Former Sears storefront demolished

Demolition of a former Sears store at the Woodland Mall in Grand Rapids, Michigan, began on Aug. 26, a report by mlive.com says. The space will be reconfigured for new retailers and restaurants.

The Sears store closed in March after being the first department store to sign a lease with Woodland Mall’s developers in 1965, the report says. The mall was built for $20 million by developer Alfred Taubman and opened in March 1968.

Now, the current owners of the Woodland Mall are planning to spend $100 million to upgrade the space. The Sears storefront will be replaced with a 90,000-square-foot Von Maur store along with other lifestyle retailers and restaurants.

A new entrance to connect the mall and the Celebration Cinema theater complex is also part of the plan. According to the report, an outdoor sitting and dining area will connect the two spaces.

The renovation project will take more than two years to complete, with a scheduled opening time of October 2019. According to the report, the mall will remain open during construction.