeks of being prepped for the disruption of a remodel this summer. Â Again, all should be taken with a grain of salt coming from a Sears employee but I have to think a major portion of what I told is close to the truth.

Post by **Brad** » Tue Mar 17, 2009 12:58 pm

There is plenty of vacant land around there, may be they can just move!

Bosco55David · Post by **Bosco55David** » Tue Mar 17, 2009 1:51 pm

With Ameritrade leaving Southroads (and donating $50k to turn it back into retail) maybe they could move there?

Post by **nebugeater** » Tue Mar 17, 2009 3:05 pm

Bosco55David wrote:With Ameritrade leaving Southroads (and donating $50k to turn it back into retail) maybe they could move there?

1) Â Does anyone really think that Southroads will successfully be converted back to Retail?
2) Â How far will $50K really go for that process if it was in fact a doable goal?

Big E · Post by **Big E** » Tue Mar 17, 2009 4:10 pm

nebugeater wrote:2) How far will $50K really go for that process if it was in fact a doable goal?

My guess is that's for marketing and/or subsidizing some leases.

Bosco55David · Post by **Bosco55David** » Tue Mar 17, 2009 4:21 pm

nebugeater wrote:1) Does anyone really think that Southroads will successfully be converted back to Retail?

Sure, why not?

2) How far will $50K really go for that process if it was in fact a doable goal?

Depends on how much work needs to be done to the mall. From what I've been told, it's still in pretty good shape. [/quote]

Post by **Brad** » Tue Mar 17, 2009 4:29 pm

Bosco55David wrote:
nebugeater wrote:1) Does anyone really think that Southroads will successfully be converted back to Retail?

Sure, why not?

I agree, it can be converted, it would look something like this at first:

Bosco55David · Post by **Bosco55David** » Tue Mar 17, 2009 5:22 pm

And you want to do the same thing to The Center mall.

Just saying.

Post by **Brad** » Wed Mar 18, 2009 11:00 am

Bosco55David wrote:And you want to do the same thing to The Center mall.
Just saying.

Yes, if they don't keep them up, they need to go...

They both look like a dump on the outside which makes people not want to go in, therefor not retail.

Post by **Brad** » Wed Mar 18, 2009 2:18 pm

Well the bulldozer is a bit sarcastic, however these two as well as crossroads need to think outside the box and not keep slapping another coat of paint on and hoping that retail comes knocking at the door.

Bosco55David · Post by **Bosco55David** » Wed Mar 18, 2009 8:44 pm

Brad wrote:Well the bulldozer is a bit sarcastic, however these two as well as crossroads need to think outside the box and not keep slapping another coat of paint on and hoping that retail comes knocking at the door.

Agreed. If you check the very end of the Crossroads thread, I posted several ideas to get that mall up and running again. Â :;):

bbinks · Post by **bbinks** » Fri Mar 20, 2009 11:31 am

Brad wrote:Well the bulldozer is a bit sarcastic, however these two as well as crossroads need to think outside the box and not keep slapping another coat of paint on and hoping that retail comes knocking at the door.

Crossroads does not even believe in paint. Â I was at Barnes & Noble last week and you can still see where the sign for Walgreen's used to be on the wall to the right of the entrance. Â And Walgreen's has been gone for what? 10 years?. Â That is about as low upkeep as they can get.

Post by **nebugeater** » Tue May 18, 2010 12:30 pm

Sears has opened a store in the old DJ's Dugout location at 25th and Cornhusker in Bellevue. Â It is a Sears Hometown Store. Â No idea what that is having not seen that name on a store before but here is what the Sears web site says

Sears Hometown Stores is a unique retailing concept that combines the feel and exceptional customer service of a small community store with the wide assortment of tools, appliances, electronics and lawn & garden merchandise offered by Sears, Roebuck, and Co. stores. This unique format allows customers in small communities to have access to the great products and brands usually only found in Sears stores.